France Wildfires Open New Doors for Gospel Outreach

Wildfires in southwestern France that forced residents to evacuate also created unexpected opportunities for Christians to connect with people affected by the disaster, according to church-planting leader Arnaud Schrodi. Schrodi, who leads church planting and development for Perspectives, an evangelical Protestant network in France, was among those evacuated from Pessac near Bordeaux. He described the fires as devastating, with smoke, ash and evacuation warnings affecting communities across the region. Although Schrodi and his team were not directly involved in helping families who lost their homes, the crisis brought neighbours together and created opportunities for meaningful conversations. He said the experience helped people get to know one another better and opened new possibilities for Christian witness. Schrodi is now considering organising a prayer and worship gathering in Le Porge for people affected by the fires. He said the experience also reminded him and his team of their dependence on God and encouraged them to seek strength in Him. The wildfire crisis came as Schrodi and his team were already working to strengthen the Christian presence in southwestern France, a region with relatively few evangelical churches. The area has about 8 million people but only around 300 churches. After moving to the Bordeaux area in 2025, Schrodi and his family began developing a church-planting network. Their vision includes establishing new churches, reaching university students, training future church planters and creating welcoming spaces where people with little connection to Christianity can build relationships. The team hopes Bordeaux can become a regional centre for church planting and ministry across southwestern France. Schrodi said their goal is to participate humbly in evangelism and help spread the Good News of Jesus throughout the region.