The past months have seen changes not only in the circle of the Apostles, but also among the District Apostles. The Chief Apostle travelled to the various countries to perform most of the ministerial acts himself.
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District Apostle John S. Schnabel
Photo: NAC USA
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District Apostle Peter Bernhard Lambert
Photo:
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Apostle Reto Keller and District Apostle Helper Thomas Deubel
Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Apostle Ricardo Kiaku Simão
Photo: Frank Schuldt/Neuapostolische Kirche Westdeutschland
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Ordinations in Kinshasa, Republic of Congo
Photo:
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Apostle Carsten Denker
Photo: Frank Schuldt/Neuapostolische Kirche Westdeutschland
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Apostle Omar Pablo Piñeyro and Apostle Pedro Ramis
Photo: INA Argentina
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Apostle René Follmann and Apostle Gerd-Günter Kisselbach
Photo: Frank Schuldt/Neuapostolische Kirche Westdeutschland
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District Apostle Leonard Richard Kolb
Photo: NAC USA
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District Apostle John Leslie Kriel
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Retirements in Kinshasa, Republic of Congo
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Apostle Jorge Luis Franco
Photo: INA Argentina
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Apostle Wolfgang Schug
Photo:
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Apostle Zé Nususu Pembele
Photo: NAK NRW
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Apostle Samuel Oppong-Brenya
Photo: Neuapostolische Kirche International
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Apostle Sipho Baldwin Mogane
Photo: NAC Southern Africa
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Apostle Lambert Ntahimpera
Photo: ENA RDC Sud-Est
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Apostle Thomas Krack
Photo: NAK Nord- und Ostdeutschland
Currently, some 240,000 ministers serve as Deacons or Priests. They care for over nine million members in more than 55,000 congregations worldwide. A total of 332 Apostles, nine District Apostle Helpers, fourteen District Apostles, and one Chief Apostle are currently active in the Church.
Changes at the District Apostle level
Two new District Apostles were appointed in the second half of 2023: District Apostle Helper John S. Schnabel (1964) was appointed District Apostle for the District Apostle Area USA in a divine service on 24 September 2023 in Buffalo, New York. And in a divine service in Dinwiddie in South Africa on 10 December 2023, District Apostle Helper Peter Lambert (1964) was appointed District Apostle for the New Apostolic Church Southern Africa.
The brothers and sisters of the District Apostle Area Switzerland received a District Apostle Helper. Apostle Thomas Deubel (1964) was assigned as a District Apostle Helper in a divine service in Berne-Ostermundigen, Switzerland, on 17 September 2023.
Ordinations
In a divine service on 2 July 2023 in Luanda in Angola, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider ordained Bishop Ricardo Kiaku Simão (1987) as an Apostle.
On 16 July 2023, three ministers were ordained Apostles in a service in Kinshasa in the DRC Congo: Priests Giresse Mata Manzala (1984) and Roger Nzambiwisi Ndonga (1972) and Shepherd Henri Tshetshe Ngoy Ngoy (1974). All three assist District Apostle Michael Deppner.
In a service in Neunkirchen in Germany on 30 July 2023, the Chief Apostle ordained District Evangelist Carsten Denker (1972) as an Apostle. He is active in the Regional Church Western Germany.
The district formerly cared for by Thomas Deubel will be taken over by Reto Keller (1965). He was a Bishop and was ordained as an Apostle in a divine service on 17 September 2023 for Switzerland.
The Chief Apostle ordained District Evangelist Pedro Ramis (1973) and Shepherd Omar Pablo Piñeyro (1969) as Apostles in a divine service in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 15 October 2023.
The working area of District Apostle Rainer Storck received two new Apostles on 29 October 2023: Bishops René Follmann (1978) and Gerd-Günter Kisselbach (1970) were ordained as Apostles in a divine service in Bad Sassendorf in Germany.
Retirements
District Apostle Leonard Richard Kolb (1956) was retired by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider on 24 September 2023 in a divine service in Buffalo, New York. District Apostle John Leslie Kriel (1956) also went into retirement. The Chief Apostle retired him in a divine service in Dinwiddie in South Africa on 10 December 2023.
Apostles François Kankonda Kumba (1958), Matufuene Noel Kitoko (1957), and Placide Mwasa Manianga (1960) were retired in a divine service in Kinshasa on 16 July 2023. They were active in the region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo served by District Apostle Michael Deppner.
Apostle Jorge Luis Franco (1957) retired in a divine service on 15 October 2023 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Apostle Wolfgang Schug (1958) retired in a divine service in Bad Sassendorf in Germany on 29 October 2023.
District Apostle Rainer Storck retired Apostle Zé Nususu Pembele (1962) in a divine service in Luanda, Angola, on 17 December 2023. He performed the retirement on behalf of the Chief Apostle.
Resignations
Apostle Samuel Oppong-Brenya (1961) from Ghana resigned on 28 June 2023.
On 24 October, the circle of Apostles lost two members: Apostle Sipho Baldwin Mogane (1983) from South Africa resigned from his ministry for family reasons and the Chief Apostle dismissed Apostle Lambert Ntahimpera (1964) from Burundi from ministry.
Deaths
Apostle Thomas Krack from Berlin in Germany passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on 6 August 2023.
District Apostle Areas
The New Apostolic Church is divided into fourteen District Apostle Areas, which are led by District Apostles. These are
- Michael David Deppner (1961) – DR Congo West
- Michael Ehrich (1959) – Southern Germany
- Joseph Opemba Ekhuya (1969) – East Africa
- Edy Isnugroho (1963) – South-East Asia
- Rüdiger Krause (1960) – Northern and Eastern Germany
- Peter Lambert (1964) – Southern Africa
- Enrique Eduardo Minio (1960) – South America
- John Schnabel (1964) – USA
- Peter Schulte (1963) – Western Pacific
- Kububa Soko (1969) – Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe
- Rainer Storck (1958) – Western Germany
- Tshitshi Tshisekedi (1972) – DR Congo South-East
- Mark Woll (1959) – Canada
- Jürg Zbinden (1958) – Switzerland
Some of the District Apostles are supported by District Apostle Helpers who as a rule work in specific countries: These are the Apostles
- Thomas Deubel (1964) – Switzerland
- David Devaraj (1959) – India
- Frank Stephan Dzur (1959) – Canada
- Arnold Ndakondwa Mhango 1957) – Malawi
- João Uanuque Misselo (1965) – Angola
- Mandla Patrick Mkhwanazi (1963) – Southern Africa
- Helge Mutschler (1974) – Northern and Eastern Germany
- Robert Nsamba (1962) – Zambia
- Stefan Pöschel (1968) – Western Germany