Standing up for the values of the gospel together with other Christians: that is not only a daily mission, but also the approach required to work together in official bodies—right up to the national level.
Luxembourg in January 2015. A number of high-ranking national representatives of the Catholic and Protestant Churches, and delegates from the Jewish and Islamic faiths, were invited to a divine service celebrated by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider. At a reception afterwards, everyone expressed their solidarity with the victims of terrorism, racism, and intolerance.
It is not only in special moments such as these that the New Apostolic Church together with other creeds speaks up for religious values. This commitment is also reflected in the work of the various committees. New opportunities have just recently opened up for the New Apostolic Church in the Netherlands.
Unanimously approved
The New Apostolic Church Netherlands has joined the Council of Churches in the Netherlands. The general assembly of the Council unanimously approved the membership application in mid September. This had been preceded by phase of dialogue over six years. In 2014, already, the New Apostolic Church was awarded associate status in the Council. By then, many congregations were active in local chapters.
District Apostle Rainer Storck, who is responsible for the Netherlands, informed the congregations of this membership in a letter: “We believe it is good to voice the Christian faith and our faith-based values with other Christian churches in our country.”
From America to Asia
As a result, the number of countries in which the New Apostolic Church works with other Christian denominations on the national level has increased. In July 2015, the New Apostolic Church in Luxembourg was awarded guest status in the Council of Christian Churches in Luxembourg. Before that, in 2014, the New Apostolic Church Switzerland had already been granted associate membership in the National Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches in Switzerland.
Since 2014, the youth group of the New Apostolic Church Austria has also been active as a full member in the Ecumenical Youth Council of the country. The New Apostolic Church India is represented in the National Council of Churches. And, finally, the New Apostolic Church Argentina has observer status in the Ecumenical Commission of Christian Churches in Argentina.
“Accepting others as they are”
The working group Contacts with Denominations and Religions, a specialist group within our Church, gives a number of good reasons for collaborating in such interdenominational councils: preservation and transmission of the gospel, strengthening the reciprocal acceptance in a reconciled diversity, and making the apostolic voice heard in the circle of Christian churches.
“We are aware that we are all Christians. We must join in our fight for the gospel so that it is heard in today’s society. And that is why we are working together,” Chief Apostle Schneider said in an interview in 2013 already. “We accept others as they are,” he said, emphasizing an important aspect of reciprocity. “The New Apostolic Church as a whole is prepared to collaborate with other Christian denominations, if they accept us as New Apostolic Christians.”
Photo: Nikita Kuzmenkov – Fotolia