May 26, 2009
By Brad Reynolds, serving in France
Editor’s note: Brad and Tina Reynolds, Alliance workers serving in France since 1988, believe God desires the new French-speaking international church plant in Léguevin, France, to be “a house of prayer.” Freshly inaugurated this past weekend, Eglise Protestante Internationale’s theme verse is Mark 11:17.
On Saturday, May 23, the forecast was for high temperatures and rain in southwestern France. But severe weather did not seem to daunt the 68 invited guests who gathered to help inaugurate the new church plant-Eglise Protestante Internationale (International Protestant Church), in Léguevin, France-along with many of the congregation’s 45 members.
Because the newly rented facility has a seating capacity of 80, it was standing room only!
Officially organized in March 2008, EPI (French for grain of wheat) is a daughter church of the English-speaking Toulouse International Church.
International Outreach
England, Germany, Congo, Denmark, Holland, and the United States, as well as France, are all represented in this French-speaking international congregation. It is the fruition of nine years of evangelism and discipleship ministries, including marriage enrichment courses. (France, a mostly unchurched nation, is plagued with a soaring divorce rate.)
First New Church since 12th Century
A suburb of the exploding aeronautics capital of Europe—Toulouse, France’s fourth largest city—Léguevin has not witnessed a new church since a monastery was established there in the 12th century. It’s exciting to think that God has given EPI the opportunity to rent and renovate a worship facility in this historic, culturally rich community of 7,000.
Saturday’s inaugural festivity attendees included an official Léguevin government employee as well as French Alliance pastors and congregants from other area churches. The local priest was not able to attend, but he sent two individuals from his parish to represent the Catholic Church.
U.S. Construction Workers Attend
Because the worship facility had begun as an empty shell with no ceiling, floors, or interior walls, professional construction workers, as well as church members and friends, spent months renovating the facility’s meeting room and two small classrooms.
Among those doing renovations were three members of Trinity Alliance Church in Egg Harbor, New Jersey, who worked for nine days in February 2009. Some of the workers attended the inauguration, impressed by the believers they had met at the work site. Former marriage course participants also attended.
The president of the French Alliance Churches, Norbert Clément, delivered the inauguration address. Additionally, the worship team sang two songs that expressed the heart of this new congregation to be a house of prayer, based on the church’s theme verse, Mark 11:17. Refreshments following the ceremony provided a sampling of the various nations represented at the church.
Proclaiming the Good News in France
Now the real work can begin-proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in one of the most secular nations in all of Europe. One event planned is for the day before Pentecost Sunday, when the church will hold a continuous prayer vigil-interceding in one-hour segments in the church’s prayer room-from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Eglise Protestante Internationale is the fruit of Alliance churches praying and giving. We are so thankful that we can live the call of the Lord Jesus together with you.
Learn More
Read about our work in France.
What You Can Do
In your prayers, praise God for the new church plant, Eglise Protestante Internationale. Pray that many in the Léguevin community will be drawn to attend the church and come to know the giver of eternal Life.