Benin
BENIN
Jan. 1, 2012: Est. population, 8,792,000; Members, 676; Branches 3; Missions 1; Percent LDS,.003, or one in 351,680; Africa West Area.
In 1998 Claude P. Toze, a citizen of Benin, met Mathias Eguko, a Nigerian member of the Church living in the capital of Cotonou.EgukosharedwithTozethemissionarydiscussionsandacopyoftheBookofMormoninFrench. Sacrament meetings were first held at Eguko's home and later at the home of Bryan Ermatinger, an employee of the United States Embassy. Inthemeantime, warerupted intheDemocratic Republic oftheCongo inAugust 1998andallnon-Congolese missionarieswereevacuatedfromthatcountry. Amongtheevacuatedwasamissionarycouple,NormandandSharon Langevin. They were re-assigned toneighboring Benin for onemonth inSeptember 1998. Itwas herethattheLangevins taught the final discussions to and baptized Claude P. Toze on 4 October 1998. Toze was the first citizen of Benin to be baptized.
The FirstPresidency and Quorum of the Twelve assigned Benin to the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission on 21 January 1999. Demoine A. andJoyce Findlay were thefirstofseveral missionary couples assigned tosupportChurch members inboth
432 Desenet News 2013 Church News Almanac
TogoandBeninandworkforlegalizationoftheChurchinthosetwocountries. TheylivedinTogoandperiodicallyvisited Benin.
On 23 January 2001, Verne and Kathleen Davis become the first missionary couple assigned to live in Benin full time. They continued thework begun previously bytheFindlays togain legalization oftheChurch inBenin, and they also gave support to Churchmembers meeting in the capital of Cotonou.
The BYUSingers toured Benin inMay 2001 andwere soimpressed with themembers thatthey donated blue tiesand bluedressestobewornwhenlegalrecognitioncame. On7March2003,afteryearsofworkingwithgovernmentofficials, theChurchfinallyreceivedlegalrecognition. ThatSundaythebluetiesanddresseswerewornincelebration.Thefollowing month four young missionaries, Reid Schellhous, Brandon ]. Smith, Jean-Boscoh Kouassi, and Ambroise Gbahouo, were assigned to Benin.
Membership onJan. 1,2011, was 201. The Benin Cotonou Mission was created bythedivision oftheIvory Coast Abidjan Mission onJuly 1,2011.Themission iscomprised ofthecountries ofBenin andTogo.
Jan. 1, 2012: Est. population, 8,792,000; Members, 676; Branches 3; Missions 1; Percent LDS,.003, or one in 351,680; Africa West Area.
In 1998 Claude P. Toze, a citizen of Benin, met Mathias Eguko, a Nigerian member of the Church living in the capital of Cotonou.EgukosharedwithTozethemissionarydiscussionsandacopyoftheBookofMormoninFrench. Sacrament meetings were first held at Eguko's home and later at the home of Bryan Ermatinger, an employee of the United States Embassy. Inthemeantime, warerupted intheDemocratic Republic oftheCongo inAugust 1998andallnon-Congolese missionarieswereevacuatedfromthatcountry. Amongtheevacuatedwasamissionarycouple,NormandandSharon Langevin. They were re-assigned toneighboring Benin for onemonth inSeptember 1998. Itwas herethattheLangevins taught the final discussions to and baptized Claude P. Toze on 4 October 1998. Toze was the first citizen of Benin to be baptized.
The FirstPresidency and Quorum of the Twelve assigned Benin to the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission on 21 January 1999. Demoine A. andJoyce Findlay were thefirstofseveral missionary couples assigned tosupportChurch members inboth
432 Desenet News 2013 Church News Almanac
TogoandBeninandworkforlegalizationoftheChurchinthosetwocountries. TheylivedinTogoandperiodicallyvisited Benin.
On 23 January 2001, Verne and Kathleen Davis become the first missionary couple assigned to live in Benin full time. They continued thework begun previously bytheFindlays togain legalization oftheChurch inBenin, and they also gave support to Churchmembers meeting in the capital of Cotonou.
The BYUSingers toured Benin inMay 2001 andwere soimpressed with themembers thatthey donated blue tiesand bluedressestobewornwhenlegalrecognitioncame. On7March2003,afteryearsofworkingwithgovernmentofficials, theChurchfinallyreceivedlegalrecognition. ThatSundaythebluetiesanddresseswerewornincelebration.Thefollowing month four young missionaries, Reid Schellhous, Brandon ]. Smith, Jean-Boscoh Kouassi, and Ambroise Gbahouo, were assigned to Benin.
Membership onJan. 1,2011, was 201. The Benin Cotonou Mission was created bythedivision oftheIvory Coast Abidjan Mission onJuly 1,2011.Themission iscomprised ofthecountries ofBenin andTogo.
Missions
Benin Cotonou MissionBenin
LDS Members: 1,898LDS Missions: 1
LDS Congregations: 14
