The influence and fruit carried by Loren Cunningham in the French-speaking world has been considerable to this day, and certainly for many, many years to come!
The twenty-nine French-speaking countries have been inundated by the ministry of Youth With A Mission and its founder. When a team from Lausanne in French-speaking Switzerland arrived in France in 1978, the first YWAM center was born in the very cradle of the French-speaking world: France. Other teams set up in Paris in 1982, and in the Drôme region in 1985. In Avignon, Paris and Marseille, youth gatherings, soon called Summer Services, brought together hundreds, even thousands of young people to share the Gospel in a variety of ways.
The shockwaves didn't stop there! Canada, Belgium, the French-speaking islands, and of course Africa saw the emergence of teams, centers, and a whole variety of ministries in Togo, Burkina-Faso, Senegal, Gabon, Niger, Benin... For more than a decade, Swiss schools of evangelism have sent international teams to the African continent to share God's love, plant YWAM bases, collaborate with churches, powerfully encourage leaders in the body of Christ and create synergies.
Loren's apostolic vision has energized, unified, instilled hope and the faith to see as God sees! Youth With A Mission's French-speaking news is still a mosaic of projects, schools and church plants. The Porteurs de Vie ministry is pushing back the frontiers. One hundred to one hundred and twenty evangelization campaigns a year in remote African villages lead to new church plants among peoples unreached by the good news. The young and not-so-young leaders of YWAM in the French-speaking world draw their inspiration from their founder and visionary, but also recognize his spiritual paternity. A powerful, benevolent breath has been transmitted to us by someone who discerned the immense potential of the French-speaking world. Thank you, Loren!
Denis Drugeau
YWAM Francophone Coordinator
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