Changes in the circle of the Apostles (2/2019)

A total of 249,700 ministers around the globe are active in diaconal or priestly service. Together with the Apostles, they care for our members in 58,500 congregations throughout the world. The apostolate consists of 325 Apostles, 8 District Apostle Helpers, 15 District Apostles, and one Chief Apostle.

Ordinations and appointments

On Saturday, 6 July 2019, the hitherto District Elder Mukoka Jean Kabala (1977) was ordained an Apostle. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider performed this act in a divine service in Inkisi, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Elsewhere on the continent, District Apostle Kububa Soko (1969) succeeded District Apostle Charles S. Ndandula. In a divine service on Sunday, 21 July 2019, Chief Apostle Schneider appointed the hitherto District Apostle Helper a District Apostle for the District Apostle district of Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. District Apostle Helpers Robert Nsamba and Arnold Mhango support the new District Apostle.

In a divine service on Sunday, 22 September 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand, the Church’s leading clergyman also ordained two Apostles for Papua New Guinea, namely the hitherto District Elders Patrick Elly Silabe (1985) and Lucas Carlson Supok (1977). They succeed Apostle Zuhuke Hungito, who died of heart failure in October 2018, while on a journey to visit members.

For the District Church of Southern Germany, the international Church leader ordained the hitherto District Evangelist Andreas Mathias Sargant (1968) an Apostle. The Chief Apostle performed this act in a divine service on Sunday, 8 December 2019 in Fellbach, Germany. Apostle Sargant is to succeed Apostle Wolfgang Zenker.

On Friday, 13 December 2019, Collins Chazilwa Luhanga (1980) and Curdwell Mukwati (1961) were ordained as Apostles for Zambia and Botswana, respectively. The Chief Apostle performed the ordination in a divine service in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Retirements

On Saturday, 6 July 2019, Chief Apostle Schneider retired Apostle Innocent Kabuela (1954) in a divine service in Inkisi, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter had served the District Church of Democratic Congo-South East as a minister for 37 years, 11 of them as an Apostle.

District Apostle Charles S. Ndandula (1953) was also retired. On Sunday, 21 July 2019, the international Church leader celebrated a divine service in Lusaka, Zambia, where he discharged the Apostle from active service. Charles S. Ndandula had served as a minister for 35 years, fourteen of them as a District Apostle for the area of Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

After 47 years of ministerial activity, the Church leader retired the District Apostle for Brazil and Bolivia on Sunday, 4 August 2019. Raúl Montes de Oca (1953) served in various ministries for nearly five decades, 16 of them as an Apostle. On the same date as the retirement, the two District Apostle districts of Brazil and Argentina were amalgamated to form the new District Apostle district of South America. District Apostle Enrique Eduardo Minio is entrusted with its leadership.

By commission of the Chief Apostle, Apostle Kindangu Wingi retired Apostle Jean-Baptiste Mater (1959) in a divine service on Sunday, 20 October 2019 in Mushi, Democratic Republic of Congo. The Apostle had served the members in the region of Bandundu for over 20 years.

In a divine service in Fellbach, Germany on Sunday, 8 December 2019, Apostle Volker Kühnle (1953) and Apostle Wolfgang Zenker (1953) were likewise retired. The two ministers had served the members in Germany and various countries of Africa over many years and decades.

Deaths

On Tuesday, 1 October 2019, Apostle Capote Marcos Misselo (1970) died as a consequence of a serious automobile accident. Apostle Misselo is survived by his wife Teresa Verónica Lino and seven children. He is the biological brother of District Apostle Helper João Uanuque Misselo. Apostle Misselo served in various levels of ministry before being ordained an Apostle for the working area of Angola in November 2008.

District Apostle districts

The New Apostolic Church is structured into fifteen District Apostle districts around the world. These areas are led by District Apostles. The following Apostles bear this responsibility:

• Michael David Deppner (1961) – Democratic Republic of Congo-West
• Michael Ehrich (1959) – Southern Germany
• Joseph Opemba Ekhuya (1969) – East Africa
• Edy Isnugroho (1963) – South East Asia
• Leonard Richard Kolb (1956) – USA
• Rüdiger Krause (1960) – Northern and Eastern Germany
• John Leslie Kriel (1956) – Southern Africa
• Enrique Eduardo Minio (1960) – South America
• Wolfgang Nadolny (1956) – Berlin-Brandenburg
• Peter Schulte (1963) – Western Pacific
• Kububa Soko (1969) – Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe
• Rainer Storck (1958) – Western Germany
• Tshitshi Tshisekedi (1972) – Democratic Republic of Congo-South East
• Mark Woll (1959) – Canada
• Jürg Zbinden (1958) – Switzerland

Some of the District Apostles are supported by District Apostle Helpers, who generally work in selected countries:

• David Devaraj (1959) – India
• Frank Stephan Dzur (1959) – Canada
• John William Fendt (1957) – USA
• Arnold Ndakondwa Mhango (1957) – Malawi
• João Uanuque Misselo (1965) – Angola
• Mandla Patrick Mkhwanazi (1963) – Southern Africa
• Robert Nsamba (1962) – Zambia
• John Sobottka (1956) – Canada