People in France

encountering God

Our Vision is to see increasing numbers of people in France encountering God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – through the work and witness of local evangelical churches

As a support organisation, we provide targeted, strategic support to help the French evangelical church move closer to achieving its own goals.

At a national level, we therefore support the vision of the CNEF (National Council of French Evangelicals) summed up in the slogan “1 pour 10,000” – meaning one evangelical church for every 10,000 people in France. As the current population of France is over 65 million, there would need to be over 6,500 evangelical churches in France to have “1 pour 10,000”. That means there are still over 4,000 churches that need to be planted before the goal is achieved…

And while it’s exciting to know that a new evangelical church is planted somewhere in France every 10 days, unless that growth rate accelerates, it will take over 100 years to plant an additional 4,000 churches.

God has brought wonderful growth to the French evangelical church over recent decades, but there is still a huge amount to be done. Your prayers and practical support are as important as ever!

Our People in France, sent out from the UK and working in French Churches.

Peter Calvert

Peter Calvert

Dave Brown

Dave Brown

Paris
Jack & Sarah Winterburn

Jack & Sarah Winterburn

David & Carolyn Violleau

David & Carolyn Violleau

Harris & Ornella Lamonnaie

Harris & Ornella Lamonnaie

Maxime & Demelza Soumagnas

Maxime & Demelza Soumagnas

Vlad & Inés Panainte

Vlad & Inés Panainte

Tom Parfitt

Tom Parfitt

CNEF

CNEF

Thierry & Laurence Steux

Thierry & Laurence Steux

Marseille
Elcio & Sueli Rocha

Elcio & Sueli Rocha

Châteauroux
Thierry & Valérie Mirone

Thierry & Valérie Mirone

Aix-les-Bains
Damien & Gudrun Reeves

Damien & Gudrun Reeves

Grenoble
Élise & Michaël Duchemann

Élise & Michaël Duchemann

Argenton-sur-Creuse / Fougères
Institut Biblique de Nogent

Institut Biblique de Nogent

Steve & Miki Thrall

Steve & Miki Thrall

Normandy
Chris & Colette Small

Chris & Colette Small

Saumur
Chris & Fiona Lloyd

Chris & Fiona Lloyd

Bourg-en-Bresse
Simon & Radia Allchin

Simon & Radia Allchin

Marseille
Jonathan & Rachel Vaughan

Jonathan & Rachel Vaughan

Paris
Peter & Rachel Calvert

Peter & Rachel Calvert

Romorantin
Stéphanie Revault

Stéphanie Revault

Brittany
Hannah Prior

Hannah Prior

Paris
Dave & Mary Brown

Dave & Mary Brown

Paris
Most of our partners in France belong to the Perspectives church-planting network. Explore the interactive map and a full list of Perspectives’ churches on their website. We’ll be adding more information here about individual workers in due course.

Our People in the UK helping France Mission fulfil its vision.

Paul Cooke

Paul Cooke

UK Director
X

Paul Cooke

UK Director

I’ve had a love for all things French since my school days (thanks Mr Bourne!). This interest led to a career in academia until 2010 when I left my role as an Associate Professor of French to become the new UK Director of France Mission. I currently work four days a week in this role and love seeing God-inspired dreams becoming realities in France thanks to the prayerful generosity of FM’s supporters. Being part of the Leadership Team at Belmont Chapel, Exeter, also helps me understand some of the joys and challenges that come with church leadership in France. If you have any queries at all about France Mission, please don’t hesitate to contact me at paulcooke@francemission.org.

Jill Kennedy

Jill Kennedy

Area Representative
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Jill Kennedy

Area Representative

Back in 1980-81, when I worked in France as a language assistant, and aspiring French teacher, I was posted to a school in one of the very few towns in the early 80s which had an evangelical church. Moving from a traditional church, with 300+ people attending on Sundays, to a group of around 20 people, gathering on Sunday mornings in one member’s (very tidy!) garage, was an enormously enriching experience. However, I found the level of suspicion that met any mention of God or Jesus in ordinary life quite startling. The intervening ears saw many French campsite holidays with my Francophile husband and children. I think it was in the course of googling “find a French church” on one of these occasions that I landed on the France Mission website some years ago and we became prayer supporters. In 2015 I became the FM representative in Northern Ireland. Getting to know some of those who are planting or leading Perspectives churches has been inspirational. It’s a privilege to be able to promote support for the creative ways Perspectives workers are seeking to discover and be part of what God is doing in France these days.

Gordon Leiper

Gordon Leiper

Area Representative
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Gordon Leiper

Area Representative

I have had the privilege of being the representative for Scotland for the last twenty years. I have been a teacher of French and Latin since 1984. My interest in the spiritual needs of France dates from my assistantship year (1983-84) in a school in Arras (Pas-de-Calais). I was warmly welcomed into an evangelical church in the town and had a blessed year of fellowship and involvement. This resulted in my being involved in numerous holiday evangelistic teams in France over many years. I took a sabbatical year from teaching in 1996-97, spending it as a student at the FLTE at Vaux-sur-Seine. I gained a certificate in Religious Studies and more experience of church life in France. My wife too is interested in outreach there and we are keen to develop this interest further in the future.

