Joseph Toguyera, a longtime pastor on the France District, became the first non-missionary last month to be appointed district superintendent. Ordained in 1995, Joseph has served as pastor of the Paris I Church of the Nazarene for many years, was part of Nazarene Missions International, and planted a new church in Ecouen in 2006. He has been a member of the District Advisory Board for several years.

Joseph and his wife, Josephine, moved to France from Chad in 1989 to study theology. Because of civil war in Chad, they were unable to return home, so they became part of the denomination in France.

Staff from Where Worlds Meet, the Eurasia Region's newsletter, recently interviewed Joseph about his heart for the church and the people of France and how he plans to lead the district forward in the coming days.

WWM: How did you come to know Christ personally?

JOSEPH: I wasn’t raised in a Christian family, but there was the civil war that was going on in Chad in 1979 and it was there that I came across how evil man could be. I met some people who were distributing Christian literature and I took it home. The literature that I was reading really answered a lot of questions that I had: That God created man in His image, just and good, but that because of the fall and because of sin, the evil became real in them; that death and sickness and evil were essentially consequence of this sin that was introduced. But God gave His son that whomever believes in Him would have eternal life. And because of this they would be able to encounter with the love that would surpass the hate that was present in man. And it was through that that I was touched and convinced that coming to God I could have eternal life — that I could be forgiven, that I could be purified and that I could be considered as a child of God.

I joined with a youth group of the local church that was there in Chad and attended this church for a number of years, which helped my faith. And then I was baptized a few months later at the church. It was not long after that I had some friends at school that were just harassing me and making fun of me because I had become a Christian, and I had a strong passion because of that to study more the Word of God so that I could give a response to why I had given my life to Christ to the people around me that didn’t understand.

WWM: How did your experience in Chad influence or shape your ministry in France?

JOSEPH: What it’s made me realize, that experience, is even in France that men need God; there’s a real need for God in humanity. No matter where the person finds themselves, regardless of where they live, all need the gospel to be saved. The conviction that I have is that evil in men and disobedience in men is present in all men regardless of their background or their culture or their experience.

WWM: How did you get involved in the Church of the Nazarene?

JOSEPH: I was looking for a place to do a pastoral internship in a local church and that’s when I met Noel Alvez, who was the pastor of the Paris I Church of the Nazarene at the time, and it was through meeting him that I then started my associate training with the church as I assisted in a pastoral role in the Church of the Nazarene.

WWM: What is your vision for the future of the France District?

JOSEPH: I dream of the unity of our pastors. I dream for the unity of our churches, to really consecrate ourselves to the Great Commission, because it’s our reason for being. And I dream that we are able to mutualize our resources, our strengths, our gifts — spiritual, physical, financial — so that the district may grow and may develop into other phases.

It’s incredible to think that it’s been more than 35 years that the Church of the Nazarene has been in France. And today there is not one pastor of the France District that is working full time in ministry and is supported full-time by the church. Each pastor works outside of ministry in the secular world and is only able then to give of their evenings and weekends to ministry. I dream about being able to change that.

WWM: Do you have another job, too?

JOSEPH: Yes, in fact, I am a taxi chauffeur during the week. And it’s been fun. I’ve actually had many opportunities to be able to share the gospel in my taxi in the week.

WWM: How can the Church of the Nazarene around the world pray for you and for the France District most effectively?

JOSEPH: I ask that the global church pray for our pastors and their families. Pray for unity in our district. And just that that reconciliation will take place and that our unity will then come as a result. 

--Church of the Nazarene Eurasia Region