Former American soldier, Lesly Joseph decided to come to France to evangelize.
He founded an evangelical Protestant Church, the Church of the Nations.
As a pastor, he celebrates worship and also helps people in need.
He tells Olivier Delacroix how he sees his role as pastor.
A very strong testimony in the podcast "Dans les Yeux d'Olivier".
TESTIMONY
Lesly Joseph is a former soldier in the United States Navy. While on a mission in Japan, he had the revelation of his faith. He says he saw Montmartre and the Sacré-Coeur appear in a dream. He then decided to come and evangelize in France, where he founded the Church of the Nations, an evangelical Protestant Church. Here, worship is celebrated in song in a festive manner. The pastor tells Olivier Delacroix his vision of faith and explains his role within the religious community he created. A testimony from the podcast "Dans les Yeux d'Olivier".
Every Sunday, Lesly Joseph celebrates worship: "Faith is not practiced when we come to Church on Sunday mornings, far from it. When we come to Church, it is rather to meet again, to meet each other. bless, smile together and share our joys Faith is practiced when you leave these doors and find yourself outside. Religion is practiced, but faith is lived. The name is not important Whether you are a Pentecostal , Baptist or Evangelist, the Lord loves you. Because life does not give us gifts, let's hold on! "
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Henri, who came for the first time to attend worship at the Church of Nations, also gives his impressions: "For my part, this is not the first time that I am going to the Church. I have already attended several. . This one, I found it open. It is addressed to everyone. It is a young Church, with a dynamic pastor who speaks moving words illustrated with concrete examples. I felt good in this Church. We come by obligation to other Churches. It's a kind of burden. There are only closed faces. Here, we see open faces. There is music. It makes you want to. "
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It really feels like a family here
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Jilva, meanwhile, is almost already a regular: "I've been going to the Church of Nations for less than a year. I arrived here completely by chance. A friend saw that I was ill at one point. of my life. She offered to come with her and I didn't want to leave. We are too good here. I attended a classical Catholic Church. I started with catechism, pure Catholicism. was lacking, it was joy, warmth and love.In this type of structure, it is very cold.
Here, you really feel the heat.
When the first time arrives, everyone kisses you.
They don't know you, but welcome you as if you were one of them.
It really feels like a family here.
Traditional churches should add a bit of swing and more fellowship.
This is really what is missing.
I went to church every Sunday, but I didn't even know my neighbor's name.
My friends know that on Saturday night, you shouldn't offer me anything because I have to go to bed early.
We come with pleasure. "
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If we could open more Churches of Nations in France, there would be a lot more vacant places in prison
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Lesly Joseph explains what makes, according to him, the success of his Church: "We have more than 500 members in France, between those who are baptized and those who participate in this Church. I think the French have faith in God, but he does not know how to put it into practice. At the Church of Nations, we provide solutions so that a person can live their faith. I think that the community needs churches. We need local pastors and j 'am one.
I am active in the community from Monday to Saturday. On Saturdays, I take care of the poorest in the community. On Tuesday, my office is always open, from morning until evening, for appointments. I am talking about the children's school problems, the family's financial problems, the difficulties they are going through. Letters are written and appointments are made. I think if we could open more Nations Churches in France, there would be a lot more vacancies in prison.
I am of American nationality, so I cannot become president of this country. What politicians promise to do, they don't. When social services or politicians quit, who is going to do all of this work that I do? When I speak of a God of love, I speak of a God who is there for all people. It's my job. I am a man who left his country to come here and take care of those in need. "
Lesly Joseph is married to Sabrina. The latter was of Muslim faith and converted. She recounts the reaction of her family: "My family rejected me and rejected my choice. With my father, we cut the ties. I tried several times to contact him at the time. It was very hard. for him. I put myself in his shoes. As a parent, you want certain choices for your children. When the child makes another decision, it is not easy to accept. For my father, it would have been better than "I live in disorder, rather than become a Christian. It's the last thing he wanted. I was taunted, but it didn't change my decision."
It always hurts not to be near his family, but over time, I found a new family.
What I lost, I have found.
It's a little hard to say, but it's the reality of my life.
My parents are still my parents, my sisters are still my sisters.
I love them a lot.
But I have an adoptive family at the Church of Nations.
There are Muslim women who come to see me very modestly.
When they see me, it gives them a role model.
They tell themselves that they can also make choices in life and be happy. "
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I would like the Catholic priest to be able to immerse himself a little more in reality
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Lesly also confides that her couple was the object of threats: "We received threats from the neighborhood and the family. I was shot twice and I was stabbed. assaulted in the street. We were thrown bolts the size of a peach pit. It's not easy, but I'm hanging on because I think maybe it's new today that a young Maghrebian woman can accept Jesus Christ, marry an ex GI and have them together have a Church. "
As a pastor, Lesly can get married.
He then evokes the celibacy of priests: "In my opinion, it is not human. Priests cannot help the population with matters of marriage and children. In the Catholic Church, the priest has a very religious position. . We live in the real world. We face real problems and concerns. I wish the Catholic priest could immerse himself a little more in reality. It is not with three 'Hail Marys' that' you solve a problem with your children. "
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I think God has love even for people who are helpless
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On Saturday evening, the pastor goes to the Parisian district of Pigalle to evangelize. To convince passers-by to come to the Church of Nations, he offers them a gospel concert: "We talk a little with everyone in the neighborhood. We present a gospel concert. This neighborhood is one of the most neglected. by the Church because we say to ourselves that it is too difficult. There are too many things that cannot be named. I think that God has love even for people who are neglected. love this neighborhood.
If I were to talk about Jesus forgiving sins in a place like this, I think people would be assaulted more than anything else. We can talk to them about music. Tonight I'm just someone who invites, loves them, smiles, and isn't supposed to know what they're doing. On Sunday they will see me do the office as a pastor. I guarantee it will be heartwarming for them, because I didn't bother them. "