Benin

Eglise Protestante Methodiste du Benin (EPMB; The Protestant Methodist Church of Benin)

The Protestant Methodist Church of Benin (EPMB) is a driving force for change in Benin. It’s deeply involved in agricultural initiatives, offers chaplaincy services in hospitals and prisons, and provides support to refugees.

Through the Union of Methodist Women, the church are empowering young girls and women in rural areas with basic education and income-generating skills, helping them to build brighter futures.

The church also takes a frontline role in the fight against AIDS, leading the National Committee to Combat AIDS and promoting awareness and prevention at the grassroots level—especially through its local congregations and the women’s union.

On the academic front, the Methodist Church in Britain partners with the Université Protestante de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (UPAO) in Porto Novo, a cornerstone institution for theological training in Francophone West Africa, shaping future leaders across the region.

The Protestant Methodist Church of Benin was founded in 1843 by Thomas Birch Freeman of the Methodist Missionary Society of London who planted churches and established schools in Dahomey (present day Benin).

EPMB was initially part of the French West African District, alongside its neighbour Togo.

By 1912 it was clear that Methodism was growing in the region when the church in Porto Novo, the administrative capital of Dahomey, celebrated its jubilee with a congregation of 1500 while mass conversions were taking place across other parts of the French West African District.

Today, EPMB blends tradition with community action. Spanning the nation—from the southern coastline to the northern border with Niger—the church is organised into 15 regional synods, each playing a vital role in local life.