Ian Thomas

Ian Thomas

Area Representative
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Ian Thomas

Area Representative

Since studying for A-level French at school in the late 1960s I have had an interest in France. However, it was not until 2001 that I took part in a France Mission outreach campaign in Saintes (Charente Maritime) and each subsequent year until 2008 apart from 2004. It was during that year I was involved in setting up a linking project with the Perspectives church in Le Pré Saint Gervais where teams from my former church carried out building work on Le Pré’s premises. Since 2008 I have had the privilege of proclaiming God’s Word through sketchboard evangelism, which I learned through France Mission, at the annual drama festival in Avignon (Provence) with Open Air Campaigners. Finally, since becoming an area representative, I have had the opportunity of presenting the work of France Mission to churches in my surrounding area (south of England).

Nicky Brusby

Nicky Brusby

Trustee
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Nicky Brusby

Trustee

France has always had a special place in my heart as part of my family came from France. As a young Christian I longed that others may know the Lord on both sides of the Channel and having found a France Mission magazine at church was able to pray more specifically for France; I continued to pray and to follow with interest the work of France Mission over the years. I am full of respect for those serving the Lord in France as churches can be very isolated; I know how much they value folk’s prayers and support in every way. It is a real privilege to be serving the Lord in this way.

Adrian Walter

Adrian Walter

Vice-Chair of Trustees
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Adrian Walter

Vice-Chair of Trustees

Although we have had a maison secondaire in France for 25 years, I knew nothing about France Mission until 2001 when, totally out of the blue, I received a letter from the then UK Director offering to take any unwanted European coinage in the run-up to the introduction of the Euro and convert it for the benefit of their work in France. This captivated my imagination and, together with my church, we collected over 43 kg of coins and sent them to what was then France Mission Trust. At the same time, I found out more about the work of the Mission and shortly afterwards they planted a church in Pontivy, just 7km from our French house, which we now attend as often as we can. In 2010 I retired from careers in education and policing and, a year later, frustrated at the lack of regular information about the work in France, I offered my services to the new UK Director to produce a monthly prayer email. This was readily accepted and not only gave me a deeper insight into the Mission, but more importantly, into the lives of the missionaries themselves. I began to feel very much part of the “family” and therefore aware of the joys and struggles of each missionary couple. Consequently, in 2016, when I became aware of the need for more Trustees, I offered to serve. I consider it a great privilege to be able to support those who are bringing the good news of the gospel to the people of France.

Eirwyn Vaughan

Eirwyn Vaughan

Area Representative
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Eirwyn Vaughan

Area Representative

I was a French teacher in Wales from 1978 to 2008, when I gave up my Head of FL job to become a supply teacher. I intend to bring my teaching career to an end next Easter 2020! I spent my time as an English-language assistant in Fleurance, in the Gers department, where there was no church at the time. I was supported by the only Christian known to me in the town: he was in his 70s but an absolute inspiration! I attended a church in Agen, where I was impressed by the commitment of the young believers in the face of much antagonism. I have remained very close friends with one family from that church! Apart from following and supporting FM workers I also seek to encourage other workers with UFM and WEC in various parts of France. I look forward to promoting FM's work at various churches in North Wales.

Paul Dowling

Paul Dowling

Trustee
X

Paul Dowling

Trustee

Paul spent a gap year in Paris at the age of 17 and fell in love with France – as well as learning the language. Many years later, after 20 years of pastoral ministry within the Anglican Church in the UK, he and his wife Marjorie felt the call of God to go and work in France, a country dear to their hearts. They went to Châteauroux in central France in 2011 as pastoral couple of the Perspectives (formerly France-Mission) Church there. Paul and Marjorie retired back to the UK in 2020 to be nearer to their family, but their concern for the Church in France remains as strong as ever. They both became trustees of France Mission later that same year.

Marjorie Dowling

Marjorie Dowling

Trustee
X

Marjorie Dowling

Trustee

Marjorie and her husband Paul have had a shared love for France for many years, taking regular holidays there. In 2011, after 20 years of pastoral ministry within the Anglican Church in the UK they felt the call of God to go and work in France, a country dear to their hearts. They went to Châteauroux in central France in 2011 as pastoral couple of the Perspectives (formerly France-Mission) Church there. Marjorie and Paul retired back to the UK in 2020 to be nearer to their family, but their concern for the Church in France remains as strong as ever. They both became trustees of France Mission later that same year.

John Adamson

John Adamson

Area Representative
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John Adamson

Area Representative

John hails from the Wirral where he is a member of an evangelical Anglican church community. He graduated in French at Aberystwyth, spending a year in Moulins (Allier) during that process. John taught French for many years before taking up work as a Christian humourist and author. He has had over 100 articles published in a range of media and on a range of subjects, and has written five books, three of which are classified under Biblical Fiction and two in a series under the ‘Contemporary Parable’ banner. He is married to Caroline and they have one daughter, Rachel, who is also a languages graduate from Aberystwyth and now a teacher in Cumbria.

