Radical Obedience: Reaching the French-Speaking World
Special Report: International Rhema
Radical. That's really the only word that describes John and Laura Madan—and they prefer it that way. These 1984 Rhema Bible Training College graduates are the directors of Rhema Nice, France, and Rhema Geneva, Switzerland, and also pastor Victoire Centre Chrétien (Victory Christian Center), in Nice. Their journey to where they are today is full of wild twists and turns.
John and Laura's adventure together began over 30 years ago when they met at university in England. Though it wasn't love at first sight, John, a native Brit, and Laura, an American, were married nine months later. Because John knew he was called to preach the Gospel in France, he took Laura there on their honeymoon.
"It was like I went home for the first time in my life," Laura remembered. "It was extraordinary."
Although France was on their hearts, the Lord told John and Laura to first share the Gospel with their family. They left for the States for what they thought would be six months. God had other ideas.
"We were very much in love with God," John explained. "We were spirit-filled and loved the Word. But we had never heard of Brother Hagin or the word of faith."
While they were in the U.S., they came across a church pastored by a Rhema graduate who introduced them to the teaching of Kenneth E. Hagin.
"I said, 'God, I would love to sit under the ministry of a man like that,' " Laura recalled. "But I never dreamed God would call us to Bible school. We were producing fruit in our ministry—traveling and singing. And we were on our way to France!"
"We were doing whatever we could," John added. "But we didn't know what we would do in France. So we set time aside to seek God for the next step, and we heard what we did not think we were going to hear. God said, 'Go to Rhema.' "
"We didn't even know where Tulsa, Oklahoma, was," Laura exclaimed. "It was just wild."
Tandem Adventures
Because they had to return to England so John could immigrate to the U.S. to legally attend RBTC, the Madans arrived three days before school started.
Once here, they had two wonderful years in school. Their determination to succeed was clearly evidenced in their mode of transportation. During their first year at Rhema, John and Laura made the 25 mile round trip to school on a tandem bicycle! "We did that for the first four months in the snow, ice, and wind," John said. "Then we moved closer so we were just five miles away. We were renowned," he laughed.
While attending school, France was always on their minds. So for them, everything they heard at Rhema was translated into, "How does this work for France?"
After John and Laura graduated from RBTC in 1984, they returned to their home church in England. They served as janitors for three months and the church also allowed them to hold an unadvertised meeting. What began with six people soon grew to 60 in six short weeks.
Following God
On September 10, 1984, John and Laura packed their car and made that long-awaited move to Nice, France. Laura didn't speak any French, John spoke only schoolboy French, and they had only $25 a month in promised support, but they knew they were following God.
And God did provide! With no references, no money, no jobs, and no contacts, they moved into an apartment in the best part of town within three weeks. The Lord also supernaturally connected them with three ladies who wanted to help them start a church. With five people in attendance, Victoire Centre Chrétien opened its doors in March of 1985.
"We knew it was meant to be called Victory Christian Center," John explained. "We didn't know why, but we were convinced." The Madans later found out that the word Nice comes from the Greek word nikaia—which at its root means victory. God knew what He was doing! Today, the Madan's church has grown to more than 120 adults, and they started a second service in December 2012.
Almost immediately after starting the church, God put it on John and Laura's hearts to translate Faith Library's books into French. "With our French, that was hysterical," Laura laughed. But God once again made a way for them.
John's mom, a French teacher and linguist, along with his father, retired to Nice to help with the book translation project. To date, the Madans have translated 45 books and printed over 300,000, which is large by French standards. They are also beginning to publish eBooks, which will allow the word of faith to penetrate French-speaking countries where it's more difficult to take printed books.
A Dream Becomes Reality
The third facet of the Madans' ministry began in 1989 with the opening of their Bible school in Nice, Victory Bible Training Center. It was always in John and Laura's heart to have a French-speaking Rhema, but at the time, Rhema had no schools in other languages.
However, in 2007, the Madans' dream became a reality when Rhema Geneva opened its doors. Three years later, they opened a second campus in Nice.
Like many Rhema schools in Europe, each campus holds class two weekends a month—Friday to Saturday afternoon. The Madans have 24 teachers who rotate between the six French-speaking Rhema campuses—three of which are located in Quebec, Canada, under the direction of Ken and Tonja Taylor, directors of Rhema Canada. The sixth French-speaking campus, located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, just opened its doors in November 2012.
In addition to the basic curriculum found at every Rhema campus, Rhema Nice and Rhema Geneva have workshop sessions where graduates teach on specific subjects like nutrition and exercise. Students also work on group projects.
"It's phenomenal," John said. "We have students who have never played sports in their lives who are getting themselves fit. We believe in training them spirit, soul, and body."
And the students are getting it! John and Laura, together with the Taylors, have seen over 100 French-speaking graduates come from their campuses. A handful of those graduates are already teaching in the schools, which is part of their long-term plan.
"We want to see a Rhema campus started in each of the 52 French-speaking countries of the world," John explained. "Our goal is to have 800 teachers that we can send out to those countries in the next 30 years." Working together with other Rhema graduates, they are determined to see this vision come to pass.
"Rhema teaches you to go and do what God told you to do," John affirmed. "And you don't ever give up! That's why we're still here. We had a pioneering spirit when we came to school, but Rhema undergirded that. And the fact is, we can't do anything else but obey God."
Fast Facts
» There are between 500 and 800 million French-speaking people in the world.
» France is made up of 37,500 towns and villages. 36,000 of those have no Gospel-preaching church.
» Only 0.9 percent of French people are born again.
» Most French people are not Gospel hardened. They've just never heard. The opportunity is great.
Prayer Requests
» Finances. We want to see the books we've translated in every French-speaking country. It takes money to print and distribute them.
» Teachers. Pray for teachers to be raised up in every French-speaking nation of the world.
To learn more about John and Laura Madan, go to www.victoire.cc.