Changes in the circle of the Apostles (1/2022)
Thanks to relaxed Covid restrictions, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider was once again able to travel and perform retirements and ordinations himself in the last six months. A District Apostle also went into retirement. Now there is one less District Apostle Area worldwide.
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Apostles Lonnie Klein (1967), Mark Feuerbach (1964), John Schnabel (1964) and Brett Steinbrueck (1963)
Photo: NNAC USA
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Apostle Philip Mutia Mbia (1973)
Photo: Michael Owino
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Apostles Felix Barasi Kpegasin (1961), Emmanuel Inyang (1972), Geoffrey Gwani Jediel (1968), Isaac Opoku-Mensah (1966) and Addo Charles Asare (1962)
Photo: NAC Ghana
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Apostle Elvis Wiru (1984)
Photo: NAC Australia
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Apostle Thomas Krack (1967)
Photo: Jens Lange
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Apostles Zulu(1970), Yakomba(1969), Mwila(1964), Kamwengo(1968), Kaluma(1972), Munkombwe(1983), Chihana(1967), Matekenya(1962), Ntiza(1967), Ng’amb(1973)
Photo: NAC Zanbia
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Apostles Néstor Manzelli (1969), Claudio Videla (1964) and Pablo Basso (1977)
Photo: INA Argentinia
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District Apostle Wolfgang Nadolny (1956)
Photo: Jens Lange
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Apostle James Aseri Ongae (1955)
Photo: NAKI
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Apostle Albert Kalombo (1958)
Photo: NAKI
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Apostle Jonathan Muthui Mutua (1954)
Photo: Michael Owino
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Apostle Augustine A. Rotini (1955), Effiong A. Ekpenyong (1956) and Andrews Boakye (1956)
Photo: NAC Ghana
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Apostles Gerardo Zanotti (1954) and Guillermo Canessa (1955)
Photo: INA Argentinia
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Apostle Kalonji Ferdinand Kadima (1960)
Photo: NAKI
More than 241,000 ministers are active in diaconal or priestly service across the globe. They care for some 57,000 congregations. At present, the Church is led by one Chief Apostle, fourteen District Apostles, eight District Apostle Helpers, and 330 Apostles.
Ordinationen
On his visit to Calgary (Canada) on 9 January 2022, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider ordained four Apostles for the USA: District Elder John Stephan Schnabel (1964), Bishop Mark Richard Feuerbach (1964), District Evangelist Lonnie James Klein (1967), and District Evangelist Brett Steinbrueck (1963).
In a divine service in Nairobi (Kenya) on 27 February, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider ordained Bishop Philip Mutia Mbia (1973) as an Apostle.
In a divine service in Accra (Ghana) on 27 March, the Chief Apostle ordained Bishop Addo Charles Asare (1962) and District Elder Isaac Opoku-Mensah (1966) as Apostles for Ghana and the District Elders Geoffrey Gwani Jediel (1968), Emmanuel A. Inyang (1972), and Felix Barasi Kpegasin (1961) as Apostles for Nigeria.
The brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea received a new Apostle on 8 May 2022: Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider ordained District Evangelist Elvis Wiru(1984) as an Apostle.
On Sunday 22 May, Chief Apostle Schneider ordained District Elder Thomas Krack (1967) as the new Apostle for the working area of Berlin-Brandenburg.
The Chief Apostle conducted an open-air service in Mazabuka (Zambia) on 19 June 2022 in which he ordained ten Apostles: the previous Bishops Paul Lefred Ng’ambi (1973) and Joseph Lasson Ntiza (1967) for Malawi; Bishop Daniel Felemenga Matekenya (1962) for Zimbabwe; Bishops Moffat Chihana (1967), Christopher Kaluma (1972), Jonas Kamwengo (1968), Fred Mwila (1964), Yavwa Yakomba (1969); and District Elders Davy Munkombwe (1983) and Robert Rabson Zulu (1970).
Also in the Pentecost service in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Chief Apostle Schneider ordained three Apostles. These are the former Bishop Pablo Antonio Basso (1977), who was ordained as an Apostle for Argentina and Bolivia. District Evangelist Néstor Adolfo Manzelli (1969) was ordained as an Apostle for Argentina and Paraguay, and Bishop Claudio Walter Videla (1954) was ordained as an Apostle for Argentina and Chile.
Retirements
In a divine service on 22 May, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider merged the two District Apostle Areas of Berlin-Brandenburg and Northern and Eastern Germany. District Apostle Wolfgang Nadolny (1956) was retired in this service. He is succeeded by District Apostle Rüdiger Krause (1960), who has taken over the District Apostle Area. The Regional Church will carry the name Northern and Eastern Germany.
At the beginning of the year, the Chief Apostle could not be present at two retirements in Africa. District Apostle Joseph Opemba Ekhuya therefore retired Apostle James Azeri Ongae (1955) on behalf of the Chief Apostle during a divine service on 16 January in Mumias Town (Kenya). And District Apostle Mark Woll retired Apostle Albert Kalombo (1958) in Bangui (Central Africa) on 6 February.
On 27 February, Chief Apostle Schneider retired Apostle Jonathan Muthui Mutua (1954) during a service in Nairobi (Kenya).
In a divine service in Accra (Ghana) on 27 March, Chief Apostle Schneider retired Apostles Andrews Boakye (1956), Augustine A. Rotimi (1955), and Effiong A. Ekpenyong (1956).
During the Pentecost service on 5 June, the Chief Apostle placed the Apostles Guillermo Eduardo Canessa (1955) and Gerardo Daniel Zanotti (1954) into retirement.
Death
One active Apostle died in the last six months: Apostle Kalonji Ferdinand Kadima (1960) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo passed away on 4 April 2022.
District Apostle Areas
The New Apostolic Church is structured into fourteen District Apostle Areas. These are led by the following District Apostles:
- Michael David Deppner (1961) – DR Congo-West
- Michael Ehrich (1959) – Southern Germany
- Joseph Opemba Ekhuya (1969) – East Africa
- Edy Isnugroho (1963) – South-East Asia
- Leonard Richard Kolb (1956) – USA
- Rüdiger Krause (1960) – Northern and Eastern Germany
- John Leslie Kriel (1956) – Southern Africa
- Enrique Eduardo Minio (1960) – South America
- 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:
- David Devaraj (1959) – India
- Frank Stephan Dzur (1959) – Canada
- John William Fendt (1957) – USA
- 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