Francois was born in France and was adopted by a pastor and his wife. His father served as a pastor for almost 70 years mainly in the Aix – Marseille area of France.

He grew up hearing the gospel and has been involved in the church from an early age in Sunday school, youth group and in the music ministry. He met his wife, Lisa, who was a short-term missionary in his church in France, got married in 1987, and soon after they moved to the USA, started a new life, and were blessed with three boys Pierre, Samuel, and Marc.

Since coming to the United States, Lisa and Francois have been actively involved in several PCA churches. Francois was ordained as a PCA Ruling Elder in Maryland in February 2002, and now serves on the session at East Cobb Presbyterian Church in Marietta, GA. They both have been serving as Sunday School teachers for many different ages including adults, serving on mission committees, as well as outreach and music ministries.

Francois worked in corporate America for over 30 years in various management and executive positions where he gained knowledge and skills that are useful for his ELI work. He speaks English and French fluently and, because of his previous work in the intercultural training field, he is very sensitive to cultural differences allowing him to adapt and feel comfortable overseas. He travelled extensively for work both domestic and international. In addition, he loves teaching! He taught French for many years and his students appreciated his patience and compassion. He can easily relate to individuals, engaging and challenging them while building strong relationships with people all over the world.

Francois joined the ELI faculty in late 2018, having accompanied another staff member on a trip to Asia as a co-teacher. This trip opened his eyes to the needs and possibilities of training Christian leaders throughout the globe.