How did the mission to France begin?

France was recognized as the principal overseas mission field of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland at a special meeting of Synod in autumn 1977. That meeting also happened to be my first as a member of Synod, having been ordained to my first pastoral charge a few weeks before. Some years earlier our missionaries had been forced to leave Ethiopia, the previous field, following the communist overthrow of the emperor. When it became apparent that it would be impossible to return there, the church began looking elsewhere.

How did God call you to France?

Although promoting the future work in France had been one of my responsibilities as a member of the mission committee, it was a shock for me to receive the call to go and minister in that field in Sept. 1985. Nevertheless, some two months later I felt led to accept it. Many factors played a role, not least the encouragement of many friends and acquaintances. Chiefly however, it was my own regular Bible reading.

On one particular day that I had set aside for prayer on this matter, the Bible reading plan I was following included Genesis 12 (the call of Abraham) and Exodus 4 (the doubts of Moses regarding future success). Although his destination was quite unknown, Abraham trusted and obeyed. Moses was unsure about the future success of his mission, but God reminded him that in all things He was sovereign and that we are called to walk by faith and rest on the encouragements of the Word of God.

Yet, concerning our children, my wife and I were fearful about leaving the Bible belt that was Northern Ireland for the secular influences of France. Then one day I happened to read this wonderful sentence: The best place to bring up children is in the center of God’s will. Doubts resolved!

When you arrived, what struck you most about the people and the place?

Our arrival at the airport in Paris happened to be at the same time as a group of Muslims returning from a pilgrimage. We had never seen such a sight before, scores of people in white robes with the women veiled. We spent our first two years in the Paris area. We began in the rather special ambience of a Christian language school, where the teachers taught us both the basics of language and also aspects of French culture. So the introduction was gentle. Being in such a city exposed us to all the beauty and richness of French culture.

Our arrival in Nantes, our eventual field of labor, was quite different. Church buildings seemed to be everywhere, and all whom we were meeting were Catholics but always non-practicing. Being evangelical and not belonging to the main Protestant denomination, we were considered by some as belonging to a sect. While people were outwardly polite, it seemed that we had to initiate conversations.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during your tenure?

Mastering French was a top priority. Listening to the radio and reading Christian books to acquire vocabulary became an absolute must. The major challenge was, of course, how to take the gospel into the surrounding community. Children’s clubs, friendship with neighbors and parents of our children’s classmates, and joining different clubs and associations in order to meet people all had their place.

The chief means in those early days became the regular distribution of gospel leaflets. The written page didn’t speak with a distracting accent. Over nearly all our years in France, these leaflets with the title Réflexions became our main outreach effort. We would visit those who replied with the book or calendar offered, and in some cases that became the beginning of a relationship.

While many years earlier Clément Marot and Theodore Beza had put all the psalms to meter, the 16th and 20th Centuries had different ideas as to what was a nice tune and appropriate meter. Much effort went into searching for versions of the psalms that we felt happy with.

How were you able to sustain your ministry in a religiously cold climate?

Thankfully many, all over the world, were praying for us. As a Christian, one is never alone. Jesus has promised His constant presence. When you are on the frontline, that is a real comfort. He makes Himself known chiefly through His written Word, but also through the writings of other believers. Often those, past and present, who had written solid, challenging books were that instrument. I give thanks for many of them.

Thankfully Christian fellowship can be face to face also. For most of our years in France we were part of a team. That was a blessing greater than any words can express. Then in Nantes itself, the contact with many of the other pastors was enriching. While we might have been on different theological wavelengths, there was mutual respect, and, as iron sharpens iron, our regular times together were stimulating. On the national level, indeed international level, I attended what was considered the French equivalent of the Banner of Truth conference. This eventually evolved into the Colloque biblique francophone, which, to my great surprise, I later presided for many years. So I had fellowship with like-minded brethren from various corners of the French-speaking world. God is indeed good!

In what areas did you see progress in Nantes?

Encouragements came in all kinds of ways. Over the years evangelicals became accepted as part of the French church scene, and so stigma was no longer attached. Our attendance slowly increased. Seeing those who were quite ignorant of basic doctrines growing in their knowledge of biblical truth was encouraging. Seeing French people who had come to faith assuming responsibilities and themselves being involved in various forms of outreach, was a real blessing. The greatest joy was seeing people come to saving faith.

Louise, already well on in years when she began to be a regular at the Bible study, had several priests in her family circle. Because of that she never felt able to attend our worship service. In her latter years, however, it was clear where her hope was. Her final instructions were that I should be in charge of her funeral.

Maria was already a Christian from a Pentecostal background in Peru who had come to live with her two married daughters in the area. She devoured virtually every book in the church library and became thoroughly Reformed in all her thinking. For her, walking home from church was never about taking the shortest and quickest route but was where she hadn’t distributed tracts before. Her witness over the fence at the home of one daughter led to that person coming to faith and church.

Janice, a well-respected, middle-class lady originally from Cameroon, first came through friendship with a compatriot and had been part of a church-going culture. For many years that was how it was. However, in the past few years, she has been coming to the prayer meeting, and her prayers indicate that a real change has taken place in her life. Sometimes we may think that conversion is something that happens to the young, but these and other examples reveal that even when someone is advanced in years the Spirit can be at work to bring that person to a true commitment to the Savior.

What have you learned from the experience?

Many, many things, not least the importance of taking each individual seriously and listening carefully before speaking. We are only links in a chain, who are called to sow and water seed. We may not always see the desired fruit, but years later God, who has faithfully watched over it, can cause something to happen in the hearts of people. The great temptation is always to think short term, whereas in all of Scripture the emphasis is upon the long term. A recent example is Camille, a single mum, whose children came to our children’s club in the early 1990s. She only began attending church in recent months, because of seed sown in those far-off days. Another lady, Hanna, of Polish origin, has been attending the Bible study for over 15 years. Sometimes following a comment we might have thought that she was near to the kingdom, but then a later statement raised a doubt.

That someone like myself, not known as a linguist in my youth, could have such a ministry, shows that we can never limit God and how He can use us. Likewise, while the base was Nantes, the mission field was the world. Students from every continent worshiped with us for a time. While language was sometimes a barrier, many have returned to their own land strengthened or with a newfound understanding of the gospel.

What fills your life nowadays, and what is the situation in Nantes?

Though I have been a grandfather for several years, it is only in these past few months that I have had to collect the children from school at times and play with them. Also, as many other retired pastors, I have been called on quite often to fill vacant pulpits. Whatever benefit I have brought, these visits have helped us to rediscover the wider church in native Ireland. Some of the names may have been known, but the faces have changed. Shortly after leaving France I was approached by a Dutch organization that conducts outreach activity in several languages through the internet. So I have been translating into French simple articles on some basic Christian truths. In addition I have been mentoring about 20 students from various francophone countries who are doing a series of introductory studies on the gospel. All this helps to keep me out of mischief.

While we may have left Nantes, Nantes hasn’t left us yet. There is regular contact with several people. The work is in excellent hands, and all are in good spirits. There is a major hurdle on the horizon as planning permission is sought to erect a more spacious meeting place. Nantes, just like every corner of France, is still so needy. Please continue to pray for every aspect of the work.

Malcolm Ball and his wife, Muriel, served as missionaries in Nantes, France, for over 30 years. Note that some names of church contacts have been changed for this article.