BENIN: Pastor & Elders Abducted

Beninese churches, especially those located in the north, have been facing increasing pressures by Islamists.

On Sunday, 27 July 2025, Islamists entered a church building in northeastern Benin near the end of the service and abducted its pastor and three elders.

Persecution is prevalent in the northern part of Benin, where Christians are beaten and sometimes killed and church buildings are routinely destroyed. Witchcraft is deeply ingrained in the local culture and is openly practiced. Christianity is considered a foreign religion that steals a community’s youth and prevents them from being properly initiated into the local tribes.

A senior Beninese pastor requested prayer for the abducted church leaders and that Christians in Benin will remain bold witnesses to Christ amid persecution.