People group profile · PG012319
The Fon of Benin
The Fon of Benin, numbering about 3,725,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Gbe-speaking people indigenous to southern Benin and neighboring parts of Togo. They trace their origins to the Aja-Tado cultural tradition and are historically associated with the Kingdom of Dahomey, an influential West African precolonial states.
They are an indigenous people in the Guinean people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Fon.
Fast facts
- Country
- Benin
- Population
- 3,725,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Guinean
- Primary language
- Fon (fon)
- Primary religion
- Protestantism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Fon are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Fon
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Protestantism · Christianity
65% adherents
Primary language
Fon · Atlantic-Congo family
95% speak Fon
Gospel resources in Fon
- Bible available, published 2014
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- AKƆJIJƐYƆ̌YƆ́ Ɔ́ WÉMA · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Fon
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
Fon in other countries
The same people (ROP3 103041) is reported in 3 other countries.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.