Although France has a strong Roman Catholic tradition, there is practically
 no spiritual life to be found anywhere.  Numerous small evangelical works
 faithfully preach the gospel, but few show interest in spiritual things.
 
 France is located in southwestern Europe and is Europe's largest state.
  The land covers a variety of terrain from the Mediterranean coast to the
 Alps and the Pyrenees mountains to the rolling plains of the north and
 west.  France is blessed with beautiful countryside and striking
 architecture.
 
 Nearly 60 million people live in France.  Although there is a large ethnic
 French community, France is a composition of many different ethnic groups.
 
 France possesses one of the strongest economies in the world.  It is
 diverse and highly industrialized.  The economy is somewhat burdened with
 an extensive social welfare system.
 
 France has a long and storied past.  Over the last century, France has lost
 a good deal of its overseas power and influence.  Its current form of
 government is a republic with a strong presidency.  The current president
 is strongly socialist.  France is a secular state with freedom of religion.
 
 The French are traditionally Roman Catholic.  In centuries past France had
 a large number of Protestants but severe persecution drove most of them
 out.  Now the Catholic church is also in decline.  In 1900, nearly all
 French were classified as Roman Catholic.  Today, only two thirds are.
  Nearly all of the shift away from the Catholic church has been to atheism
 or Islam.
 
 Evangelicals are very few in number.  We are aware of some evangelical
 missionaries in France with small congregations.  We know of other
 evangelical works which cater primarily to evangelical expatriates working
 in France.  There are few French believers.
 
 France truly is a mission field.  In general, the people do not know the
 gospel, and those that do hear have no time for it.  They are too busy with
 their secular lives to have anything to do with religion.
 
 Pray for the missionaries who work in France and pray for the evangelical
 churches.  Most of all, pray for the French people that the Lord would be
 merciful and take away their blindness to the things of God