Benin Republic, a mission field of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, started as an Ohori mission field in the late fifties to early sixties, with the Ohori people group as the target population. These people reside along the border towns of Ogun State and part of Benin Republic. Several missionaries have labored in the land over the years.
The work finally spread into the territories of the Benin Republic, leading the Convention to declare the field as an international mission field with several people groups now in focus: Ohori Ije, Guns, Fon, Idacca, Ife, Anago, Agouna, Ewe, and Bariba.
Among these people groups we have been able to plant churches in order to harness together and be opportune to go through levels of discipleship and be able to help those who cannot read and write to go through the literacy classes so they will be able to read the Bible themselves for their spiritual growth and development.
The field by extension, has spread its tentacles as far as the Togo Republic, which necessitated the Convention in 2015 to streamline the work by splitting the field into three,e namely: Ogun State Home Mission Field, Benin Republic International Mission Field, and Togo Republic International Mission Field all within their geographical farmland.
Summary of Ministry Activities
Within the past one year, we have engaged the land and the people in varying out-reaches and in-reaches for Godly harvest of the souls into the kingdom which has resulted in granting us the privileged to expose about six thousand, two hundred and twenty-seven (6, 227) people to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Out of them, about one thousand six hundred and forty-nine (1,649) responded positively by willingly accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Three hundred and twenty (320) of them are undergoing various levels of discipleship, and we have been able to baptize about two hundred and sixty (260) of them. Five (5) churches were equally planted among the various people groups in the last year.
On January 1st 2024, we were opportune to minister to over two thousand (N2000) children in an outreach program that we tagged “feed a 1000” right in front of the local government secretariat of Towe, believing God that the fruits will abide to eternity.
Through the Holiday Bible School in August 2023, we were able to reach one in four 1904 children with the gospel. In October, the school of missions and theology also took off with twenty (20) students enrolled to receive theological training.
Prospects
There are so many prospects for our mission thrust in Benin Republic, these include more open doors to reach out to the unreached, the unengaged and the unchurched in the land. Efforts are on to engage in the planting of more churches, reaching out to more locations where traditional worshippers and Ifa shines are more entrenched.
We trust God also to engage in more intercession for the land, knowing fully well that the Lord Jesus requires us to pray more to the Lord of harvest to send more labourers to the field of harvest, and also to bind the strong man to be able to take over his captives for the Master.
We equally have the opportunity and open doors to train more people to be carriers of the gospel to distant lands in the interiors and beyond the shores of Benin Republic.
Our challenges are multi-dimensional, ranging from paucity of funds, to syncretistic lifestyle of our members, high level of illiteracy, teenage pregnancy/marriage, poverty, oppositions and attacks from traditional worshippers, Roman Catholicism, Government policies that tends to hinder the proclamation of the gospel.
Needs
- 4 boreholes; one for the mission house and 3 for other villages at N3m each
- 10 motorcycles for pastors
- 5 rechargeable PA systems N350000 each
- 5 electrical generators N320000 each
- Discipleship materials of various kinds N350000
- Completion of the mission house (second wing) N10m
- Adoption of 10 pastors for payment of stipends at a minimum of N20000 each monthly
- A wheel chair for a physically-challenged child
- 30 ceiling fans for the WMU hall/auditorium at N35000
- 200 benches for the WMU hall/auditorium at N7500
- 2 serviceable projectors for open-air crusader
- 15 sewing machines for teenage empowerment
- Roofing of two church buildings with 40 bundles of zinc at N40000 per bundle
- Assistance for the education of the children of mission pastors at N50000 annually per child
- Financial assistance for the running of the school of missions
- Empowering about five (5) women for vocational careers at N100000 each
- The purchase of landed property for 3 city churches at N5m each.
Prayer Points
- Appreciate God for all He has done for us and all He is doing and that which He will yet do.
- Pray for more open doors for ministry, fresh fire to renew our passion for soul winning, and also fan into flame the fire of revival in the land of Benin Republic.
- Pray for the intervention of God against every governmental policy hindering the spread of the gospel.
- Pray to God to foretell famine that can be experienced as a resultant effect of excessive rainwater flooding the farms this year.
- Pray that the Lord will raise more mission lovers, mission financiers, and mission movers for this field.
- Pray for one of our pastors whose leg has a bad sore that the Lord will heal him, and the leg will not be amputated.
Niger Republic Mission Field
Background Information about the FieldThe NBC/GMB’s Mission work in Niger Republic is in its fifth year. The work began in September 2019 in Gaya and missionary shifted base from Gaya to Niamey the capital of Niger Republic in October 2021. The work is being done in partnership with The UNION des Eglisesvangelique Bapist du Niger. To the glory of God, the work is moving forward in this Islamic country.
Niger Republic is a landlocked country in Western Adrica. It covers a land area of 1, 270,000 km2, 80% of which is part of the Sahara desert. Niger Republic shares Borders with 7 Nigerian Northern States, namely: (Kebbi, Sokoto, Zanfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.).
