“The Protestants here are very particular: they used to be Methodists”: A Historical Reflection on French Methodism

This article traces the history of Methodism in France since its introduction in the 1780s. It was always a minority into the larger Protestant minority, probably hampered by its being intrinsically linked to British Methodism. In 1938, French Methodism merged into the Presbyterian Église réformée de France, leaving only a few communities which are today members of the U.S.-based UMC. This article will first present the birth and implantation of Methodism in France, then its consolidation and salient features before concluding on the enduring, albeit silent, influence of Methodism in French Protestantism since 1939.