Jeremiah Martin, the new pastor at Conestoga Mennonite Church in Morgantown, and his wife, Shaelagh, were the guest speakers at the Oct. 14 meeting of Senior Connections, a monthly social group for local residents age 60 and over.

The couple, along with their two daughters, served as missionaries with WorldVenture for 15 years in the suburbs of Paris. In May, the Martins moved back to the Morgantown area, where Jeremiah was born and raised, and in September, Jeremiah began his role as lead pastor.

The couple began its presentation by playing a game of "France Jeopardy," during which attendees were asked to answer trivia questions in various categories. For example, the "French in English" category highlighted French phrases that are used in the United States such as "bon voyage" and "a la mode," which is used in the name of the American dish "pie a la mode" - ice cream served on pie. "French people would not have ice cream with their pie because that would be like having two desserts as one," said Shaelagh.

She talked about perception versus reality when it comes to France. For example, while people may be familiar with the Eiffel Tower, they may not know it is patrolled by armed guards. While France is known for its quaint villages, many people live in high-rise apartments outside the city. France is also known for its outdoor cafes, which serve baguettes, but now the French bread can be found in vending machines, which are filled daily by local bakeries.

Jeremiah reported that the main religious group in France is Catholic and only 2% of French people are Protestants. "There are approximately 3,000 Protestant churches in France; 30 of them are Mennonite," he reported. "About 1,000 would be main-line Protestant and the others would be more evangelical or Baptist-type denominations . . . the number of Protestant churches has doubled since 1970. There is a momentum of the church growing."

The French church where Jeremiah pastored operated out of a storefront and then later in a conference room at a hotel. The church finally found its permanent home in a warehouse. Members of the Conestoga Mennonite Church congregation traveled to France to help with creating the new church space at the warehouse.

In addition to pastoral ministry, Jeremiah worked in the French university system as an English teacher and graduate student, while Shaelagh created curricula for the Institute of Applied Evangelical Theology. "Our goals were to build up the church and to share our faith," Jeremiah said.

Senior Connections meets at Conestoga Mennonite Church, 2779 Main St. (Route 23), Morgantown, on the second Thursday of each month. Each meeting features a homemade lunch served at noon, prepared by Lois Ann Mast with the help of other church volunteers, followed by a program. Programs are organized by Wesley and Lois Boyer. November's meeting will feature a Thanksgiving meal. December's program will feature a performance of Christmas music by students from Conestoga Christian School. The program and lunch are free, but donations are accepted.