Département évangélique français d'action apostolique (Défap)

Défap – Service protestant de mission (the Département évangélique français d'action apostolique) is the mission service of two French Protestant church unions: the Église protestante unie de France (EPUdF) and the Union des Églises protestantes d'Alsace et de Lorraine (UEPAL). It was created in 1971 out of the division of the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris (SMEP), a body founded in 1822 that had been the principal Protestant mission of the French-speaking world for a century and a half. Where the SMEP was an association of individuals sending missionaries, Défap was reconstituted as an instrument of the French churches themselves: those churches fund it directly, appoint its board, and draw on its reflection and work for their mission and their relations with overseas churches. Défap describes itself as a "frontier structure" serving churches in France and abroad in the general interest. Its stated purpose is to stimulate and coordinate the efforts of its member churches across the different dimensions of mission: sharing the Good News, relations between churches, international solidarity, humanitarian action and development. It mobilises the French churches within the Cevaa – Communauté d'Églises en mission, a network of thirty-six churches worldwide that pool projects and resources; beyond that framework it also develops partnerships and collaborations as requests and opportunities arise. Its fields of action include theological exchange — sending and receiving researchers, professors and theology students, and funding study bursaries — international solidarity, accompanying and financing projects run by sister churches, and international mobility, notably volunteer service. Its communications highlight programmes such as volunteer training and child sponsorship, for example a campaign to sponsor Syrian refugee children through the French-speaking Protestant church in Beirut, whose pastor Pierre Lacoste is a Défap envoy, working with the association Amel. Défap is headquartered at the Maison des missions, 102 boulevard Arago in Paris, a building inaugurated in 1887 and made the official entrance of the mission house in 1950. It also holds the archives of the former SMEP, a collection used by researchers worldwide. Its team is organised into a general secretariat, a relations and international solidarity service, a library and archives service, administrative and financial services, and an animation and communication service.

Défap's history reaches back to the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris (SMEP), founded in 1822 within French Protestantism. From its creation the SMEP was part of a European Protestant network, and in 1888 it established its headquarters at 102 boulevard Arago in Paris. For 150 years the SMEP sent missionaries to Africa and the Pacific, contributing to the creation of churches, schools, hospitals and development institutions. Its first missions began in Lesotho in 1832, followed by Senegal, Tahiti, the Zambezi, Kabylie, Gabon, Madagascar, New Caledonia, Cameroon and Togo. It was long the principal Protestant mission of the French-speaking world, before ceasing its activities in 1971 after autonomous local churches had been born. Its missionaries, often pastors, teachers or health workers, also developed skills in ethnography, history, linguistics, geography, photography and art; their archives, now held by Défap, are a valuable source for researchers worldwide. Before 1887 the SMEP had no fixed building and moved several times to house its director, his family and missionary students. In 1885 Dr Gustave Monod proposed the construction of a permanent house, under the direction of pastor Alfred Bœgner, in response to the rapid expansion of overseas missions. The Maison des missions was inaugurated in 1887, and in 1950, after several enlargements, 102 boulevard Arago became the official entrance of the building. The Service protestant de mission – Défap was created in 1970 and born in 1971 from the division of the SMEP between the Communauté d'Églises en mission (CEVAA) and the Département évangélique français d'action apostolique (DEFAP). It thus became the French Protestant missionary body, no longer an association of individuals but a tool of the churches of France. Those churches participate directly in its financing and appoint the members of its board; they benefit from its reflection and work for their mission and their relations with overseas churches, notably — but not only — those that, like them, are members of the Communauté d'Églises en mission. In its present form Défap is the mission service of the Église protestante unie de France (EPUdF) and the Union des Églises protestantes d'Alsace et de Lorraine (UEPAL). It also collaborates with other churches, notably members of the Fédération protestante de France. Its object is to stimulate and coordinate the efforts of its member churches to awaken and sustain in them a sense of their responsibilities and their common action in the different dimensions of mission: sharing the Good News, relations between churches, humanitarian action and development. It mobilises the French churches within the Cevaa – Communauté d'Églises en mission, which gathers thirty-six churches worldwide that pool their projects and resources; beyond the Cevaa framework Défap has also developed various collaborations according to partnerships and requests. It describes itself as a frontier structure, serving churches in France and abroad in the general interest.

• 1971

  Birth of Défap from the division of the SMEP between the CEVAA and the DEFAP; the SMEP ceases its activities.

• 1970

  Creation of the Service protestant de mission – Défap.

• 1950

  After several enlargements, 102 boulevard Arago becomes the official entrance of the mission house.

• 1888

  SMEP establishes its headquarters at 102 boulevard Arago, Paris.

• 1887

  Inauguration of the Maison des missions.

• 1885

  Dr Gustave Monod proposes building a permanent mission house under pastor Alfred Bœgner.

• 1832

  SMEP's first missions begin in Lesotho.

• 1822

  Founding of the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris (SMEP), ancestor of Défap, within French Protestantism.

A church-based mission service and 'frontier structure' working for the general interest, coordinating French Protestant churches' mission, solidarity and international church relations within the Cevaa network.

• Volunteer service (international and reciprocity)

  Défap sends and receives volunteers through international and reciprocity programmes, with volunteer training.

• Theological exchange

  Sending and hosting researchers, professors and theology students, and funding study bursaries.

• International solidarity projects

  Accompanying and financing projects run by sister churches to strengthen local communities and promote social justice.

• Child sponsorship

  Sponsorship programmes such as the campaign for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon at 40 euros per month.

• Library and archives

  The Défap library and archives preserve SMEP missionary records used by researchers worldwide.

1. 1Défap service missionnaire | Accompagnement - Formation - Soutiendefap.fr
2. 2Notre histoire - Défap Le Service Protestant de Missiondefap.fr
3. 3Découvrir le Défap - Défap Le Service Protestant de Missiondefap.fr
4. 4Notre équipe - Défap Le Service Protestant de Missiondefap.fr
5. 5Service protestant de Missionfr.wikipedia.org
6. 6Département évangélique français d'action apostoliquewikidata.org