BBI " Benin Bible Institute " Official Website

NEW TO BBI WITH THE BACCALAUREAT OF THEOLOGY

BBI! IT IS ALSO THE TRAINING FOR THE OBTAINING OF THE BACCALAUREAT OF THEOLOGY !

ALL THE BIBLICAL AND SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE TO EQUIP THE OUVIERSS OF THE LORD BETTER FOR THE MISSIO DEI!

BBI! IT IS ALSO THE CULTURE OF THE KNOWLEDGE!!!

WITH OUR LIBRARY OF MORE OF 4.000 BOOKS AND DOCUMENTARY RESOURCES GOD'S SPEECH CARRIED HAND AND UNDERSTOOD BETTER!

ALL THE BIBLICAL AND SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE TO EQUIP THE OUVIERSS OF THE LORD BETTER FOR THE MISSIO DEI!

BBI! IT IS ALSO SOME SOCIO - COMMUNAL AND AGRO - PASTORAL PROJECTS!!!

BBI AIMS TO GIVE A CONVENIENT FORMATION TO STUDENTS IN VARIOUS SECTORS OF ACTIVITIES IN PARALLEL TO THEIR THEOLOGICAL FORMATION.

DISCOVER OUR AGRICULTURAL PROJECT WITH MENNONITE PARTNER !
HISTORY OF THE BBI

HISTORY OF THE BENIN BIBLE INSTITUTE


In 1959, a missionary couple, Edwin and Irene WEAVER, arrived in Nigeria in response to an invitation by a Nigerian initiated church that wanted to become Mennonite. On their arrival, the Weavers noticed that there were more than sixty different denominations in a radius of several kilometers around the church which had initially invited them. It did not take them long to discover that the majority of the leaders of those churches did not yet know elementary biblical principles. As a result of this surprising discovery and their awareness of the great need for training, they redefined the purpose for their presence in Nigeria. Instead of establishing Mennonite churches, they created a center for biblical training in order to train the leaders of all denominations. In 1967, they decided to organize a study tour of the region to determine whether the same situation existed in other countries in West Africa. In fact, their tour through other countries revealed that there were a multitude of African Initiated Churches whose leaders had never benefited from biblical training. In consequence, training spiritual leaders became the main goal of the “Mennonite Board of Missions” in West Africa. As part of the study tour, a group of Mennonite missionaries arrived in Benin in 1970 where they held a one week training seminar with several churches (Methodist, Cherubims, Bodawa, etc.) The experiment was repeated in 1971 through the initiative of the former Pastor Harry Henry. Several years went by without any contact probably due to the political changes in Benin at the time ; the contacts were renewed through the efforts of Mennonite missionary, David Shank, who was then serving in Ivory Coast. Each year, he came to Benin to lead a one week bible training seminar. The adoption in Benin of Marxist-Leninism in 1975 rendered life difficult for all the churches and the contact with the Mennonite Mission stopped until 1983. From 1983 to 1986, David Shank led annual one week bible seminars for the church leaders.


David and Wilma SHANK with the participants of the 1st seminar that they organized in Benin, December 1983

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David SHANK, founding father of BBI

In order for the churches to benefit more fully from the teaching ministry so appreciated by them, the leaders of the Interdenominational Council of the Protestant Churches of Benin told the Mennonite Board of Missions of their desire to have Mennonite missionaries living in Benin. In 1984, a letter to the missionary organization asked for missionaries to work in three areas : bible training, health and agriculture. In response to the request, the mission sent HOLLINGER-JANZEN Rodney and Lynda who arrived in Cotonou in February 1987 to provide bible training to the Beninese churches. In August of the same year came another missionary couple, GOLDSCHMIDT-NUSSBAUMER Daniel and Marianne, to do health work.





The missionary couple Rodney & Lynda HOLLINGER-JANZEN

Shortly after their arrival the Hollinger-Janzen’s, in concert with the Bible School Committee of the Interdenominational Council, began teaching in August 1987 first at the Protestant Secondary School and then at the Christian Center of Welcome and Training in Porto-Novo. The students from more than twenty different denominations participated in the evening classes which continued until 1991. During this same period, one week seminars were organized from time to time. When the democratic renewal began in Benin, the Interdenominational Council of Protestant Churches who had already lost several denominations was dying. This brought an end to the evening classes.


After a sabbatical year in the United States, the Hollinger-Janzen’s returned to Benin in 1992 with the intention of obtaining independent status for the Mennonite Mission in Benin. The necessary steps were undertaken and in January 1994, the Mennonite Mission of Benin was registered with the Ministry of the Interior under the name Service Mennonite au Benin (SMB). In the interim, from June 1992 until June 1994, the Hollinger-Janzen’s organized trainings in various churches before launching the three year program of systematic bible training in September 1994 that brought together several denominations. In the hopes of actively involving nationals in the organization of the program, the Mennonite missionaries serving in Cotonou held an interdenominational meeting in May 1996 to consider how the local churches could take over running the training program. At that meeting, the decision was made to form an autonomous reflection committee to define the legal and institutional bases of the program along with its different structures.










