Why Give to France?
France is a first-world country… what exactly is the need? It’s true that the nation isn’t poor when it comes to the essentials for life. However, this masks an important reality: ministries in France are tremendously under-resourced compared to other world-leading peers. Here’s what is usually less obvious from the outside.
1. Overall Giving Capacity – Annual charitable giving per person in France is only 10% of the US level, or 20-30% of countries like the UK and Canada. Many factors contribute to this, but two stand out. First, average disposable incomes in France are only about 60% of the US (even when adjusting for taxes and healthcare differences). Second, household wealth – such as home equity or investment holdings – is only about 50% of the US level. Clearly, there is less money being earned or saved in France to give away than in comparable countries. But that’s only part of the story.
2. Cultural Differences – Talking directly about finances is often seen as vulgar in France and unfortunately, this bleeds into Christian circles. Churches rarely teach on money or possessions even though Jesus spoke about them often. So, ministry fundraisers encounter major barriers, often failing to raise what is needed, or having to dilute or abandon their call to serve to find other work. Moreover, socialism creates an expectation that “the State should take care of most everything”, making individuals less likely to give in general: 41% of the adults donate in France, vs 60%+ in anglophone countries.
cafonline.org/insights/research/world-giving-index
3. Poorer Christian Demographic – Christians should and do often overcome this mindset, but incomes for Evangelicals in France are lower than the general population. This is due to the large percent of multicultural or immigrant believers who are at the bottom end of the income and wealth scales. Their ability to give is non-existent, or extremely limited. As such, Christian organizations in particular run on barebones budgets, often inadequate to fully support the number of people they’re serving, let alone envision growth.
4. Restrictive Laws / Tax Code – France has generous tax deductions for donations to churches. The problem is that for churches to stay compliant, they can only engage in a very narrow band of activities defined by the government – primarily worship services and paying ministers. Vital activities such as outreach or service must be carried out by other non-church ministries, which are often under-funded for two reasons. One is that local church tithing consumes most Christians’ giving capacity, and the other is that unless these ministries maintain a “general interest” profile by significantly downplaying or hiding their evangelistic goals, the donations they get are not tax-deductible.
5. Pastors’ Work Status – Religious workers in France are excluded from the national labor code. This means that pastors do not have the same status as typical workers: no unemployment protections, poor retirement savings, and difficulty in qualifying for home loans. In addition, medical & retirement charges are a flat rate for pastors. This is great if their gross pay hits a certain level, but the average evangelical church can’t pay that much, meaning a pastor’s take-home pay is even lower than a secular worker with the same gross salary.
We can’t change systemic issues in France such as lower wages or tax codes which impede ministry activity. Rather, we know that God’s people working together – across cultures and continents – does make a difference. That’s why, with your help, we can impact France!
Will You Stand With The French?
The light that shines where it is the darkest shines the brightest. Let’s unite and allow Jesus to shine HIS light through French believers. Learn how you can join us to share Jesus’ light in France.