A bridge builder between tradition and innovation

Sensitivity, friendliness, modesty … Chief Apostle Hans Urwyler was a man of special qualities. He would have turned one hundred on 20 February. Here is part two of our tribute to this man and saying thank you.

His ability to reach people with his warm-hearted manner was a core competence of this Swiss national. And so anyone who writes about Hans Samuel Urwyler cannot fail to mention his gentle and loving nature. His successor Richard Fehr wrote about him, “His service and work, which was characterised by great love, is unforgotten by us all. His warmheartedness radiated into all the souls he cared for and served.”

Part-time grandfather

His family was very important to Chief Apostle Urwyler and he admitted, “I have a second job. That of grandfather. But in part-time.” There is the unforgettable story of his grandson clutching his leg when the boy’s parents came to pick him up one evening. He made it clear with one word that he wanted to stay: dabliibe. This is Swiss-German for dableiben (=stay).
Using this image, the Chief Apostle wished the believers that they find a home for their faith in the Church, “And if we all share the same sentiment, that when we are in divine service and wherever else we might be in God’s work, and always keep in mind that little word in the Swiss-German dialect dabliibe (stay), then everythin will be fine.”

“Everything is the same everywhere, yet very different,” is how Hans Urwyler described what he saw on his worldwide travels. For him, the believers’ love for God was reflected in this diversity. This unity in diversity is both a richness and a challenge for the Church to this day.

Modest to the end

In 1987, Chief Apostle Urwyler suffered a debilitating stroke, which greatly limited his ability to work. In a letter to the Apostles’ College, the board of the International Apostles’ Unity, he expressed his concern for the welfare of the Church and the continuation of God’s work. At this point, he had already been asking God for signs for a successor for some time. On the occasion of the District Apostle Meeting in London, the assembled District Apostles and Apostles unanimously voted in favour of Chief Apostle Helper Richard Fehr.

On 3 May 1988, Chief Apostle Helper Fehr and the District Apostles Engelauf, Fernandes, Higelin, Karnick, Kraus, Kühnle, and Steinweg visited the Chief Apostle in Berne. ‌Chief Apostle Urwyler was delighted with the vote of the Apostles. He too had been drawn to the same name. ‌And so Chief Apostle Urwyler ordained his successor in this circle.

‌The speaker of the Apostles, Arno Steinweg, later described how those present were so overcome with emotion that they wept for several minutes, “I have often experienced God in my life, but this was the greatest and most sacred for me—and I believe also for the Apostles present—after the worrying times that had preceded it.”

He died surrounded by his family

In a letter to New Apostolic Christians around the world, it was emphasised that Chief Apostle Urwyler had made this “decision in the interest of the Lord’s cause, putting aside his own person”. His attitude should be our direction for the future.

Despite his health limitations, he remained closely connected to the Church until his death in 1994 and continued to stay in touch with many of the brothers and sisters. On 17 November 1994, retired Chief Apostle Hans Urwyler passed away peacefully in the circle of his family. In a circular announcing his predecessor’s death, Chief Apostle Fehr wrote to the Apostles, “Where love weeps, faith consoles.”

His legacy

Many of the innovations that Hans Urwyler advanced shape the New Apostolic Church to this day: whether it is the anchoring of personal responsibility in our doctrine and principles of pastoral care, the celebration of Pentecost as a major feast often with worldwide broadcasts, or the foundation for our understanding of the church of Christ.

Chief Apostle Urwyler acted as a bridge builder between tradition and development. His personal approach to pastoral care—to empathise with and accompany the brothers and sisters on their individual journey of faith instead of patronising them—has left an indelible mark on the Church. His name will thus remain inextricably linked with a decisive phase in the history of the New Apostolic Church.