William Farel

Life & Legacy

William Farel (French: Guillaume Farel [ɡijom faʁɛl]; 1489 – 13 September 1565) was a French evangelist, Protestant reformer and a founder of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland. He is most often remembered for having persuaded John Calvin to remain in Geneva in 1536, and for persuading him to return there in 1541, after their expulsion in 1538. The Genevan Reformation was so profound that it became known as the "Protestant Rome", where Protestants took refuge and their opponents such as Catholics and unitarians were driven out. Together with Calvin, Farel worked to train missionary preachers who spread the Protestant cause to other countries, especially to France.