At a church worship concert, Christians run out of Bibles to hand out to curious young people stepping foot in a church for the first time.

On a weekend hiking trip, a pastor and a group of believers discuss deep questions of faith and share their testimonies with their unchurched friends.

In a Catholic cathedral, an Assemblies of God church plant holds an evening service thanks to an invitation from the local priest to use the building.

One Sunday morning, 700 people sign up for baptism, signaling their desire to make a lifelong commitment to Christ.

Seventy young people received training for short-term missions and are being sent to work in various countries, including Madagascar, North Africa, the Middle East, Japan, and Cambodia.

Two student-oriented church plants in Corsica are growing rapidly as lives are being transformed.

The mega-church in Paris recently added a sixth service. A negative, biased television news report about the church aired the Thursday before the planned opening of the sixth service. Instead of discouraging people from attending, all six services were full, and YouTube viewership tripled.

These are just a few of the incredible stories coming out of France as the country experiences the beginnings of change.

“Even though France has been marked by Christianity in the past, the spiritual landscape has been dominated by stagnation and apathy for much of the last century,” says Manuel Prabhudas. Manuel and his wife, Tina, are AGWM missionaries to France.

Recently, however, there has been a shift. Between the COVID pandemic, the Ukraine War, and other regional stresses, young people have begun to search for Christ in unprecedented numbers.

“I think the younger generation is searching for something higher, something that they haven't found in what's been offered to them so far,” says Tina.

After decades of prayer, fasting, and consistent labor in the difficult fields hardened by secularization, the French Assemblies of God (Assemblées de Dieu de France - ADD) is experiencing a new season for evangelism and church planting.

“They have prayed for revival for decades, and the opportunities we’re seeing right now are the fruit of those prayers,” says Tina.

At the 2024 General Council, a meeting of pastors and church leaders from across the country, the French Assemblies of God set a goal to plant 1,000 churches by 2033. They believe that church planting is the best way to meet the emerging spiritual hunger throughout the country.

In Vol. 9 No. 1 of WorldView (click here), AGWM communications reported the incredible growth taking place in churches and congregations across France. But, with new growth comes new challenges. One key challenge to this vision is training.

“To plant 1,000 churches, you need at least 1,000 pastors, and you need 10,000 workers — 10 workers who will go with each pastor,” says Manuel. These pastors and leaders will need training, encouragement, and administrative assistance to plant a church in France’s challenging spiritual environment.

The accelerated growth, while exciting, presents another challenge — the Movement’s need to accommodate and foster growth. How can we leverage existing resources to train more pastors and plant more churches? How can the Movement mobilize 7,000 young adults attending a conference for participation in the harvest?

These challenges are not the end of the story, however. The ADD has been emboldened by the way God is working in the hearts and lives of the people.

In response to these behind-the-scenes challenges of training and mobilization, the leadership of the ADD has prayerfully and proactively sought ways to support their pastors and future church planting efforts.

Over the last decade, regional and national leaders have traveled to several countries to prayerfully seek God’s direction as they restructure the Movement to adapt to this new season of harvest.

On March 6-11, 2024, 27 delegates from the French Assemblies of God, led by newly elected General Superintendent, Yann Antoine, came to the U.S. to observe how the Assemblies of God U.S.A. operates and supports its church planters and home missionaries.

“The main purpose of the trip was for them to hear from and have access to our executive leaders for the Movement to glean further insight to how a national church could be structured, and facilitate funding, leadership development, credentialing, functioning of departments, polity, and decision making, etcetera,” says Mark Good, AGWM missionary and West Europe area director.

While here, the French delegation was hosted by AGWM Europe and the Assemblies of God Executive Committee, including Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay.

“This trip paved the way for a spirit of partnership — it’s a chance for us to host them and honor them — for our AGWM missionaries on the ground in France, it can only enhance our sense of connection,” says Good.

Equipped with ideas and strategies from other World Assemblies of God fellowships, emboldened by a new sense of unity and connection, and empowered by the hope-giving work of the Holy Spirit in the church and in the hearts and minds of the French people, the ADD is looking to the future expectantly. They are rallying the regions and leadership on every level to bring all their might to bear on the mission. A shift in focus has fostered a heightened sense of unity and purpose across the Movement.

At the General Council in March 2024, newly elected General Superintendent Yann Antoine was inaugurated. The passing of the baton from former superintendent, Renee Delattre, to Antoine was a beautiful moment symbolizing the Fellowship’s hope for the future.

“There was a spirit of enthusiasm and a focus on the future,” says Manuel. “One of the older pastors said we have never had such a positive, enthusiastic, and wonderful transition — this was the highlight of the General Council.”

God is moving in France. He is moving in the hearts and minds of the youth, drawing them to himself. He is inspiring a new generation of leaders to action.

“The time is now,” says Manuel. “We have a dozen regions, and a dozen pastors calling us. ‘Hey, can someone come and help us? We need help right now.’ God is moving. Will you answer the call to His mission in France?”

By Alex Goodrich