billy Allardice

About

Testimonies

Billy is from California, and Sophie is from France. After four years of married life in California, they left for France in January 1988 as missionaries. They began their ministry with a two–year-old and a newborn, and over the years their family grew to four sons — now all married, some with children.

Their first field of ministry was in Metz, Eastern France, with missionary Gene Mumford. After their initial furlough, they moved to Argentan in Normandy, Western France, where they served for 13 years. They did not successfully establish a church there, but they consistently returned every quarter to minister to scattered believers and interested individuals. That maintenance ministry is now handled by a French missionary in Bayeux.

Toward the end of their time in Normandy, they began helping at a Bible Institute in the Paris region and later moved there to work both with the Institute and a local Baptist church. That church eventually matured and was able to call its own pastor.

They then moved to Limoges for a planned five-year collaboration with French pastor Matthieu Desilles, concentrating on evangelism and discipleship, especially among young adults. Their goal was to help stabilize and strengthen a fragile church. During this period, Pastor Desilles asked them to also assist part-time in Brive-la-Gaillarde, where they spent three consecutive days each week discipling believers and evangelizing.

In June 2016, they moved full-time to Brive. The Lord blessed, and on March 11, 2017, a local Baptist church was formally organized. They continue training believers in God’s Word and reaching the community with the gospel. The church is growing slowly, but has seen encouraging signs. Three young French Christians with a passion for evangelism have joined, multiplying the outreach efforts. Though small, the Brive church now has mission outposts in Périgueux and Ugine and is considering starting work in Sarlat. There is also a growing desire to encourage other French churches toward home-based missionary efforts.

Overall Ministry Purpose

Billy and Sophie are church-planting missionaries. Much of their ministry has involved gospel literature, along with expositions, conferences, newspaper ads, postal distribution, and occasional internet outreach. They hold meetings, conduct personal evangelism, and invest in discipleship wherever possible. As they grow older, they pray for replacement missionaries and for the training and support of French Christian workers.

What God Is Doing in France

France is spiritually hardened, and sound doctrine is rare. Reports claim that a new church is planted every ten days, but many are either splits, ethnic fellowships, or doctrinally unsound and ecumenical. At the same time, many churches are closing or simply changing names. True conversions are few, although some do make sincere professions of faith. A French pastor summarized it this way: God is doing in France what He did with Pharaoh long ago — as His Word is declared, He is hardening the hearts of those who reject truth, and saving those who trust in Christ.