In most parts of the world, the Covid situation has improved so that Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider was once again able to travel and ordain and retire Apostles. Some retirees had to wait longer for the official act because of the pandemic.
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Ordinations and retirements in Goma (DR Congo South East)
Photo: ENA DR Congo Sud-Est
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Ordinations and retirements in Goma (DR Congo South East)
Photo: ENA DR Congo Sud-Est
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Ordinations and retirements in Goma (DR Congo South East)
Photo: ENA DR Congo Sud-Est
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Ordinations and retirements in Goma (DR Congo West)
Photo: ENA RD Congo Ouest
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Ordinations and retirements in Goma (DR Congo West)
Photo: ENA RD Congo Ouest
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Apostle John Schnabel
Photo: NAC USA
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Apostles Abu Tamba Bangura, Saidu Bub Freeman
Photo: NAC Guinea
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Apostles Sanpha Sesay, Albert Garber
Photo: NAC Sierra Leone
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Apostles Donando Mfico Biango, Roberto João Embumbwa, João Alberto Lufungula and João Nsiadiolanda Kalayowaku
Photo: Dimitrios Diniz
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Apostles Donando Mfico Biango, Roberto João Embumbwa, João Alberto Lufungula and João Nsiadiolanda Kalayowaku
Photo: Dimitiros Diniz
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Apostles Feddie Nuyad and Medie Sabal
Photo: NAC Philippines
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Apostles Alfredo Pascual and Cleofas Bual
Photo: NAC Philippines
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Apostle Peter Lambert
Photo: NAC Southern Africa
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Apostles Gavin Cint Van der Hoven and Lubasi Borniface Masule
Photo: NAC Southern Africa
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Apostle Peter Thompson
Photo: NAC Southern Africa
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Apostle Stefan Pöschel
Photo: Thomas Brunschede, Frank Schuldt
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Apostle Georges Jean Kasa Rakoto
Photo: NAC Madagascar
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Apostle Justin Lama
Photo: NAC Madagascar
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Apostle Enos Omutoko Likoko
Photo:
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Apostle Pheston Kabuje
Photo:
As of 31 December there are approximately 239,000 ministers in diaconal or priestly service. They care for some 57,000 congregations. At present there is one active Chief Apostle, fourteen District Apostles, eleven District Apostle Helpers, and 332 Apostles.
Ordinations and assignments
Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider conducted a divine service in Goma, DR Congo, on 3 July where he ordained eleven new Apostles for the country. The year before, he had had to cancel his visit because of the pandemic. Ordained as Apostles were: Shepherds Kidiamanga Cyrille Kasongo (1977) and Katembu Cédrick Katamba (1984), District Elder Maya Jean Paul Mbikayi (1974), Evangelist Kabunda Hans Muanda (1982), Evangelist Mepnya François Nguamashi (1982), District Evangelist Mulamba Denis Tshilumba (1968), Shepherd Mbuyi Jean Shimatu (1972), District Elder Mikobi Jean Bosco Mpongo (1966), Shepherd Bope Paul Mikobi (1964), Priest Amisi Sosthène Magangi (1989), and Shepherd Kolela Robert Kaja (1976).
District Apostle Michael Deppner received new Apostles for his working area on 10 July. In the divine service in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Chief Apostle Schneider ordained Bishop Mpaka Gilbert Nzakimuena (1966), and Evangelists Kalombo Junior Ilunga (1985) and Luwasaka Michel Kafunda (1972) as Apostles for the DR Congo West. He also ordained Bishop Nadjinangar Djassira (1975) and Shepherd Lévi Mianan (1983) as Apostles for Chad; and Bishop Azor Justin Gbangona (1984) as an Apostle for the Central African Republic.
During his visit to Mexico City on 7 August, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Scheider assigned Apostle John Schnabel (1964) as a District Apostle Helper for the New Apostolic Church USA. He will succeed District Apostle Leonard R. Kolb in 2023.
On behalf of the Chief Apostle, District Apostle Michael Ehrich ordained Evangelists Abu Tamba Bangura (1975) and Saidu Bub Freeman (1969) as Apostles for Sierra Leone on the same day during a service in Conakry in Guinea.
In a divine service on 25 September in Bissau in Guinea, Chief Apostle Schneider commissioned four men as Apostles for Angola: Bishops Donando Mfico Biango (1970), Roberto João Embumbwa (1973), João Alberto Lufungula (1971), and District Evangelist João Nsiadiolanda Kalayowaku (1982). He also ordained Bishop Agostinho Pereira Barros dos Anjos Neto (1965) as an Apostle for São Tomé.
On 16 October Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider conducted a divine service in the Philippines and ordained the District Elders Medie Sabal (1974) and Freddie Nuyad as Apostles.
Apostle Peter Bernhard Lambert (1964) is slated to succeed District Apostle John Kriel in the near future. In order to better familiarise him with this task, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider assigned him as a District Apostle Helper in Cape Town, South Africa, on 4 December. In the same divine service, the Chief Apostle ordained Bishop Lubasi Borniface Masule (1969) as an Apostle for Namibia and Shepherd Gavin Cint Van der Hoven (1973) as an Apostle for South Africa.
To support District Apostle Rainer Storck, Chief Apostle Schneider assigned Apostle Stefan Pöschel (1968) as a District Apostle Helper for the New Apostolic Church Western Germany in a divine service on 11 December in Wiesbaden in Germany.
On behalf of the Chief Apostle, District Apostle John Kriel ordained on 28 December District Elder Georges Jean Kasa Rakoto (1973) as an Apostle for Madagascar during a divine service in Antananarivo, the capital of the country.
Retirements and one dismissal
On behalf of the Chief Apostle, District Apostle Michael Ehrich placed Apostles Albert Garber (1956) and Sanpha Sesay (1959) into retirement in a service in Conakry in Guinea.
In a divine service in Goma (DR Congo), Chief Apostle Schneider retired the following Apostles, some with a one-year delay due to the pandemic: Romain Belapayi (1954), Crispin Boaz (1955), Joseph Kalambayi (1956), Jean-Pierre Kasolo (1955), Julien Mpanga (1956), Rèmy Kazadi (1954), Etienne Chulu (1957), Mike Kalengu (1956), Innocent Kalolo (1957), Mulenga Kanyinda (1957), Alexandre Kumambange (1957), and Lazare Mulamba (1957).
In a divine service in Kinshasa in the DR Congo on 10 July Chief Apostle Schneider retired Apostles Mulonga Isaac Muhima (1956), Bizau Crispin Mukongo (1956), and Kindangu Faustin Wingi (1957).
In a divine service in Tupi in the Philippines on 16 October, the Chief Apostle placed Apostles Alfredo Pascual (1956) and Cleofas Bual (1956) into retirement.
During a divine service in Cape Town in South Africa, Chief Apostle Schneider retired Apostle Peter Thompson (1957).
District Apostle John Kriel travelled to Madagascar on 28 December on behalf of the Chief Apostle and retired Apostle Justin Lama (1952) in a divine service in Antananarivo.
Apostle Kantu Christophe Kabongo (1967) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was dismissed on 28 October 2022.
Deaths
On 31 July Apostle Enos Omutoko Likoko (1959) died after a long and serious illness. He was the responsible Apostle for Kenya South Coast.
Apostle Pheston Kabuje (1958) from Tanzania died on 16 December as a result of kidney failure.
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
- Peter Bernhard Lambert (1964) – Southern Africa
- 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
- Stefan Pöschel (1968) – Western Germany
- John Schnabel (1964) – USA