The country has 7 regions and the national capital Niamey. The 7 regions are Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabery, Zinder. The population is estimated to be more than 28 million in 2024.
The percentage of men is 50.3%, while that of the women live in the rural areas. The population is majorly composed of youth and children. More than 58% of the population is under the age of 18. You can read more similar posts on the Mission page of the site.
Summary of the Ministry Activities
Theological Education
- The Missionary is now a member of the administrative council of the Bible School of the Baptist Union, and he has been facilitating some courses (Missions and Evangelism, ICT, English language and Bibliopoly) in the institution.
Administration
- The Missionary is acting as the assistant General Secretary of the Baptist Union. He has been helping in decision-making and organising various programmes of the Baptist Union.
- The Action Plan of the Year 2024 was prepared to give more organization for the year’s activities of the Baptist Union.
- 2024 theme of the year: L’evés-tos et Atteins Une Dimension Superieur pour le Royaume de Dieu. (Arise and reach a higher dimension for the kingdom of God) Texte: Joue: 1:1-9.
Youth Ministry
- The Missionary couple has been involved in discipleship with some youth of the various Baptist churches through teaching and counselling.
- The missionary spouse has been involved in ministering to Lydia and the GA of the Evangelical Baptist Church (Yoruba Section). She has been going to the church every Monday for the Lydia and every Friday for the GA programme.
- The Missionary couple and the Baptist National women’s president have been ministering to the young girls and young ladies of the Evangelical Baptist Church (French section) every month.
- During the National Youth Camp 2023, the missionary was called to speak on the importance of Baptism and the Lord super. The missionary and his spouse had some counselling sessions with some of the youth.
Structural Development
- The building of the fence of the Baptist secretariat/vocational centre, mission house, guest house on the land acquired by Lighthouse Baptist Church, Ibadan for the growth of Baptist work in Niger Republic has been completed through financial support by Lighthouse Baptist Church, Ibadan.
Christian Education
- The Christian education literatures are being used by the Baptist Churches in Niger Republic. The Sunday School Manual, the Disciple’s Lifestyle and Growing God for the children.
Missions
- An evangelist/Church planter was sent to Maradi, a regional Capital in the Eastern Part of the country, by the Baptist Union.
The second edition of Mission Sunday of the Baptist Union was held on 9th June. A mission offering was collected in all the churches to support the mission activities of the Baptist Union.
Leadership Development
- The young couple studying in the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary graduated in June 2024.
- Another Young Couple has been identified, and they will resume training in the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kaduna. First Baptist Church of Kaduna will be sponsoring their training.
Partnership with Axis Ministry
- Axis Ministry was founded by Mark Philips, a former IMB missionary. The GMB missionary couple has been trained to use the EEG (ElectroEncephaloGram) machine. It is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy. It can also play a role in diagnosing other brain disorders.
Tech, Train to Transform
- The missionary couple has been using the medical kit given to them to access Boubon village, Goudel community in Niamey.
Challenges
- Insecurity: Jihadists are persecuting Christians in the Makalondi area, where most of the Baptist churches are located. Recently, four Baptist church buildings were burnt down by the terrorists and members were forced to relocate from their community to Makalondi town.
- False teachings about Christianity and the Bible by Islamic Clerics.
- Islamic indoctrination
- Fear of Persecution/Social Rejection
- Poverty
- Illiteracy
- Syncretism and nominalism
- Lack of Discipleship
- Lack of Labourers
Prospects
- Trusting God for partners for church planting in the eastern part of Niger Republic
- There is a need to train more God called indigenous ministers of the Gospel in Theological schools in order to prepare them for service among their own people.
- Complete the building of the vocational centre/Baptist Headquatres for the use of reaching out to youth in Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic.
Needs
- Projection material for film show. This will help in reaching out to the people through Jesus’ film and other Christian films in their local languages.
- Generator (Elepaq 5.5KVA key starter)
- Laptop computers for the vocational centre
- A vehicle/four-wheel drive is needed for ministry work as the land is moody and sandy, and it does not retain water during the rainy season.
- Motorbike for ministry
- Scholarship for indigenes in theological training and their upkeep
- Donation towards the building of the mission of house
- Regular mission teams visit the field for specific ministry
Prayer Points
- Pray for divine security in the land; some churches in some areas are experiencing insecurity (Proverbs 18: 10; 2 Timothy 4: 18)
- Pray for political stability in the land (1 Timothy 2: 1-4)
- Pray to the Lord of harvest to send out labourers, from near and far, into His harvest(Luke 10: 2, Matthew 9: 31-38)
- Pray for more open doors of ministry opportunity which no one can shut in the land (Isaiah 45: 1; 2 Corinthians 2: 12; Revelations 3: 7-8)
- Pray that the Missionaries will work hard to understand culture and develop contextualized strategies (1 Corinthians 29: 22-23)
- Pray for political instability against the insurgency that the country is experiencing (Psalm 122: 6-9)
