Following the example of the recent events of the World and Francophone Christian Forums (Bogota and Lyon 2018), the first Francophone Christian Forum was held in Leysin from 10 to 13 October 2021, bringing together almost a hundred participants. Several Christian families from French-speaking Switzerland - Catholics, Reformed, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Orthodox, Christian Catholics, Anglicans, Adventists, Salvationists, Baptists and members of communities and movements - came together to seek unity in view of a common witness. The Forum aims to bring together the two movements that have shaped the 20th century: the ecumenical movement and the evangelical Pentecostal movement.

The initiatives of the Forum differ from the official "ecumenical dialogues" by their very personal approach: it is not "the churches" that meet to "clarify their theological questions", but people who testify to their lived faith.

Plenary sessions and small group sessions alternated to discover aspects of communion and unity, to pray together, led by the different families and churches, to meditate on the Bible and to share their personal journey with Christ.

The final document reflects these rich encounters and wishes to share some discoveries with the churches, communities and movements of Western Switzerland, especially those of the common journey of faith.

In the workshop "Witnesses to Unity", Stefan Constantinescu, co-director of the Study Centre for Eastern Churches, presented the ecumenical activities at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Fribourg. He emphasised that the ecumenical vision of the Faculty is not limited to theological and scientific aspects, but is also lived out very concretely in the daily life of the students, especially through encounters between students from different Christian traditions.

The organising committee of the first French-speaking Christian Forum thanks the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Theology of Fribourg for its support in organising this event.

Link to the site of the Forum : https://romandie.forumchretien.org/forum-leysin-2021/

Programme of the event

The final declaration of the Forum can be consulted by using the following link: https://romandie.forumchretien.org/forum-chretien-romand-partageons-nos-itineraires-de-foi/