Charles Brammall
Last decade, while on LSL in France, I noticed something (as well as the predominance of disabled people, dog poo smack bang in the middle of footpaths, thousands of people smoking, and couples snogging everywhere). It was the drafty emptiness, dirtiness and greyness of so many huge Gothic churches and cathedrals. And the thick, thick patina of bird poo covering their once shimmering, dazzling white limestone.
(The awesome Notre-Dame de Paris (Pictured), was primarily sourced from Lutetian limestone found in the Paris Basin- solely from open-pit quarries in the Bièvre Valley and along the Seine, such as Charenton and Saint-Maurice.
Lutetian limestone is no longer actively quarried within Paris, but it was a crucial material for many of the city’s buildings and monuments.)
These churches’ limestone is now a putrid grimy dark grey, and their naves, rood screens and narthexes are deserted, silently echoing with the spooks of thrown-in-the-towel worshippers. Surprised tourists and their bored-sounding smoking guides are the only remaining inhabitants of these ex-Christian venues for gathering under the LORD.
And yet… There are credible recent reports of Christian revival in France, and allegedly all around our globe. “Open the Word”, a Bible study movement and system, is reporting revival within Evangelical Protestant and RC groups, and growth all round. Most of the increase in new members is young adults, in both Christianised branches of the church.
Just South, Spain is experiencing an enormous growth in the popularity of Wicca, Witchcraft, and the Occult. Dear friends of ours, James and Caroline Webb, have a church planting, radio and Comino de Santiago hostel Word ministry with European Christian Mission in Zalla (pron. Thar-ya) in the Basque Country, half an hour from Bilbao.
They and their two little chaps kindly put us up, and pointed out as we drove around, multiple little witch-riding-broomstick bumper stickers, almost outnumbering “Baby on Board” ones. They tell us that more and more Spanish RCs are turning to Witchcraft in their disillusionment with and cynicism for Rome, and its Spanish expression.
But also in Spain, apparently, a new church commences meeting every three days. Indeed, Christian revivals seem to be happening within multiple nations and nationalities. African immigrants account for much of the growth of evangelicals in France, and allegedly a new church opens in Africa every week. There are many new converts from various backgrounds in that great continent.
Wonderful like-minded Evangelical friends of ours, Keith and Debbie Jones, have planted a church in highly working-class South Milano. It has grown exponentially, and has succeeded in God’s bounty to build a purpose-built meeting place. They are praying for the miracle of being able to plant a church in nearby, almost utterly un-Christian, Lake Como.
And before we scoff at the perceived “cushy misso work” in Europe, that continent is now the most post and un-Christian land on earth. Let’s pray for George and Iman.
There is notable Franco church growth, especially in RC’ism, but also within Protestantism. And in broader spiritual movements. A youth-led movement has given rise to a surge in RC baptisms. In Easter this year, France witnessed a record-breaking wave of adult baptisms — over 10,380 new Catholics were dunked, sprinkled or sprayed during the Easter Vigil, a 45% increase from 2024.
Another source reports that 17,000 adults were welcomed into the Church over the Easter weekend—compared to an average of 4,000. And in a decade-long trend, baptisms have grown 160% since 2015, rising from under 4,000 to over 10,000 during this year alone.
Many of these converts are Gen X-ers, and particularly 18 to 25s. They are clearly in search of a relationship with God, spiritual meaning, and community. Church leaders note several factors behind this revival: post-COVID existential questioning, disillusionment with secularism, engaging outreach (e.g social media, campus initiatives), and increasingly vibrant local parish life.
To better understand and support this growth, France recently launched an “Observatory of Catholicism” in Paris — to track and analyse these developments with data-backed insight.
In revival movements and church planting beyond Catholic renewal, France is experiencing an uptick in Evangelical activity as well. The National Council of French Evangelicals (CNEF) aims and is praying to establish an evangelical church for every 10,000 people.
CNEF is associated with various international movements and organisations. It represents over 70% of French evangelical churches and is an umbrella organisation focused on promoting the gospel and strengthening relationships among its members. It has roots in the Reformation and Revival movements and was formally established in 2010.
Also, its roots are in older organisations, like the French Evangelical Alliance (founded 1846) and the French Evangelical Federation (1969). They played a key role in its formation through a series of gatherings and increasing cooperation between different evangelical denominations and organisations.
While CNEF primarily focuses on France, it is part of a broader international evangelical landscape. It has connections to other national Bible-loving alliances and organisations around the world, through shared theological and missional commitments. The FEF Network also is connected to it.
FEF comprises 11 member denominations and focuses on collaboration and shared activities among French-speaking evangelical churches. Remarkably, it has been planting one new church every week in recent years. There is also a broader 24/7 prayer movement, with tens of thousands of prayer rooms and continuous prayer initiatives across Europe.
Historically, the French Réveil (revival) movements of the early C19th century reshaped Protestantism. They introduced modern church practices like hymns, Sunday school, and Bible studies—pioneering much of France’s church life today. A key figure is Robert Whitaker McAll, who in 1872 founded the “Mission populaire évangélique” in Paris; a revival-focused outreach still active today.
But not everyone agrees that this is a full-scale revival. A new global study by “Pew” suggests that Christianity may still be in retreat overall, with many people disaffiliating from faith traditions. Even within Europe, some leaders remain cautious, noting that while pockets of renewal exist, broad-based revival remains uncertain.
So yes, France does appear to be experiencing a youth-led spiritual revival, especially within Catholicism, alongside expanding evangelical networks and historical revival threads. But whether this signals a broader renewal across society remains to be fully seen. For now, it’s a compelling spiritual awakening to watch. And pray for.
Prayers:
Our gracious Lord and loving Heavenly Father,
Praise You that France, Spain, Europe and Africa appear to be experiencing a youth-led spiritual revival. Plus expanding evangelical networks and build on historical revival threads. Please help us in the Antipodes to wake up, repent, be baptised by Your Spirit, and surrender to the Lord of Nations.
That Your mighty Name may be proclaimed loudly and clearly in French,
Amen.
Dear heavenly Father,
Please help this evidence in France to signal a broader renewal across society in France and all Your creation. Praise You for sending us a compelling spiritual awakening.
For the reputation of Jesus’ international, eternal and omnipresent Name,
Amen.