France

Field Office Information

C&MA Field Entry in 1962

Field Director:

Paul Keidel

Mailing Address:

73 bis rue du Marechal Foch
78000 Versailles, FRANCE

Phone:

011-33-1-39-24-00-96

Email:

office@cmafrance.org

Website:

National Church

Union of Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches in France: 17 organized churches, 3 unorganized groups, 6 ordained ministers, 780 baptized members, and 1,294 inclusive members

Team Initiatives

• Develop a local, church-based, leadership training ministry that enables church members to serve one another in Christ. Alan and Carol Clason are partnering with national pastors in this effort.
• Plant a church in Limoges, where two couples desire a French Alliance Church in their city the testimony for Christ.
• Plant an international English church in Strasbourg to reach people serving in the European Parliament and a French-language assembly. Henry and Nemi Paasonen are heading up this effort.

The Reason Why

2005-10-27 07:57:22.0

Alliance worker Jim Derksen and his wife, Becky, have been in France for language study in preparation for moving to Guinea. Jim has been meeting with Henri,* a Frenchman, to exchange English practice for French practice. The second time Henri and Jim met, Henri asked Jim if he had brought a sermon along so Henri could help with pronunciation. "When I told him I hadn't brought one, he was very disappointed," says Jim. "He insisted that the next time I bring a sermon because he was interested in hearing the contents."  

Henri had been to a couple of services at Toulouse International Church, an Alliance international church in France, and had found the sermons very appealing. "The next time we met he asked why Toulouse International Church was so friendly," says Jim. "He had attended another church for a year and no one had greeted him, but at the Alliance church he had met three people the first week."  

The next time they met, Jim brought a sermon on the biblical background of the Lord's Supper that explained that Jesus had died on the cross in our place to bear our sin for us. After they discussed the sermon, Jim asked Henri what he thought. "That's the first time I understood why Jesus died!" Henri exclaimed.  

"It's exciting to see God working in Henri's life!" Jim says. "Please pray for him and that the Lord would give me wisdom as I continue to meet with him." 

*name changed

Demographics

Population

Population--60,656,178 Infant mortality rate--4.3/1,000 Life expectancy--79.6

Capital City

Paris (11,330,700) pop.

Geography

About 80 percent the size of Texas, France (211,208 sq. mi.) has forest-covered mountains in the northeast, the Pyrénées along the southwest, and wide plain and mountainous plateau in the other regions.

Languages

French

Ethnicity/Race

Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Southeast Asian, and Basque minorities

Economy

Per capita income--$28,700 Inflation--2.3% Unemployment--10.1% Literacy rate--99% (1980 est.)

Government/Political Climate

Republic. France is a leader among European nations and is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU’s military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.

Religion

Roman Catholic--88%; Muslim--9%; Protestant--2%; Jewish--1%