Historias: Lyon Chapel 30 yrs ago
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| In the winter of 1976, while serving a mission in Lyon, France I was asked to function as a translator between a French speaking branch president and a German/English speaking church employee. The employee worked for the construction department of the church, based in Frankfurt, Germany and had responsibilities that included determining what size chapel would be built for member use in a suburb of Lyon known as Ecully. As I remember, a Phase I size chapel was being built to accommodate the congregation that averaged 70 attendees per sacrament meeting. During the discussion, which was being translated from German to English to French and back again, the branch president was concerned that the building would be too small for the current need. The building supervisor explained that his hands were tied, and that the required average attendance for approval of an expanded floor plan depended on having an average of 73 persons in attendance at each sacrament meeting. Over the branch president’s objection he further explained that when the average attendance increased, work crews would indeed return and expand the building.
This created an awkward moment between the branch president and me. As the current district leader in the area I had recently been invited to a branch leadership meeting where I was asked to explain the “lack of progress in missionary work as of late”. It was widely believed amongst the members that the full-time elders and sisters “must be ‘vacationing’ and not be doing their jobs” given the lack of new coverts to the branch. While I knew that the missionaries were working very hard I also felt frustrated that our numbers were not increasing. Even when we would bring in new people, others would move away with job changes or the like. Consequently, our average attendance remained only 70, and 3 people short of the goal. All I could say at the moment was to assure the local leadership that we did indeed take our callings very seriously and would continue to do all that we could to bring the gospel to others in the Lyon area.
Within a short time thereafter, my companion (who was new and did not speak much French) and I were asked to give a presentation on the church and its basic beliefs to a social club made up of scholars and intellectuals. Believing that it would be important to demonstrate that the Church was indeed an international church and not solely for Americans, I invited the branch president and others from the branch to accompany us to the presentation scheduled for the next week. The branch president knew of this organization and emphasized that the presentation would have to be first rate. The French love their language with its precise vocabulary and subtle nuance. Even amongst the native speaking population, the highest levels of educated conversation are not well understood by the average person. Particularly with a group like this, he and I were concerned that the question and answer period that would follow the presentation might be very tough to handle for someone whose native tongue was not French. I suggested that I obtain one of our new 16mm film presentations from the mission home in Geneva, Switzerland. The French spoken on the film would be impeccable and the local members who would accompany us could help us out if my companion and I found ourselves in over our head following the film. He agreed.
The evening of the event arrived. As agreed, our contingency met at the small rented hall where our Sunday meetings were normally held. The location of the event was to be across the river and a short walk of less than 3 km away. However, in the mail that morning, what arrived from Geneva was not the film that we had ordered. What came instead was of the same title, Christ in America, but not the “high tech” 16mm version, but only the film strip format with accompanying audio cassette. What made matters worse, both were extremely worn and/or damaged. To the 4 or 5 local members who were gathered to help us that night this was entirely unacceptable. “Once more, the missionaries show off their incompetence,” was the comment that hurt the worst. When they refused to go with us “and be embarrassed” my companion and I left alone. Young, frightened, discouraged, as we crossed the bridge that cold wintry night, the wind blew, the rain fell and the deepest part of that black swirling water below almost looked inviting…. We offered a quiet, fervent prayer; the melodrama lifted from our minds and we went on.
With everything in place and nearly twenty in attendance my companion and I were introduced as missionaries of the “American church”. At the moment I stood to begin, the back door of the room opened and in came the branch president with 3 local members. I was later told that after we left for the event, their small group decided that they “would at least be men enough to go down with the ship” and followed us over.
The film strip…was a disaster. The images were almost too faded to be seen and the only distinct sound on the audio cassette was the occasional beep that told you to manually advance to the next image. Afterwards, I stood and asked if there were any questions. There was one. The answer was “no” and the evening looked to be at its conclusion. It was at that moment that I felt the Spirit come over me and I knew that I needed to open my mouth and speak. “If you have no questions of me,” I said, “then I have a few for you”.
I don’t remember what I asked of them that night. I only remember that a very enjoyable and stimulating discussion ensued. It went on for more than an hour and a half as they asked question after question and answers were given. The room truly seemed to be filled with the light of the gospel. I was sure that we would be asked by many to come to their home and teach them more. As it turned out, our host stood, thanked us for “one of the best sessions they had experienced in a long time”, and closed the meeting. Many graciously thanked us for coming and shook our hands as we mingled. However, to our surprise, not one follow up appointment was set.
But, here’s what did happen. After the meeting the branch president quietly approached my companion and I and said, “Elder Bingham, tonight we have seen a miracle! As a rule, your French speaking ability is not flawless but pretty good. Tonight, however, we heard you speak for more than an hour and a half without even one mistake in grammar, vocabulary or even pronunciation. And what’s more, you answered every question with a quote from your scriptures. Every one! As they would ask their questions, you would open your scriptures to the exact page of the answer. Not to the general area of the verse you intended to share and then turn a few pages until you found the exact location, but to the exact page of the exact chapter and verse each and every time. Then you would close your scripture, listen to a new question and repeat the process with each new answer.” He went on to explain, that the only conclusion he could come to was that God must indeed be happy with the work we were doing as missionaries. “Otherwise” he said, “God would not have been so willing to help you as He did tonight”. He asked us to forgive him and the others for judging the missionaries so wrongly. “If we aren’t growing fast enough in Lyon”, he said “it’s because WE, the members need to do more to help the missionaries fulfill their callings”. No forgiveness was needed. Everyone could always do just a little more and lengthen ones stride. And, with each others help we would.
The story ends like this. I was transferred to another town within just a couple of weeks, and before the dedication of the new Phase I building in Ecully. A month after the transfer I had the occasion to travel back to Ecully to attend a Zone conference to be held in the new building. Even though it was a week day, when I arrived at the conference, my friend, the branch president of Lyon was there waiting for me. He had taken off work to come and tell me the great news. “We, the members went to work”, he said. “The average attendance numbers were up. Just this last Sunday was the dedication of their new chapel and 142 people were in attendance”, he said. “And we’ve been approved for the expansion right away”.
What a blessing it was to serve. What a privilege to part of the miracles. What a responsibility we have to do all that we can do as members to assist the missionaries in their assignments.
-JHBingham |
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