The language of the heart

Divine service under police protection

In the divine service for the departed which District Apostle Bernd Koberstein celebrated in Tioribougou in Mali danger played a role. His visit to Mali had been planned for several years already, but he had been forced to postpone it several times on account of the tense security situation and travel warnings issued by the World Health Organization. Now a congregation of 2,300 brothers and sisters gathered and remembered the many refugees who have died on their dangerous crossings. Among the many dead are seven young New Apostolic Christians—all from the same family—from neighbouring Senegal.

The police provided security during the divine service. The District Apostle was accompanied on this trip to Mali by Apostle Gert Opdenplatz.

Seven in one

For the first time ever, the seven congregational choirs in the area cared for by Evangelist Ruben Batista met for a combined rehearsal. The motto of the weekend in Gerli, a town in the south of Greater Buenos Aires (Argentina) was: “A good game”. The conductors of two or three choirs discussed the repertoire of their choirs before the weekend and decided which songs they were going to practise. They formed three groups. On Saturday evening, the Bishop surprised them. His prayer touched everyone deeply. The choir festival ended with a divine service, which was attended by 565 believers.

Youth choir wins choral competition

The youth choir from Hanover in Germany won the 2016 choral competition. As reported, they participated in the Choral Competition 2016 of German Classic Radio. The young musicians won first prize with 1,627 public votes over the Internet. The prize is a trip to Leipzig for the whole group to record a CD.

Memorial service for Apostle van der Merwe

Apostle (ret.) Cecil Richard Allan van der Merwe passed away on Friday, 11 November, following a brief stay in hospital. He was 69 years old. District Apostle Noel Barnes conducted the memorial service for the retired Apostle on 17 November 2016 in the Silvertown Auditorium in Cape Town (South Africa). He described him as a precise, conscientious, and diligent man. Apostle van der Merwe is survived by his wife, two children, and two grandchildren.

Silver wedding in Indonesia

Apostle Samuel Hadiwidagdo and his wife celebrated their silver wedding in the church in Purwokerto in Indonesia. Everyone was invited to a concert the day before in celebration of the anniversary. Initially, the concert had been intended for the anniversary couple only, but Apostle Hadiwidagdo asked that everyone be invited.