Almost 100 years ago, in November 1926, on rue de la Saussaie in Palaiseau, the first service of the Palaiseau Protestant Church was held. The following year, Mr. Dapozzo and his three sons built a house nearby, at 26 rue Anatole France, part of which would be used to hold regular services, as well as various church activities (meetings, Bible studies to which the people of Palaiseau were widely invited, etc.).

Ten years ago, in 2012, a few hundred meters from rue Anatole France on the Palaiseau-Saclay plateau, corn was harvested for the last time on a plot of land that was to become the Camille Claudel eco-district.

Families and single people settled there. Today, some of them attend this local Palaiseau church, founded a century earlier. They meet students from the Paris-Saclay campus and Polytechnique, or Christians who have lived on the Palaiseau plateau (Pileu plateau, Les Joncherettes) for several decades. As it happens, the premises of the Palaiseau church have become too small, despite the fact that two separate services are held on Sundays. However, a larger building had been built to accommodate more people: the church located at 41 avenue du 8 Mai 1945, in Palaiseau. But that was …. in 1982, and the church is now full to bursting.

That’s why, after a few years of reflection and planning, we decided to build a new church.

Families and singles settled there. Today, some of them attend this local church in Palaiseau, which was founded a century ago. They meet students from the Paris-Saclay campus and Polytechnique, or Christians who have lived on the Palaiseau plateau (Pileu plateau, Les Joncherettes) for several decades. As it happens, the premises of the Palaiseau church have become too small, despite the fact that two separate services are held on Sundays. However, a larger building had been built to accommodate more people: the church located at 41 avenue du 8 Mai 1945, in Palaiseau. But that was …. in 1982, and the church is now full to bursting.

That’s why, after a few years of reflection and prayer, the Palaiseau Church decided to create a ‘daughter church’ on the plateau, to take into account these current needs, but also to better anticipate the many new arrivals expected on the Saclay plateau, not to mention the growing number of students at Paris-Saclay University.

But let’s go back a little further. This modest building contractor from Palaiseau, M. Dapozzo, who spent most of his free time sharing his living faith with his neighbors and friends in the Palais, was just another Protestant.

From the late Middle Ages onwards, a number of figures, including the priest Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Wyclif, rose up in various countries, “protesting” against the moral and religious decline of the official Roman Church of the time. They advocated a return to the sources: what the Bible teaches, and what should be put into practice. To this end, they helped to ensure that Bibles were printed, translated into the languages of the respective peoples, so that everyone would be encouraged to study and apply this teaching in their daily lives. This is why they helped encourage people to learn to read and write, so that they could study the Bible for themselves…

This return to biblical teaching failed to win consensus, and led to the Protestant Reformation, whose fundamentals are the 5 solas:
– Scripture alone (the Bible is inspired by God and the only source of authority, Sola scriptura);
– Faith alone (man can add no works to “earn” his salvation, Sola fide);
– Christ alone (whoever believes in his sacrifice on the cross for him has his sins forgiven and Eternal life, Solus Christus);
– To God alone be the glory (Soli Deo Gloria)

Some Protestants are called ‘evangelical Protestants’, a relatively recent term (19th century), though very much centered on the fundamentals of the Protestant Reformation.

Check out the video produced by the CNEF (Conseil National des Evangéliques de France) to learn more about the nuances that characterize them.

Each evangelical Protestant church is ‘independent’ and not linked to any external religious authority or hierarchical structure. But like most churches, those in Palaiseau and Palaiseau Saclay have freely chosen to join a network of churches, for sharing or conferences, and to avoid any risk of drift.

For the Palaiseau-Saclay church, this is the network of CAEFs (Communautés et Assemblées Évangéliques de France), themselves members of the Conseil National des Evangéliques de France (CNEF), representing some 70% of evangelical church unions in France.

In order to comply strictly with the rules laid down by our country’s authorities, we have set up two separate associations for our various activities: a “cultural” association, and a “religious” association:

– The “Évènement Ciel” association: this is a non-profit “association loi de 1901”, a “cultural” association. It enables us to manage our various activities that do not fall within the scope of those of the 1905 association.

– The “Église évangélique de Palaiseau Plateau” association: this association enables us to carry out “cult” activities, as defined by the law of December 9, 1905. For example, members of this association hold regular worship services.