Benin Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Benin, go to the Religious Records page.

Historical Background
Christianity is the most widely professed religion in Benin, with 48.5% of the nation's total population being members of various Christian denominations. Christianity first reached Benin in 1680, gaining more permanent footing in the 19th century. English Methodists arrived in 1843, operating amongst the coastal Gun people. More than half of all Christians in Benin are Roman Catholic. Other Christian groups include Baptists, Methodists, Assemblies of God, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, Celestial Christians, Rosicrucians, the Unification Church. Many nominal Christians also practice traditional local religious beliefs

Information Recorded in the Records
Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms
In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Benin.
 * b. Click on Places within Benin and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records
You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See French Letter Writing Guide for help with composing letters.

Writing to a Local Parish
To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Benin

Historical Background
he Catholic Church in Benin is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are an estimated 1.5 million baptised Catholics in the Republic of Benin, or about 23% of the population, in ten dioceses and archdioceses. There are 440 priests and 900 men and women in religious orders.

Online Records
Information is available to current members only for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background
Benin was assigned to the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission in January 1999. Reorganized from the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission to the Ghana Cape Coast Mission in July 2005. Total Church Membership: 3,463. Congregations: 18.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Celestial Christian churches in Benin

Historical Background
The Celestial Church of Christ is an African Initiated Church founded by Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa on 29 September 1947 in Porto-Novo, Benin. It is mainly located in Africa and in the Afro-descendant communities in the world, particularly in Benin and Nigeria. The Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) was recognized and authorized by the Republic of Dahomey (former name of Benin) in 1965. In 2001, it was the second largest church in Benin by the number of its practitioners (nearly half a million).

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Jehovah's Witnesses churches in Benin

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Pentecostal churches in Benin
 * Google Maps search results for Assembly of God churches in Benin

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Benin