Pray for France, says church group

With just one-in-four French Catholics saying they believe in God, and the separation of church and state of great importance, the US-based organisation Pray for France is looking to reach out to those in need, Zach Spittler talks to its volunteer president.

AT first glance, the Pray for France organisation may seem kind of redundant. Trying to bring Christianity to a European country? Last time I checked, France has been Catholic for more than 1,000 years.

But then it shows you the facts.

The fact that church attendance is one of the lowest in Europe (between six and eight per cent, which compares to a 44 per cent rate in the US). The fact that 80 per cent of French people have never owned or even seen a Bible.

The fact that approximately 50,000 full-time practitioners of occult arts (tarot, fortune telling, psychic healing, etc) easily outnumber the 35,000 full-time Christian workers in France. Even those who label themselves as 'Catholic' aren’t necessarily that strong in their faith.

"Christianity in France is much more cultural than a living faith," said David Broussard, volunteer president of the Evangelical Christian coalition Pray for France. "The people that we as Christians need to be praying for, reaching out to, and loving, are those who find themselves in France."

Pray for France isn’t a crusade, however. They’re not going to ship over to France, sword and shield in hand, storming the country and bringing the Word of God by force (though the French do have an affinity for irony, n’est-ce pas?). Rather, their goal is simple: to help guide those who want guidance.

"There are needs in [France] that we can pray for," David said. "They have real needs that we as a church can meet. And in turn, the believers in France can have the tools to reach out to the other segments of the population of France."

David Broussard cites a 2006 study by research group CSA in conjunction with Le Monde des Religions that found only 26 per cent of French Catholics (who make up 55 per cent of the population of France) say they’re sure that God exists, and the same number say it’s probable.

Only 18 per cent say you can have a personal relationship with God. Not to mention the still-present effect of the French Revolution and the very mindful separation between the church and public life it established.

Broussard himself is an American, and Pray for France is the by-product of a multi-faceted, three-country conglomeration of various non-profit Evangelical Christian organizations: the Christian Community Foundation of France, a group Broussard also founded; South African United Prayer For France; Sentinelle de Prière; and Objectif France.

Pray for France came to be in 2007, when Broussard came into contact with Objectif France.

"The CCFOF took the lead in creating Pray for France, because it aligned perfectly with our mission – to bring information about the Christian French-speaking world to English-speaking Christians,” Broussard said.

All of the aforementioned organizations are Evangelical, an especially interesting fact, considering France’s religious reputation as being either Catholic or nothing, as far as the church is concerned.

According to statistics attained by Pray for France, Evangelicals only comprise between 0.7 and one per cent of France’s total population. But even though the current numbers are small, the ones who do believe are making it count.

"While the actual number of French believers is small, the passion they have and also the message they’re bringing is in such stark contrast to the high rate of depression, the hopeless feeling that is often present in France’s youth, and the general disillusionment with the general state of life that can be found in France," David said.

Young French people are using to their advantage the hope the church can offer, its website says: "Young people, especially, are returning to the message of Jesus."

The statistics Broussard produces indicate that the actual numbers of young believers reflect that of the Evangelical church’s attendance rate in general. But if and when they do start believing, they’re playing for keeps.

"The youth in France are possibly the most passionate believers in the Evangelical world," Broussard said.

“But they are probably one of the most disillusioned populations in France, whether it be because of unemployment or reliance on materialism […] they’re searching for something that’s real. So when they do come to the reality of Christ, it’s a powerful thing."

Broussard defines 'Evangelical' as the best descriptor for someone who has "had a personal experience with Jesus", often characterizing his faith as a 'living' one. To anyone looking for God, that intimacy could indeed pose a more compelling argument than the sense of tradition offered by Catholicism.

However, as far as Pray for France is concerned, they’re just trying to get the ball rolling in Jesus’ direction, whether the people start rolling into Protestant parishes, or Catholic cathedrals.

"The prayer movement is designed to stimulate help for the real needs of the French people," David said. "It’s not so much 'active' Evangelism as it is praying and doing to meet the needs of all of France – whether that is through a message of hope, or clothing the poor, or showing the love of Christ in practical ways."

And practicality, that’s the key. Religious or not, just praying for something in and of itself isn’t bound to get you very far. That’s why Pray for France offers a prayer guide to help those who want take their passion for the Christian well-being in France to another level.

The guide itself sells for $3.50, but David says buying the guide is by no means obligatory. It’s just a way to keep people focused.

"It’s not enough to say, 'God, please clothe those poor people', it’s a call to action," David Broussard said. "If I told you, go pray for France, that’s not very specific – your prayers will be limited. The prayer guide is a way to take on specific topics and pray for France."

For instance, there’s a chapter on young people in France and the avenues one can take to give them the opportunity to worship.

David Broussard knows France’s religious potential first-hand, in fact he himself found God there in 1994. He knows that believing in God as a Frenchman isn’t necessarily an easy task. But "light that shines in the dark shines the brightest," and if he can help people to see that light, it’s all worth it.

"The church has the message of hope, love, and joy, which France needs," declared Broussard. "French believers are very sincere. If you say you believe in Jesus in France, that’s not a cultural thing, you really believe it."

Website: Pray for France

Comments

[Joe]

It's interesting to see "tarot" mentioned in an article on France. Did you know that in France, tarot cards are mainly used for a card game similar to bridge? There's even a French Federation of Tarot for tarot card game tournaments. The cards used in this game look very different from the fortune telling cards. We Americans only think of tarot as an occult practice and I think we are worse off because of it.