The roughly 800 Church members in Timor-Leste have a new District Apostle. The New Apostolic Church in this young nation is now being overseen by the Southeast Asia district. Here is more on this change and its background.
The country, officially known as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is located between Indonesia and Australia. For around 400 years, the eastern part of the island of Timor was under Portuguese colonial rule. After Portugal’s withdrawal in 1974, the region experienced a period of political instability.
In a United Nations-supervised referendum in 1999, the majority of the population voted in favour of independence. Timor-Leste has been an independent state since 2002. It was during this period of new beginnings that the first New Apostolic congregations emerged.
Until the end of 2025, the New Apostolic Church of Western Germany was responsible for the pastoral care of the congregations in Timor-Leste, reflecting the historical connection to Portuguese-speaking regions. In the meantime, however, organisational ties with South-East Asia have grown stronger. As a result, responsibility for Timor-Leste has now been transferred to the District Apostle Area Southeast Asia, which also includes the neighbouring countries of Indonesia and the Philippines.
Formal handover
Apostle Dimitrios Diniz travelled to Timor-Leste in January 2026 on behalf of District Apostle Stefan Pöschel to oversee the handover. On 22 January, a general meeting of the religious association took place, during which the board was elected and additional members were appointed.
The following day, meetings were held at a law firm, with the main focus on clarifying the ownership status of the land in accordance with Timor-Leste’s legal requirements.
Divine services and meetings
On Saturday morning, 24 January 2026, Apostle Diniz conducted a divine service for ministers, attended by seventy ministers and their partners. This was followed by the official handover of responsibility for Timor-Leste. Edy Isnugroho officially addressed the Church members in Timor-Leste for the first time as the responsible District Apostle and was warmly welcomed, as was Apostle Aris Kusnandar.
On Sunday, 25 January 2026, District Apostle Edy Isnugroho conducted his first divine services in Timor-Leste, in the congregations of Bairro Pité and Behau. The sermon was translated from Indonesian into Tetum. After the service, the Behau congregation hosted a small celebration with traditional dances, music, and a meal for everyone to enjoy.
On Monday, the group visited the congregations of Consin, Hera, and Terra Santa. They received a warm and inviting welcome everywhere they went. In the afternoon, the District Apostle met with the ministers to deepen our concept of ministry with them and discuss organisational matters. On Tuesday, numerous members came to the airport in Dili to say goodbye to the guests.
Historical background
The New Apostolic Church has been present in Timor-Leste since the early 2000s and has steadily developed over the years. The first Church contacts and visits can be traced back to District Apostle Armin Brinkmann, who travelled to the young country several times to conduct pastoral visits and hold divine services.
By the mid 2010s, stable congregations had been established. The legal recognition of the Church as a religious association in Timor-Leste further strengthened its foundations. Today, the New Apostolic Church in Timor-Leste comprises twelve congregations with approximately 800 members and 29 ministers.
