Our History

Planting a Congregation (2018-2020)

Our church’s story begins in 2018 when a local international church in Paris began to prayerfully consider planting a new community in the city to better reach Paris’s numerous English-speaking residents.

At that time a well-known local pastor, Edouard Nelson, invited us to consider starting an international English-speaking congregation in the chapel space that his church used at 8 Rue des Ternes in the 17th arrondissement.

With a clear heart for missions, this pastor challenged our leaders: “Why would you not take an opportunity to preach the Gospel?” The answer was obvious, and on Easter Sunday in 2018 the congregation at Ternes began to gather weekly in hopes of seeing “communities of light” multiply in and around the City of Lights.

Navigating The Pandemic (2020-2021)

Soon after, the pandemic arrived and quickly upended the normal flow of life across the globe. Churches in France were not allowed to gather publicly due to health concerns, and many of those living or studying in the city were forced with the choice to leave the city or learn to endure a “new normal”.

A difficult year of lockdowns and restrictions followed, with specific guidelines for churches welcoming the public. By connecting with members online and gathering outdoors for “Church in the Park” near Trocadero, we were able to connect with new faces and celebrate the baptism of new believers despite the challenges faced.

By the beginning of 2021, our church fully resumed weekly worship gatherings in the chapel at Ternes. That year, we marked another transition as our founding pastor and his family moved on. By God’s grace, the church was able to establish new pastoral leadership and move forward in faith.

Rebuilding and Establishing (2022-2025)

For many churches, the initial years after the pandemic were focused on rebuilding a sense of community. During this time, our community grew as new members were added and new believers in Christ were baptized. We were able to host outreaches and community events while taking important steps to secure the future of our church.

At the beginning of 2025, our congregation which had begun with a simple question took an important step of faith to grow into mature adulthood. With a unanimous agreement to continue to pursue our mission and vision under a new administration, our community took on a new name: Grace Fellowship International Church.

Having now ministered in Paris for six years, our church is looking to the future with hope. The Gospel remains our focus, and the question that started our church remains our driving purpose today — to preach the Gospel of grace and introduce others to the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.