It was 1964, and nothing seemed to be working. All the efforts of Tom and Doris Julien didn’t seem to even scratch the surface of the hard-packed spiritual soil of France. What was wrong? After all, what they were doing was how missions was supposed to be done. So why did their evangelistic methods seem to drive people away instead of draw them to Christ?

Tom and Doris noticed that it seemed they lived in two worlds: the world of their nine-story apartment where they had become friends with a few of their non-believing neighbors, and the world of the small evangelical church congregation of which they were a part. Sadly, those two worlds never mixed. Why was there such a deep chasm between nonbelievers and the Church?

The Juliens also began to realize that any growth in their church congregation was due primarily to Christians migrating from other church congregations to their own. It seemed that all the evangelical churches throughout the region were drawing from the same pool of believers. There was very little conversion growth.

As their frustration grew, so did their cry to God. Over time, and as a result of their difficult experiences, God gave them a deeper understanding of certain Scriptures, in particular, Romans 10:17, Faith comes from hearing the message, and Matthew 13:38, The seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. God began to change their view of evangelism and lead them to the conviction that God’s method of reaching the lost is through the believer. This idea was eventually articulated in one statement: The effectiveness of any method of evangelism is in direct ratio to its relational context.

A necessary element to make this idea a reality is called a relational bridge. A relational bridge is not merely any activity that brings believers and nonbelievers together. It is an environment in which both believers and nonbelievers have the freedom to be authentic with each other. Nonbelievers do not have to pretend to be something they are not. They receive genuine acceptance from believers for who they are. On the other hand, in a relational bridge, believers have the freedom to likewise be authentic, living out their faith and sharing from the Word of God. This kind of interaction of authenticity is possible only in a relationship characterized by love and trust.

The Chateau de St. Albain was an effort to foster such a bridge. An effort that came to be known as the Chateau Experiment was to see if an environment could be created where nonbelievers could first be introduced to relationships rather than religion. In those relationships, believers would be able to grow, like seeds, while God’s Word could be planted in the spiritual soil of nonbelievers’ lives.

With parts of it dating before 1000AD, the Chateau and its grounds are the perfect setting to allow French visitors to feel comfortable and at home. With enough rooms to house eighty people, the Chateau is an ideal location for youth retreats, outreach events, as well as training and prayer retreats. Over 2,000 people stay at the Chateau every year, mostly for extended weekend retreats as well as longer week or two week long visits. The Chateau staff cares for the grounds and prepares meals for the visitors to enjoy in the dining room.

Today’s Chateau Ministry

Over the past 40 years, the ministry of the Chateau de St. Albain has had a dramatic impact on Grace Brethren European missions, and has helped shape GBIM’s Gospel ministry around the world as well. Through the Chateau’s influence, over 20 church leaders have been trained and deployed, eleven Grace Brethren churches have been planted, and France’s largest evangelical printing operation, Edition CLE, has been founded.

Over the past four decades, certain cultural nuances have changed in France. As a result, the Chateau’s ministry is different now than when it began. But one thing remains: the Chateau is still seen as a neutral setting in which believers and nonbelievers can meet and interact. This interaction offers the nonbeliever a glimpse into the Body of Christ.

In addition to this evangelistic role, the Chateau is also a training center for discipleship and leadership development. It serves as a conference center for a number of evangelical denominations and fellowships. The Chateau de St. Albain has also served as a house of prayer for the nations. Prayer meetings and communication of prayer needs through the Chateau’s publication, The Grapevine, remain high priorities for the ministry.

The vision for the Chateau is to see it used by God to its fullest capacity—to see it used by more believers throughout Europe as a resource to introduce non-believers to the Body of Christ. We desire, as well, to see the Chateau play a greater strategic role in the training of church leaders.