Pastor Marc Toureille
I was born into a Christian family and through the example of my parents, my brother and sister I learned to know God. In 1986 I responded to God’s call during an evangelistic campaign. From then on I found myself in the place God had prepared for me, in the church. In 1992 my father died, a turning point in my life. At the time I was studying biology. For a few years I had been leading Bible studies for teenagers and I felt the call to study theology to deepen my knowledge of the Bible. I enrolled at the Faculté Jean Calvin when I was 19. During my three years’ study I kept active in the life of the church. The yearly internships taught me more about the practical life of various churches. As I studied I became convinced, in response to Isaiah 6:8, that I should undertake some kind of Christian ministry. But what, exactly? I was only 21 and didn’t feel ready to become a pastor; the Lord convinced me otherwise. I was asked: “Do you care about souls?”, a question that seems old-fashioned. But, then came the day when I said, “yes, I do”, and I understood that when the Lord calls someone he equips them with everything they need. I took for myself the Lord’s words: “My power is made perfect in YOUR weakness.” I then applied to become a pastor in the Union of Reformed Evangelical Churches. After a year’s internship I became pastor of the Reformed Evangelical Church of Alès in the south of France.
Over the last 20 years my wife Florence and I have served in three different churches: in Alès, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in the Paris area, and in Aix-en-Provence. We have learned so much! We have felt the love and support of Christian brothers and sisters of all age groups and many different geographic origins and from many social backgrounds. Through home visits and church gatherings we have learned what is meant by “fellowship”. We thank the Lord for all the “great cloud of witnesses” he has brought us into contact with.
Marc Toureille, Pastor of a local church of the Union des Églises Protestantes Réformées Évangéliques de France (UNEPREF) denomination, Aix-en-Provence