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At the beginning of 1997, a reflection committee made up of seven members was formed as follows :

- AHOGA Augustin : resource person

- DANHOUNDO Marcellin : resource person

- HOUNGBEDJI Théodore : representative of the Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions in Benin (FEMEB)

- NOUKPAKOU Germain : representative of the Council of Protestant and Evangelical Churches of Benin (CEPEB)

- HOUNMONDJI Jean Baptiste : representative of the students

- JANZEN Rodney : representative of the Service Mennonite au Bénin (SMB)

- JOHNSON Stephen : representative of the Mennonite Board of Missions



Pastor AHOGA C. Augustin, 1st President of BBI’s Board of Governors, with his spouse who drew up the plans and supervised the construction of the headquarters of BBI.


The reflection committee chaired by Pastor AHOGA Augustin continued its work until the Board of Governors was formed at the end of 1998 in accordance with the By-laws adopted by the Consultation Meeting held August 27, 1998. The Service Mennonite au Benin became the Benin Bible Institute (BBI).



Pastor Marcellin DANHOUNDO, 2nd Administrator of BBI after Pastor Rodney Janzen

 The first program offered by BBI is a three year systematic training in the areas of bible, theology, church history and practical theology. Twenty-seven classes are taught once a month for nine months of the year over the course of three years. These classes are taught one weekend a month in French and again over a five day period each month in French with translation into a local language. This schedule allows church leaders to remain active in their churches while they are studying.

There is constant interaction between what the students are learning and their experiences in church and ministry. This program remains the spinal column of BBI because it attracts on average more than 200 students at every registration.

Three of the best students from the first graduating class were chosen for further training in order to form a pedagogical team. A Beninese administrator was found to work alongside Rod and eventually to take over the reins. The legal status of the school was established.

The teachers and the administrators come for the most part from churches with evangelical and Pentecostal theological leanings. The students represent 60 to 70 different denominations and learn to study the bible together.




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The family of Missionary Philip DETWEILER, Director of the Service Mennonite au Bénin, at the end of his mission, April 2004



















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Photo of the family, the personnel and the members of the Board, April 2004


The FREY-YODER family at the end of their mission in Benin, June 2009

The second bible training program at BBI is a weekend class that lasts 18 months for Christians in management positions. It has been developed for Christians in the upper levels of public or private administration. Its purpose is to help the students live out their Christian faith in the work place.

The third training program at BBI is the three and a half year « Baccalaureat of Theology » program. At first the classes ran full time, but these were changed into periodic sessions. Between 2004 and 2012, twenty-eight students have studied in this program.

BBI’s vision is to go even further in its level of training. It plans to offer university level classes.




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VISION AND MISSION

1. Vision

BBI’s vision is to train spiritually and intellectually strong leaders who will put the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ according Eph.4 : 12.


2. Mission

Its mission is to :
- provide education based on basic biblical truths in a suitable program tailored to the needs of the Church
- encourage each student in the taste and interest in biblical and theological culture
- create and maintain a positive spiritual atmosphere that will allow each student to build character, attitudes and skills necessary for spiritual and relational effectiveness in ministry
- help each student to discover and to accurately capture the range and scope of his appeal
- the building body of Christ in Benin through conferences, seminars and national symposia and internationa
- give students practical training in various industries along with their theological training.




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BBI’S ORGANIZATION

ADMINISTRATOR’S WORD

We are very happy to your visit on our WebSite ! Welcome to Benin Bible institute ! BBI is a biblical and theological training School to the service of the church. Its vocation is to form spiritually and mentally leaders “for their perfection in view of the work of the ministry and the edification of Christ’s body.”


Pastor Bonaventure AKOWANOU



BBI’s Staff

This is the BBI’s STAFF :

AKOWANOU M. Bonaventure
ADMINISTRATOR

Since August 2002.

- He organizes, coordinates and ensures the achievement of BBI’s mission.
- He oversees the training programs and ensures that BBI’s vision is being carried out through its activities and its operation.
- He supervises the personnel and provides BBI with human resources needed in connection with its activities for each training program.

BANGBADE I. François
ACADEMIC DEAN Since September 2003.

He oversees the academic programs at BBI and ensures that the course content as well as the spiritual or pedagogical activities attains the vision and objectives of each program.

GODONOU F. Alphonse
PROFESSOR Since September 2004.

He is the head of the Systematic Bible Training Program since 2012.

Organize, coordinate and supervise the Systematic Bible Training Program.

AGBO Bertin
PROFESSOR, Since November 1997.
Il est le He is the head of the Baccalaureat in Theology program since 2012.

Organize, coordinate and supervise the Baccalaureat in Theology program.

CODJO Antoine
PROFESSOR Since September 2002

He was the head of the Systematic Bible Training Program until 2012 when he left for further training at Vaux-sur-cène in France.

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NOUKPLIGUIDI EricSECRETARY-ACCOUNTANT Since July 2007.

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HOUNKPE Arlette Epse BOKO
LIBRARIAN Since February 2003.

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EKLOU Edalé
OFFICER OF AGRICULTURAL WORK Since 2015.

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AHOUANSOU Jean-Pierre
CONCIERGE Since 2015.

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OLOUNKA Daniel M. 
CUSTODIAN Since April 2011.

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KINTOSSOU Simon
SECURITY GUARD Since January 2001.

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BOKO Théophane
CONCIERGE Eligible for retirement since January, 2014