In Depth:  France

Luke Randall

There are encouraging reports of new gospel growth in France – with evangelicals claiming one church is being established every ten days, and a new study revealing younger Protestants are increasingly likely to identify as evangelical.

Data collected by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) on behalf of the Protestant Federation of France reveals that younger people and those on lower incomes who regard themselves as practicing Protestants in France are increasingly likely to identify as evangelical Christians.

Luke Randall

More than 5,500 people have attended the third ‘Jesus Festival’ in Paray-le-Monial, France.

The Christian festival featured music from several French and international artists including rock group Glorious, Mirella, MLK Worship, Hopen, Dévotion, Noah Mungongo, and Sandra Kouame, Australian group PlanetShakers and solo artist, Dan Luiten.

France is full of a history which casts long shadows on the present. Barely a stone’s throw from the church I’m involved with in Angoulême is the house where, in 1534, Jean Calvin seems to have decided that it was his job to put down in writing what Reformed Christians should believe. That event, and others involving the church, have had consequences that still echo on in French society today.

The complex political situation here seems to be following the script of some nerve-twisting blockbuster series. The key player has been the extreme right, Rassemblement National, (National Rally), with its aggressive anti-immigrant rhetoric and its nostalgic appeal to a long vanished – and white – France. Lead by the strident Marine Le Pen and fronted by the more palatable Jordan Bardella, the Rassemblement National (RN) made powerful gains in the European elections. Although secure as president until 2027, President Macron’s instant response was to announce elections for Parliament. Macron’s manoeuvre backfired when the fractious left-wing groups buried their feuds to unite and half the Republican Party joined the RN. A first round of elections confirmed the dominance of the extreme right and the second election on 7 July seemed certain to confirm them with a Parliamentary majority. But in a turn which left commentators flabbergasted, electors instead pushed them into third place. The result is a multi-party split with a left-wing emphasis that will make governing France very difficult.

Iain Taylor

Around 6,500 teenagers and young people from churches across France gathered in Zénith d’Auvergne at a large triennial congress – Echo 2023 – that seeks to encourage young members of evangelical churches to discover God’s calling. The theme of Echo 2023 was ‘See, I Am Doing Something New’ (Isa. 43:9).

The programme was based on three areas: ‘Me and God; Us and God; You and Me’. It included preaching, worship, workshops, concerts and special programmes for Ados (12–17 years old) and Jeunes (18 and over). Christian youth workers also offered training and connections. Seminars addressed issues such as Bible reading, Christian ethics, science and faith, and sexuality.

France will give each child a number to track them attending school – and ban home education, under proposed legislation to curb Islamic extremism.

A six-month jail sentence would be given to those who flout the rules alongside a €7,500 fine if the plans go ahead. Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, said that in some areas there are ‘more boys than girls [in school] when statistically more girls are born. It’s a scandal’.