Leaders of the evangelical alliance in France have returned from Lausanne 4 with a renewed determination to support collaboration between churches, in the country itself and abroad, and to continue the momentum of evangelistic calling to fulfill the Great Commission.
About 60 French nationals, including executives from Conseil National des Évangéliques de France (CNEF), attended the 4th Congress of the Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization in Incheon, Seoul, South Korea from Sept. 22 to 28.
CNEF President Erwan Cloarec told Christian Daily International that the experience of Lausanne 4 has motivated French evangelicals in their gospel work and brought a larger awareness of missional contexts happening in other parts of the world.
“The sixty or so participants from the French delegation at Lausanne 4 came away with a refreshed vision for mission in France and a strong desire to live out concrete and daring partnerships between us,” said Cloarec. “For many, the realization that God works all over the world was a profound encouragement.
“Along with others, I want to believe that God is not finished with our old Europe, and that in the post-Christian context we are experiencing, a pre-awakening era is opening up in which God will act with power.
“Let's pray and act: the Lord goes before us!”
In a separate CNEF press release, Cloarec said the evangelical body intended to serve as a “a catalyst to extend the momentum of the Congress.”
Cloarec reported that animated discussions during the congress in South Korea, often happening at tables-of-six people, showed common challenges for evangelicals around the world.
He pinpointed these issues as the “dynamics of proclaiming the gospel, such as global secularization, emerging social issues (anxiety, psychological fragility, including in Africa), and global trends such as urbanization.”
For Cloarec, collaborating between evangelicals on different levels is necessary to address these common challenges within the context of secular societies.
In regards to the perspective of French evangelicals following the event, several points were raised.
These included the urgency of a broader evangelistic mobilization for mission in secularized contexts. Also, an ongoing need for churches to collaborate on matters at a stronger level. Thirdly, missional training for churchgoers to be engaged in “the harvest”. Lastly, mentoring younger generations in missional values to pave the way forward for gospel witness in the future.
CNEF is considering a post-event consultation and implementation, following Lausanne 4, to ensure the “dynamics initiatives” during the event will evolve, adhering to objectives in the CNEF vision document, Together on a mission.
According to data collecting platform Statista, 36 million people identified as Christians in France in 2022, the “most represented religion” in the country. By comparison, 24 million were religiously unaffiliated.
