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The French Protestant Federation president, which is working to open up humanitarian corridors for Syrian refugees, is ramping up its advocacy on social issues in the lead up to the 2017 presidential election.
Addressing a new year event hosted by the French Protestant Federation (FPF), Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve described local community groups, particularly Protestant ones as "thorns and lookouts" on the issue of welcoming migrants.
This is exactly the role that French Protestants aim to continue in line with a long-established tradition of social involvement that they wish to uphold during this year's 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In fact, the Federation has never ceased to remind the government of its commitments on the asylum issue.
Despite the context of France's secular Republic, FPF president Pastor François Clavairoly has not hesitated to "challenge government authorities". Moreover, in the lead-up to this year's presidential election, the FPF, which has more than 30 member churches, plans to launch a series of meetings from the end of this month with the various presidential candidates.
These meetings will address issues of particular concern to the Protestant community, including ecology, precarity, handicapped people, etc. Left-wing candidate Emmanuel Macron is expected to be the first to take part in this program, the precise dates of which are yet to be confirmed.
This involvement in public debate has deep historical origins with Protestants already contributing to political life in this way under France's Third Republic (1870-1940).
"During this period, they played a role greatly superior to their number," notes the historian of Protestantism, Jean-Paul Willaime. Later, Protestants also distinguished themselves during the fight to establish France as a secular state and on the side of the Resistance during World War II.
Several great Protestant figures ranging from Michel Rocard to Pierre Joxe as well as Lionel Jospin also made a significant impact on France's political history during the second half of the 20th century.
"For a long time, Protestantism, by its nature and history, found itself on the left of the political spectrum," comments Pastor Clavairoly. While Protestants are now "more or less equally spaced on the left and right", they nonetheless remain extremely attentively to their themes of predilection and are "allergic to extremes", he says.
According to Jean-Paul Willaime, an expert in the sociology of religion, this presence is "less visible today". However, Protestants continue to be active in reflection circles, perpetuating the culture of discussion that characterizes them".
In this spirit, a group of Protestant intellectuals led by philosopher Olivier Abel, professor of Protestant theology at Montpellier, launched a "Charter for credible public commentary", on October 17, 2016.
Abel, who harshly criticizes the "brutality and excessive language of politics", says that what Protestants aim to contribute to the debate is "an awareness that it possible to remain united together despite disagreements, and that we are able to listen to each other".
French evangelicals have also committed themselves to playing a role in the civic sphere albeit with a slightly different emphasis. Thus, Pastor Thierry Le Gall, communications officer for the National Council of Evangelicals in France (CNEF) last year became a French parliamentary chaplain with the objective of "promoting the visibility of Evangelical Protestantism as well as offering pastoral support".
Nevertheless, in an increasingly secularized context, the various Protestant groupings have united their voices to emphasize the need for public witness. Jean-Paul Willaime has even spoken of a "revival of militancy", including among Lutherans.
Economist Luc Maroni, pastor until 2013 of a Baptist church and very involved in the community sector, was thus tapped by the Socialist municipality of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais region in 2008 to become a neighborhood adjunct and later in 2014 to take responsibility for social affairs and economic solidarity.
"My Christian faith is the basis of my action," he explains, "but it is not a filter".
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