I've been fortunate to preach in many different countries over the years and very often (not always) I've been able to speak in English and to be understood. Not so 20 miles across the Channel; every time I've preached in France I've been translated. The French love their language, and rightly so.
I've just returned from 4 weeks in France which included 2 weeks with the NewFrontiers Church in Montpellier. I preached on 2 Sundays, spoke at 2 leaders meeting and gave a mid week teaching for the whole church and, yes, every time it was through translation. In fact there are quite a few Brits in the Church who would have understood my English, but La Source is definitely a French Church, though it's led by an English man!
It takes courage and perseverance to build a church in France, something demonstrated in a remarkable way by Stuart Radley and his wife Amel. I married Stuart and Amel 27 years ago who were then members of the NewFrontiers Brighton Church. Two years ago on a previous visit to Montpellier I discovered that the the Sunday I was preaching was in fact their Silver Wedding so it was my privilege to announce that to the Church and launch a celebration. Stuart and Amel are two of my heroes.
In the early years of their marriage Stuart established a Surveying Company in Brighton, but about 9 years ago felt called to plant a church in the South of France (someone has to do it!) in the vibrant City of Montpellier. But Stuart has never been able to release himself from his company in Brighton. So for all these years he has been commuting between the two cities and his current routine of one week in Brighton and then one week in Montpellier is typical of the pattern he has followed. So every other week Amel has been in France and Stuart has been in the UK. But still an excellent church has been built. A total community with children of about 100 people and with a real vision to see other churches planted.
Apart from the personal sacrifices involved in this there have been big challenges to face in France itself. It's illegal to hire a school for religious meetings in France so a meeting place has always been a problem. The hope would be for a permanent building of their own, but that's a huge challenge. And right now having worked through to the naming of two other Elders to form a Eldership team for the first time both potential Elders have very serious health problems in their families which makes it impossible currently to move ahead with their appointment. So Stuart continues to carry the ultimate responsibility for the Church on his own.
I often speak to British Christians about France and get the reaction that it is such a very hard nation to build a church in. There is truth in that but it's not the whole story. France, and particularly the South of France, has a remarkable history of evangelical revival especially in the 15th and 16th centuries when a group known as the Huguenots built huge churches and saw massive gospel success. They suffered terrible persecution at times with pastors sent as slaves to the galleys and women who were imprisoned for not recanting their evangelical faith. In the town of Aigues-Mortes there is the famous Tower of Constance where a group of women remained for up to 38 years without renouncing their faith. I went there again on this visit and was as always very moved as I stood in that tower and remembered those earlier heroes of the faith.
But coming more up to date many people are surprised to learn that there has been a huge percentage growth of evangelical Christians in France in the past 50 years. Because the numbers were so small even this surge still leaves evangelical Christians very small in number and although a new church is planted every 10 days, less than 40 churches a year nowhere near meets the spiritual need that is there.
But there is a remarkable history and new Christian life in France and it's because that country has always had pioneers and heroes of the faith. Stuart and Amel exemplify that and are part of the story.
If you pray then please pray for France.