Statutes and historical background
Statutes
As part of above said service, the Mission Timothée aims at providing spiritual meetings and a number of services and activities (especially to young people, families or persons in a dire spiritual or moral need) lawfully related to its vocation.
The members of the Mission reserve the right to spread the Gospel in the missionary stations in France and French-speaking countries.
A short historical background
of the Mission Timothée
In spring 1968, we were young members of a small evangelical church from the South of France and heard the call from a missionary coming from Africa. Our hearts were deeply moved but the question was: how can we possibly get involved in the Lord service? Then, some camps were planned for the following summer, it is at last for us door opened, that was a practical answer! In spite of our lack of experience, God blessed these evangelizing campaigns in the central part of France. A year after, a small church was founded there. Then, other camps were organized, new towns were evangelized in the South , Central part and East of France. As early as 1971, three assemblies were born.
At the same time, a vocation stood out, approved by the local church: a young man left the South of France to go to a theological faculty. There he met some active and zealous students, but his new friends were in great personal difficulties: there were shadows and questions without answers. Losing heart, somme of them thought of giving up their studies. Then, being helped by the man who became the founder of the Mission, these students allowed their lives to be set under the light of the Gospel, confessed their sins and opened "their heartfelt sorrow" (1 Kings 8:38) God confirmed His Scripture and freed them from their difficulties. But their testimony was not well received, giving rise to a conflict sometimes growing more intense through their overzealousness in the joy of such experiences…. Some students had to leave the university due to their piety and not to doctrine. Their call remained but they could not respond to it in their religious circles. Thus, the decision was made to work together.
An association was made, and the Mission Timothee was born in 1972. It is not the fulfilment of a dream, or the carrying out of a project. One of the founders had a car accident followed by some friendly visits at the hospitall. Then there was the work of God in the suffering heart and the immediate fellowship between two men. Eventually all these have borne their fruit…
Spiritual direction is given through the word of God:
- "Enlarge the place of your tent : stretch your curtaind wide, do not hold back ; lenghten your cords, strengthen your stakes. …" (Isaiah 54:2) ;
- "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to relaible people, who will also be qualified to teach others" (1 Timothy 2:2).
In this obediant spirit, the young team meet in Anduze to build a "welcoming centre" intended to welcome new converts, Christians with difficulties , people "wounded on the road", to organise biblical camps and later training sessions for fellow workers. As time goes by, many christian hymns are composed, all of them being biblical texts set to music. A hymn book, cassettes and CDs named "Avec des cris de joie"(with glad songs of praise) testify to the importance of praising and worship during our meetings, our biblical camps and teenager camps.
Mainly through this work, the Mission Timothée will develop. New calls will appear, churches will be founded, and christian groups already existing but a long way from a church will ask for help and then will become fellow workers.
Working in a spirit of unity in the light and fellowship, devoting oneself to the church as a whole, leading lost people to the personal knowledge of God, are our vocation, the one we want to fulfil while seeking to discern that "each one should build with care" (1 Corinthians 3:10 b)
