The church had approximately 300,000 members at the time of merger, distributed in a somewhat unequal fashion throughout French metropolitan territory, with the exception of Alsace-Moselle and the Pays de Montbéliard, as the Protestant Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine brings together most of the local Calvinists there.

This was associated with mass emigration to other European countries, North America, and South Africa (les pays de Refuge).

In 1787, the Edict of Versailles, issued by Louis XVI of France, ended most legal discrimination against non-Roman Catholics – including Huguenots.

The consistorial districts of the conquered territories then formed the still-existing Protestant Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine (EPRAL).

The horrors of the First World War, combined with new departures in theology (in particular the thought of Karl Barth), allowed for a partial restoration of a national grouping: the Reformed Church of France (L’Église Réformée de France, ÉRF), established in 1938.

The General Synod arrived at a new confession of faith, the main principles of which were rejected by a significant minority.

The opportunities, substance and limits of theological pluralism are set out in the 1936 Declaration of Faith (which is read at the opening of all synods, adherence to which is required of all pastors licensed to preach and the laity who express membership of the Calvinist church) The church was organised according to a Presbyterian synodal system, with an annual national Synod, composed mainly of representatives from each of the eight administrative regions with equal numbers of clergy and laity in attendance.