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Mission FPC

Roland and Irène Frauli
at retirement time

18 March 2021 0 Sandrine Laporte

Roland and Irène Frauli have been active partners of FPC for 37 years. They have been retired since January 1, 2021. We interviewed them in FPCInfos n° 114. Below is an inspiring summary of their experience.

Mission FPC: Roland, what important lessons have you learned?

My time of ministry with FPC has been a time of training, of learning in the service of the Lord … in fact a Pass (theoretically for young people!) which extended over several decades! I learned life lessons, for example to trust, even though I tend to distrust. The Lord has worked on my character… so necessary, and a work in progress. I had the privilege to invest in others’ lives, to launch young people in their ministry, to mentor leaders of different kinds. The Lord also gradually broadened my view of Him and His work. The first thing I understood was the Gospel, God’s love for me, my sin that leads me away from God, salvation in Christ by faith. Then the Lord showed the impact of salvation on life lived, piety, commitment out of love for Christ …

But God does not only save individuals – which is already extraordinary – He wants a people who are His own, a community, a church that glorifies Him. Then, more recently, the Lord made me aware of the perspective of His Kingdom, a perspective which transcends visible realities. It is His eternal plan in human history to restore that which He has begun in the hearts of His people, but which He will complete by His triumph in a new creation. It is a grand vision.

Have I finished learning? I hope not! I want in particular, not necessarily to broaden my vision, but to deepen it by discovering more and more the treasures of communion with the One who is at the heart of the Kingdom, the living and risen Christ. Glory to Him for all eternity!

Mission FPC: Irène, what lessons have you learned from a husband with many responsibilities? How have you experienced the providence of God?

When we joined the mission, my personal commitment was not to hinder Roland’s ministry in any way, but to support it. I wanted, as much as possible, to give it priority. On this occasion, my mother was worried about our leaving a secular job. I assured her that in this work, there is no unemployment and that the Lord will take care of us. Which He did! In times of doubt or in difficulty, our God was there. He has been faithful. Paul writes: “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”[1] Part of Roland’s ministry was teaching at Institut Biblique de Genève. It was always a great joy for me to find in the ministry some of these young people who had taken the training. During our farewell celebration with the FPC team, the apostle Paul was quoted: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”[2] I hope that we can still for a while, not only race for the Lord, but walk with Him and serve Him!

Mission FPC: Roland, what are your next challenges?

Administrative retirement is not the end of a ministry … that is one of the lessons learned early on from my grandparents. For them, it was the start of a new commitment. They made themselves available for ministries in Switzerland and Germany. We are also thinking of making ourselves available “elsewhere” in France, even abroad, while keeping a place for the family. For now, my elderly and ailing father needs support. That doesn’t allow us to move around a lot. Does the Lord have anything else in mind for us? Is it His will that we continue to serve Him here? We are waiting on Him.

Mission FPC: Daniel, you had the privilege of being close to Roland. How could you summarize his ministry?

To sum up 37 years in a few lines is impossible, but I can say that his ministry was marked by love:

A love of the Word Roland has always reserved a special place for the Word, both personally and in his ministry. In addition, God made possible his doctorate, so it is logical that he developed training programs within FPC and for church leaders (ReD).

A love of the Church Roland served as an elder, then he was sent to Haguenau to strengthen the Church. He has been the driving force behind the development of APC, always concerned with the growth of the churches in the network.

A Love of Mission and Missionaries Roland served as the administrator of FPC. We owe the entire salary structure and social security coverage to him. He was a member of the mission council for a long time. From 2017, he managed the project of change which led to a complete restructuring of FPC of which we are the heirs.

A love of people and concern for handover Roland was responsible for human resources. His listening skills, his discernment, his analysis of how humans function were invaluable. Trained in mediation, how many crises has he had to manage! Roland was also a great trainer, always keen to give young people the reins.

Thanks to Roland and Irène. They have been role models for many. May God lead them to even greater things!