Helen Antelo

Helen Antelo

Trustee
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Helen Antelo

Trustee

I am half-French, and grew up in the UK but couldn't speak English until I went to school. I have always loved France and French food in particular. I am a French and Spanish teacher, and have been involved in mission in South America for many years. I first heard of France Mission 15 years ago and have been greatly encouraged by the growth of the evangelical church in France over the years. It is a privilege for me to have the chance to become a Trustee.

Brian Carson

Brian Carson

Trustee
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Brian Carson

Trustee

I was born in Northern Ireland but have lived in Edinburgh since 1975. I am married with two grown up children and am a member of St Paul’s & St George’s episcopal church in Edinburgh. I have always taken an interest in world mission, following the example of my parents, and have a particular interest in France because I speak French and have holidayed in that wonderful country on numerous occasions. I came across France Mission when I read about it in a Christian newspaper, and particularly identify with the fact that the country is our nearest neighbour and yet had – until recent years – very few evangelical churches.

Annie Nixon

Annie Nixon

Trustee
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Annie Nixon

Trustee

Hi I’m Annie and I’ve been interested in supporting the church in France since I spent a year there as a student (quite a while ago!). I have been a secondary school French teacher and been back to France many times with our large family. My husband, Mike and I now have a small house in Indre that we are hoping to renovate once we retire and have been attending a France Mission church in the area whenever we have visited over the past five years or so. We have made lovely friends and been inspired to get more involved. I am a qualified counsellor and have a particular interest in pastoral support.

Mike Nixon

Mike Nixon

Trustee
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Mike Nixon

Trustee

I have always loved France from my childhood village twinning visits to Normandy and a student year improving my spoken French in the Alps. We now own a house ‘suitable for a DIY enthusiast’ near a Perspectives church in the Indre region. We hope to spend more time there as retirement years beckon. I have learned so much from the French church during my student years and more recently in getting to know our local church in France. I am a lay reader in the Church of England and attend a local Anglican church in the UK. I still preach, even in French, from time to time. My working career has involved running occupational pension schemes which has meant I have attended a lot of trustee meetings. Hopefully it means I bring some good experience to the role of trustee of France Mission.

Our Story began in 1974 when a few British Francophiles set up a charitable Trust to help support the work of evangelical churches in France.

In the early 1970s there were only 150,000 evangelicals in France and finding one of their churches was often a major challenge! But prayer changes things...

God has brought wonderful growth to the evangelical church in France in recent years, thanks in part to the faithful prayers of believers not only in France but also in Britain and around the world. France Mission sees this prayer support as vital.

There are now 650,000 believers in France (nearly 1% of the population) and 2,500 churches. Over the past five decades, the Lord has used France Mission to send out prayer materials, raise financial support, and recruit gospel workers for His purposes in France.

Initially this support ministry was led by Peter Farley, one of the original founders of France Mission. In 2010 he was succeeded by Paul Cooke as France Mission’s UK Director. Paul is well supported by a wonderful group of Trustees and other volunteers.

Our Partners enable us to provide targeted, strategic support to help the French evangelical church.

In France

Perspectives

From the start, the UK charity France Mission worked very closely with a French church-planting organisation called France-Mission (same name apart from the hyphen!). In 2018, France-Mission voted to merge with another French church union called Vision-France. The name of the merged organisation is Perspectives and their strapline is: “Des églises, une mission” (= “Various churches, one mission”). Perspectives remains the main French partner for France Mission in the UK. We share prayer news about their various projects, help recruit British members for their church-plant teams and, thanks to the amazing generosity of donors, support people and projects involved in the work of Perspectives across France.

CNEF

Perspectives is part of an umbrella organisation called the CNEF (National Council of French Evangelicals), similar to the Evangelical Alliance in the UK. We sometimes partner with organisations and institutions linked to the CNEF whose work extends beyond the network of Perspectives churches, for example the Evangelical Theology Faculty at Vaux-sur-Seine and the Bible Institute at Nogent-sur-Marne.

In the UK

Global Connections

France Mission is a member of Global Connections, the UK network for world mission. Although we have a very specific geographical focus, we want our work to be informed by wider discussions about Christian mission and being part of Global Connections helps us with that.
FM’s UK Director, Paul Cooke, is a member of Global Connections’ Council.

France Mission is a member of MAP (Mission Action Partnership) in Northern Ireland.

Evangelical Alliance

France Mission is a member of the Evangelical Alliance; we’ve adopted the EA’s Basis of Faith as our own.

SWAN

As a member of the South-West Agencies Network (SWAN), France Mission is able to bring a French perspective to SWAN’s work of helping churches and university Christian Unions in South Wales and South-West England connect with the global church.

Our Annual Report shows how we use the generous gifts provided by supporters.

Please Note: When France Mission was founded in 1974, it was registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Trust (no. 267979). For administrative reasons, we changed our status to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in December 2017 and our new registered charity number is 1176433.

Download our latest Annual Report

PO BOX 743
Exeter UK EX1 9RN
(+44) 07980 450 462

services@francemission.org

Charity registered
in England and Wales
1176433

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