After arriving at the police station, Victor was forced to pay a large fine in exchange for the release of the assistant pastor.
Across town, police targeted another pastor for allegedly violating the same noise ordinance. Authorities confiscated musical instruments and imposed a large fine on that church. But fines and property seizures were not the only tactics Savalou’s authorities used to intimidate local churches.
On Feb. 12, 2024, police returned to Victor’s church at a time when church members weren’t using musical instruments or amplification. “We just clapped our hands and worshiped the Lord,” he said. Surprised at their return, Victor asked the police why they were there. “They said that when we were praising God, we clapped too much and we sang too loud,” he said.
Then they ordered Victor and some church members to load the church’s musical instruments, which weren’t even being used, into the police vehicle. “No, I will not do it,” Victor replied. “We use the drums to glorify God. You are the policemen that want to take away drums. You should come and take them yourself. The Lord is the witness that you are the ones accusing us and you are the ones that took away God’s drums.”
The policemen stared at Victor, apparently surprised at his refusal to remove the church’s instruments. Finally, they forced a man walking by the church to pack up the instruments and load them in their vehicle. Then they ordered Victor to go to the police station.
When Victor arrived, he was immediately arrested and locked in a cell, where he fasted and prayed for three days. “I knew in my heart that this was part of the sacrifice we were trying to make for the Lord,” he said. “I was praying for the Lord to manifest his grace.”
Victor was released after three days. But many church members, fearing their own possible arrests, stopped attending worship services.
Voodoo Behind the Scenes
The voodoo community is very active in Savalou. It is common to see parades of voodooists walking down the street in special garb, often with someone wearing a devil costume, on their way to “curse” someone. And in front of homes across the city are small altars on which voodooists ritually slaughter animals with the hope of appeasing local spirits.
Still, Victor and the other pastors in Savalou couldn’t understand why they were suddenly being targeted for persecution. After all, Victor’s church had been in the same location for 30 years without any trouble from authorities, and the other large church that was fined was also well established.
In 2023, the pastors said, a new church began worshiping next to a voodoo leader’s home. A short time later, the voodooist lost his ability to tell fortunes using witchcraft, so in his anger he began throwing rocks at the church during services. The pastors believe that he and other voodooists with homes near churches didn’t like having Christians as neighbors. They think the voodooists complained to city officials, who also were voodooists, prompting the crackdown on pastors and churches.
By late February 2024, four pastors had been arrested and forced to pay fines up to a quarter of their annual salaries. The president of a church association in the area then suggested that the group needed to write a letter to the town’s chief prosecutor, protesting the unjust arrests and fines. In response, police arrested the association president and detained him in jail for eight days.
Turning Back the Darkness
The church leaders said that the prayers of Beninese Christians and other Christians around the world have, by God’s grace, brought about change in Savalou. By late 2024, the voodooists behind the arrests had been removed from office. The city’s mayor was sent to prison for involvement in a mysterious death, the chief prosecutor was demoted and the chief of police was forced into early retirement.
After the police chief lost his position, he came to speak with Victor. “It was not time for me to retire,” he said, “yet they forced me to retire without having any plot of land, without constructing my house where I will spend my last days.” Then he asked Victor for spiritual help. “Please, can you pray for me and plead with God not to punish me too much?”
As Victor considered their discussion, he recalled the struggle he had faced in jail and his prayers that God would change the hearts of voodooists. “When I got into the cell the first time,” he said, “I found myself not comfortable at all, and I was not happy at all. I asked the Lord several questions: ‘Lord, why have I been arrested? Why am I here? What do you want me to understand?’”
Victor said the Lord answered his questions in that cell. “The Holy Spirit told me it is for the gospel to spread,” he recalled. “The Holy Spirit told me again that ... there are some sacrifices we need to have. I remember the passage of the Word of God that says suffering for the sake of the gospel is a blessing.”
While church attendance is still lower than before the arrests, local Christians are returning to Sunday services. One church has purchased replacement microphones, which the new officials have allowed them to use. Still, some church members are fearful and worry about being arrested. Several church leaders requested prayer for boldness and that their voodooist neighbors will come to know Christ.
“We don’t want the persecutors to die in their sins,” said Joseph Idrissou, another local pastor. “We know they didn’t do these things by themselves; they were pushed by evil spirits.” Joseph is currently teaching his congregation about forgiveness. “We have forgiven … those persecutors, and we would like to see them one day come back and tell us, ... ‘We want you to help us know the Lord, that we may praise God and worship together.’”
That is the dream of every pastor in Savalou, that more people will reject the darkness of voodooism and walk in God’s glorious light. And the faithful followers of Christ say they are determined to continue sharing the gospel, no matter the cost.
Stand with Them
When our brothers and sisters in hostile areas and restricted nations are persecuted for their Christian witness, we can let them know they are cared for and loved by the global body of Christ. Through your prayers and gifts, they are sustained and encouraged to stand firm in faith. When you give to Persecution Response, you are helping in vital ways, such as with living expenses, children’s education needs, medical treatment and other needs.