The leaders of France's two main Protestant umbrella organizations have agreed to create a standing forum for dialogue and cooperation, following a two-day meeting both described as unprecedented.
Delegations from the executive boards of the Protestant Federation of France, known by its French initials FPF, and the National Council of Evangelicals in France, or CNEF, met Sept. 3-4 at the Domaine du Lazaret in Sète, a port city on France's Mediterranean coast. In a joint statement issued afterward, the two bodies said they now recognize each other as "authentic expressions of French Protestantism."
The meeting followed years of doubts over representation and differing theological approaches to certain issues, according to Evangelical Focus, a European evangelical news outlet that reported on the talks. Both organizations comment on public affairs in France and seek direct contact with political authorities on behalf of their constituencies, the outlet noted.
Under the agreement, the forum will address "dialogue, consultation and action" on shared concerns. The statement named three: chaplaincy services, the defense of fundamental freedoms, and reflection on how Protestants are represented at national and local levels.
Meetings will follow a timetable set jointly by the two bodies. The statement said the process would respect "the distinct identity and vocation of each body."
Both delegations said they want to move past "the misunderstandings of the past" and build a relationship gradually. That relationship, according to the statement, is to rest on respect for "the legitimacy of each body's own mission and vocation, in the service of the Gospel and the common good."
The FPF has represented historic Protestant churches in France since 1905, including Reformed, Lutheran and some Baptist denominations, Evangelical Focus reported.
The CNEF was founded in 2010 and belongs to the World Evangelical Alliance. Its members are mostly free evangelical churches, among them Pentecostal, Baptist and Brethren congregations. According to Evangelical Focus, the council represents about 70% of churches in France that hold to evangelical theology. Evangelicals are estimated to make up about 1.3% of France's population of 69 million.
Each side came to Sète with its own mandate. For the FPF, the statement said, the seminar formed part of a course of openness set by its Council and followed a 2026 decision by its General Assembly to give evangelicals a stronger voice in the federation's governance. CNEF leaders were acting on instructions from their Representative Committee to continue building constructive ties with the FPF.
During the seminar, each delegation presented the life and work of its organization. The two groups then discussed what shapes their relationship and where they might consult with each other.
Pastor Pierre Blanzat led times of prayer and provided spiritual leadership over the two days. The statement described the atmosphere as one of listening, humility and fraternal respect.
The delegations also acknowledged the diversity within French Protestantism. They called that plurality, along with the way the different traditions complement one another, "a source of richness."
Representing the CNEF were President Erwan Cloarec, Vice Presidents Yann Antoine and Philippe Monnery, and Director General Clément Diedrichs.
The FPF delegation included President Christian Krieger, Vice President Valérie Duval-Poujol, General Secretary Jean-Raymond Stauffacher, and Marc Fritsch, an executive board member responsible for territorial development.
All eight leaders signed the statement, which was published Sept. 14. It closes with a prayer, voicing trust "that the Lord will lead our two bodies further along the path toward greater mutual understanding and recognition."
