District Apostle, entrepreneur, philanthropist. His life was characterised by drive, gratitude, and the desire to help others—a legacy that endures to this day. It was 90 years ago that Horst Ehlebracht was born.
“He was not a man of many words, but a man of action.” That is how the then Chief Apostle Richard Fehr described District Apostle Horst Ehlebracht at the latter’s funeral service on 10 February 2004, in Herford, Germany.
Horst Ehlebracht was born into a New Apostolic family on 9 October 1936. His childhood was shaped by the Second World War, with his father conscripted and the family evacuated. After finishing school, he successfully completed his training as a technician and, a few years later, founded his own company. His marriage to his wife Gerda was blessed with three children.
In 1959 he was ordained a Sub-deacon, and after serving in various other levels of ministry, he became District Apostle for the Regional Church of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1991. He worked as a District Apostle for around 11 years, and was among the first to serve in Portugal, Brazil, along the Arctic coast, and in the Baltic states. On 15 September 1999, he founded the Horst Ehlebracht Foundation, an organisation affiliated with the Church.
Giving back
Carmen Ehlebracht, the District Apostle’s daughter, recalls: “The motivation for establishing the foundation was simply his profound gratitude and humility before God—a desire to return a large portion of his personal wealth to the One from whom he had received it.” Within his immediate family, he would often emphasise that everything he had achieved, as well as his life’s work, had only been possible with the help of God. “God’s work always came first for him—and that was where everything was meant to flow back.”
So it was that the Horst Ehlebracht Foundation served in particular to promote Church initiatives—specifically those of the public-law corporation known as the New Apostolic Church of North Rhine-Westphalia—focusing primarily on the establishment and maintenance of church buildings, the celebration of divine services, Church-based work with children, youth, and seniors, and the worldwide missionary activities of the Church.
The Foundation was able to provide financial support to the New Apostolic Church since its inception. The amounts donated varied depending on the Foundation’s investment returns. With its assistance, it was possible for the Church to finance a significant portion of its new building in Bad Oeynhausen, along with other projects.
A bequest causes problems
In 2019, a substantial bequest earmarked for a specific purpose (namely to provide aid to sick children and adolescents) presented the Regional Church of Western Germany with a challenge, as the associated stipulations could not be implemented within the Church’s legal framework. So, what was to be done? It was then that the idea of realising this charitable objective through a dedicated foundation began to take shape.
The idea began to evolve further. After all, the Horst Ehlebracht Foundation already existed. Why not make use of this organisation and amend its statutes to incorporate this particular charitable purpose? The Foundation’s board welcomed the idea. In 2021, the Foundation’s statutes and name were amended with the assistance of lawyers, and in close coordination with the Foundation’s supervisory authority and the then-District Apostle Rainer Storck.
The Horst Ehlebracht Foundation thus became the Foundation of the New Apostolic Church of Western Germany. “Throughout his life, my father provided financial support to many people and helped them out of situations of hardship, but he always did so quietly,” recounts Carmen Ehlebracht. “With the foundation, he wanted to ensure that this support—and the preservation of the Church—would continue beyond his lifetime.” The Foundation of the New Apostolic Church of Western Germany can now continue this mission on a larger scale and with even greater capabilities.
Successor to the Horst Ehlebracht Foundation
The new foundation headquartered in Herford is a legal entity that can also accommodate other unincorporated trust foundations. Its mission is to promote social assistance to youth and the elderly, provide assistance for the disabled, support welfare projects, promote development cooperation, and sponsor other charitable and Church initiatives.
In addition to providing support to the Church through donations or bequests, the new foundation makes it possible to support specific groups of people, institutions, and other Church projects.
As the successor to the Horst Ehlebracht Foundation, the Foundation of the New Apostolic Church of Western Germany serves as an umbrella organisation for the Church’s non-profit entities, including the New Apostolic Seniors Centre of Oberhausen, and NAC Day Care Centres, both of which are non-profit limited liability corporations. This arrangement streamlines processes and leverages synergies, and allows the earnings of these entities to benefit the Foundation’s capital.
“His heart belonged to the family, and his soul to the Lord and His work,” said Chief Apostle Fehr about the District Apostle and philanthropist.
Photo: NAK Westdeutschland, Archiv