Benin: Chronology

July 1997 • Benin

Lincoln Dahl, a Latter-day Saint working in the American embassy, was called as group leader of the small group in Benin.

October 4, 1998 • Cotonou, BeninClaude P. Toze was baptized. He was the first person baptized in Benin.

January 21, 1999 • Abidjan, Côte d’IvoireBenin became part of the Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan Mission, officially opening the country for missionary work.

February 1999 • Benin and TogoDeMoine A. and Joyce Findlay became the first of several missionary couples called to serve in Benin and Togo.

January 2001 • CotonouVerne and Kathleen Davis became the first missionary couple assigned to live in Benin full time.

November 2002 • BeninChurch members in Benin assisted LDS Charities in collecting textbooks and donating them to the Ministry of Education in the country.

March 7, 2003 • BeninThe Church received official recognition in Benin.

May 15, 2005 • BeninThe Cotonou Branch was created with Mathias O. Eguko as branch president.

2006 • BeninGéoffroy Koussemou, the first member from Benin to serve a full-time mission, was called to serve in the Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan Mission.

2007 • CotonouSeminary and institute classes were taught in Benin for the first time. Lionel Missigbeto and Carole Somakou were called as instructors.

June 13, 2007 • CotonouElder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Benin for the preaching of the gospel.

2008 • CotonouThe Cotonou Branch was divided into the Menontin, Gbedjromede, and Akpakpa Branches.

June 30, 2011 • Benin and TogoThe Benin Cotonou Mission was created to proselytize in Benin and Togo.

August 2011 • West AfricaOver 11,000 youth from Liberia, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone held celebrations commemorating the 180th anniversary of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

November 2011 • CotonouSister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President, and Sister Silvia H. Allred, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, visited Cotonou, Benin, to provide leadership training for sisters.

October 14, 2012 • CotonouThe Cotonou Benin District was created with Barnard Cocou Didier Ahlinvi as president.

April 24, 2016 • CotonouThe Cotonou Benin Stake was organized with V. Modeste Kpadonou as stake president.