The International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches (IFFEC) held its Global Youth Gathering in Paris, France, 15–19 October 2025, drawing young leaders from member federations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The theme was Next Gen! Lead with Your Life.
The gathering reflects one of IFFEC's consistent commitments: investing in the next generation of free evangelical leaders across national boundaries. The theme's emphasis on life-leadership rather than positional authority is characteristically free-church — in a tradition where every-member ministry is foundational, formation for leadership begins with formation of character, not acquisition of office.
Paris, with its own rich history in the free evangelical tradition (France is home to the Union des Eglises Evangéliques Libres, an IFFEC member), provided a fitting backdrop. The UEEL traces its roots to the nineteenth-century free-church revival in French Protestantism and continues to represent the free evangelical witness in one of Western Europe's most secular contexts.
IFFEC's global youth gatherings rotate location and are designed to strengthen personal networks among young leaders who will shape their national movements in coming decades. Delegates typically come from across IFFEC's 31 member federations, with some participation from adjacent bodies and observers.
Source: IFFEC Events
