From Michigan to Tennessee, and Arkansas to California, this question always comes up when we talk about indigenous spiritual practices in Benin: “What is a possession troupe?”

Before I describe a possession troupe specifically, let us consider the religious background of Benin. The Joshua Project calls Benin the least-evangelized non-Muslim country south of the Sahara. It also has one of the highest rates of ethnic religious practice—between 70 and 80 percent of the population. Tellingly, Benin has officially recognized Voodoo as one of its national religions. January 10 is a national Voodoo holiday.

A significant number of professed Muslims and Christians in Benin still practice Voodoo, often in secret. The Muslim people of Kandi, our hometown, are no exception. Though Kandi is a strongly Muslim northern town far from the epicenter of Voodoo in the south, a powerful voodoo undercurrent runs through it, just like every where else in Benin.

Of course, Islam forbids idolatry, and Imams and other religious leaders preach against the double allegiance, but most people ignore them, especially the women. People still turn to Voodoo for prosperity and fertility, healing and blessing, relation and revelation. They visit the Voodoo priests daily for help with social or spiritual problems.

There is also a weekly community ritual where people bring all kinds of needs, much like what the people of Jesus’ day did at the Pool of Bethesda. The weekly voodoo ritual starts with a small procession—a voodoo priest, some priestesses and some musicians. Drumming, dancing and singing, they wind their way through the major streets of the town. People come out and join the procession, and soon the crowd numbers in the hundreds. People come seeking different things, such as healing, spells, fertility, spirit possession, business help and resolution of family issues.

The procession usually ends in front of the mayor’s office, and the ritual begins. Dressed in white, the priestesses begin to communicate with the spirits, invoking and coercing them to intervene on behalf of supplicants, or appeasing them so they leave them alone. The process requires full emotional investment and energetic participation from the gathered people who sing and dance wildly.

Sometimes the spirits respond publicly to the calls, taking possession of the priestesses. Sometimes they possess other people in the group, pushing their consciousness and personality aside and speaking through them directly. When this takes place, the group becomes a possession troupe. Through these powerful manifestations, the spirits create intimate and immediate relationships between themselves and the people.
From a Western perspective, it is difficult to understand possession. I get many odd looks from people when I talk about it. Westerners usually interpret possession as a form of mental disturbance like schizophrenia. But, in reality, it is no different from the cases described in the Bible.

After three months attending training, visiting donors in 11 different states and fundraising, it was nice to return home to Kandi on January 28. As you pray for us, please remember that Islam is not our only challenge; Voodoo is, too. Both are part of the same war between Christ and His ruthless enemy, Satan. “And because of Satan and his opposition, we must take the kingdom by force” (Matt. 11:12). Thanks for your partnership.

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