The French Mediterranean city of Sète was the place chosen on 3 and 4 September for meetings between the leaderships of the two major bodies uniting Protestants in France: the FPF and the CNEF.

Since 1905, the French Protestant Federation (FPF) has been representing traditional Protestant churches such as Reformed, Lutheran as well as some Baptist denominations. Meanwhile, the National Council of Evangelical in France (CNEF), created in 2010 and a member of the World Evangelical Alliance, brings together mostly free evangelicals churches, including Pentecostals, Baptists, Brethren, representing around 70% of the churches that adhere to an evangelical theology.

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Both entities are active in giving Christian perspectives on public affairs in France, and both seek direct contact with political authorities representing the views of Protestants and Evangelicals on important issues.

“A shared desire to grow in trust”

After years of doubts about representativity and a differentiated theological approach to certain issues, the presidents, general secretaries and other leadership members of both organisations gathered for private discussions “driven by a shared desire to get to know one another better and to grow together in a spirit of trust”, they said in a joint statement.

The FPF approached this gathering hoping to better represent evangelicals in its decision-making processes. For the CNEF, there was a desire to develop constructive relationships with the FPF.

Both teams shared about their priorities and current projects, and this led to “frank discussions about the foundations of their relationship and possible avenues for collaboration”.

Respecting each other's legitimacy and mission

After “misunderstandings in the past”, both the CNEF and the FPF clearly recognised “each other as authentic expressions of French Protestantism” and expressed a desire to “build, step by step, a relationship founded on respect for the legitimacy of each body’s mission and vocation, in the service of the Gospel and the common good”.

The two groups, representing thousands of churches and dozens of other Christian organisations, agreed about “the very real diversity within French Protestantism and the complementarity found within it, and welcomed these as a source of richness”, says the statement signed by both boards and published on 14 September.

Regular dialogue and joint public efforts

For the future, the two bodies agreed to facilitate forums of dialogue, “deepening their mutual understanding” while “facilitating their collaboration on shared issues and causes, notably chaplaincy services, the defence of fundamental freedoms and reflection on Protestant representation at national and regional levels”.

The CNEF was represented in the meetings by Erwan Cloarec (President), Yann Antoine and Philippe Monnery (Vice-Presidents), and Clément Diedrichs (General Director).

The FPF was represented by Christian Krieger (President), Valérie Duval-Poujol (Vice-President), Marc Fritsch (member of the Executive Committee and Head of Regional Development) and Jean-Raymond Stauffacher (General Secretary).