Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of important occasions for which brothers and sisters have come together. Besides divine services and meetings with Christians of other denominations there were sacramental acts and ordinations.
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Guest membership in the ACK in Stade (Germany)
Photo: NAK Norddeutschland
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Meeting of district leaders (Brazil)
Photo: NAC Brasil
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Meeting of district leaders (Brazil)
Photo: NAC Brasil
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Holy Sealing (Singapore)
Photo: NAC Singapore
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Holy Sealing (Singapore)
Photo: NAC Singapore
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New District Evangelist in Banten Province (Indonesia)
Photo: Keefe Setiobudi
Guest membership in the ACK in Stade (Germany)
The New Apostolic congregation in the city of Stade in northern Germany received a guest membership in the local chapter of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen (ACK, “Working Group of Christian Churches in Germany”). In the document that was officially signed on 19 February 2015 it says: “We, the members of the general assembly of the ACK Stade have decided to comply with the wishes of the New Apostolic Church Stade and accept them as a guest member.”
Jochen Niepel (rector) and Werner Merk (deputy rector) signed the document for the New Apostolic Church Stade. They will attend the meetings of the ACK Stade from now on and take part in discussions and consultations. A guest membership does not include the right to vote. More than 20 congregations throughout Germany now have a guest membership in local chapters of the ACK. It is the declared aim of the New Apostolic Church to attain guest membership status in the ACK on the national level.
Meeting of district leaders (Brazil)
The district leaders of the congregations in Brazil met in Taguatinga on 13 and 14 February 2015 for a divine service with District Apostle Raúl Montes de Oca. A total of 86 members attended. The District Apostle based his sermon on Romans 12: 2. He emphasized that God is perfect and does not need to change, adding, “He teaches us how we can become good and perfect.” After the service the whole congregation was invited for lunch. Brother Manoel Nunes de Lima from Aguas Lindas congregation happened to be celebrating his birthday. He received gifts and everybody sang for him.
Holy Sealing (Singapore)
Apostle Fred Wolf, who lives in Thailand, visited the congregation in Singapore on 1 February 2015. He based the service on Matthew 5: 48: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” The 51 members witnessed the sealing of a young woman from the Philippines and a man from India. The congregation in Singapore is very international. In this divine service twelve nationalities were represented.
New District Evangelist in Banten Province (Indonesia)
The first Sunday in February brought an important change to the Banten district. District Apostle Urs Hebeisen placed District Evangelist Bambang Purwadi (66) into retirement in a divine service in Depok/Jakarta. Bambang Purwadi had served the Church as a minister for 32 years. The District Apostle ordained Sudi Sri Waluyo (49) to succeed him. District Apostle Hebeisen emphasized that just as God is perfect we too as His children need to be perfect: “perfect in knowledge, in unity, in love, and in serving one another”.