Jude 25 is a Swiss Christian music group founded in 1978, today carried on by the couple Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine. Over nearly five decades, it has released five albums, including Je crois en toi, and given several hundred concerts around the world to proclaim the gospel through song.
Born in French-speaking Switzerland in 1978, Jude 25 is one of the oldest French-speaking Christian music ministries still active today. The group started as a family adventure, bringing together several couples around a shared desire: to sing their faith and share it beyond the walls of the church. Over the decades, the lineup evolved, bringing in the Fontaine family's children before narrowing, from the 2000s onward, to the duo formed by Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine, who today carry on the original ministry alone.
Dominique Fontaine, trained as a pastor, embraces a deliberately varied musical approach: French chanson, gospel, rock, country, and even gypsy sounds all coexist in Jude 25's repertoire. He has also published an autobiographical account of his journey through alcohol dependence, an experience that feeds the encouraging dimension found in several of his songs. With five albums and a DVD to its name, the group has given several hundred concerts in various countries, in partnership with local churches and Christian associations.
- Origin
- French-speaking Switzerland
- Style
- Christian song, gospel, rock, country
- Active since
- 1978
- Good to know
- Dominique Fontaine, pastor and co-founder of the current duo, has published a book about his journey through alcohol dependence.
How did Jude 25 get started?
Jude 25 was born in 1978 in French-speaking Switzerland, at the initiative of several couples brought together around a shared project: putting music at the service of their faith. The group first worked as a larger ensemble before becoming, over time, a genuine family affair, with the children joining their parents on stage under the name Jude 25 en Famille.
Since the 2000s, it is Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine who carry the ministry alone, under the name Jude 25 à deux. The group has thus gone through nearly five decades without ever interrupting its activity, producing five studio albums and a DVD of music videos.
What makes Jude 25 distinctive?
Jude 25 embraces a deliberately eclectic musical identity: the same setlist can mix French chanson, gospel, rock, and country, sometimes with the participation of professional musicians from outside the group. Dominique Fontaine openly defends this diversity, questioning why so many churches adopt only a single musical style. This freedom of tone, combined with the rare longevity of the ministry, almost fifty years of continuous activity, sets Jude 25 apart in the French-speaking worship landscape.
Where should you start with Jude 25?
For a first listen, the album Je crois en toi, the group's most recent, gives a good sense of the duo's current style. The official YouTube channel Jude25Famille also gathers archives from the Jude 25 en Famille years, with songs such as Oh viens me prendre or Choisis de vivre heureux, from the ministry's early family days.
songs
Moi, je crois en toi
A track taken from the album Je crois en toi, the most recent from the duo Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine.
Oh viens me prendre
Performed by Jude 25 en Famille, this song calls for trusting surrender into God's hands.
Choisis de vivre heureux
A song of encouragement, typical of the pastoral dimension of Dominique Fontaine's ministry.
Discography
- Je crois en toi· Most recent album from the duo Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine.
- Filigrane· Varied album blending French chanson, gospel, rock, and country.
- Racines
- C'est vrai
- Roots· English-language version of the group's repertoire.
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jude 25?
Jude 25 is a Swiss Christian music group founded in 1978, today carried on by the duo Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine. Over nearly fifty years, it has released five albums and given several hundred concerts to proclaim the gospel through music.
What is Jude 25's best known song?
Jude 25's repertoire includes several standout songs depending on the generation of listeners, notably Moi, je crois en toi, taken from the duo's most recent album, and songs from the Jude 25 en Famille era such as Oh viens me prendre.
Where can you listen to Jude 25?
Jude 25's songs are available on the official YouTube channel Jude25Famille as well as on the website jude25.ch, which presents the group's full discography.
Is Jude 25 a Christian group?
Yes. Jude 25 is an evangelical Christian music ministry founded to proclaim the gospel and encourage believers, led today by Dominique Fontaine, a pastor, and his wife Elsbeth.
Who are Jude 25's current members?
Since the 2000s, Jude 25 has been carried on by the couple Dominique and Elsbeth Fontaine, after having included several other families and the couple's children in its early days.