Changes in the circle of the Apostles (1/2019)

Currently there are 350 active Apostles. Fifteen Apostles were retired in the first half of 2019. In the same period, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider ordained ten new Apostles.

Assisting the Apostles in their work are a total of 249,500 diaconal and priestly ministers. Together they care for 58,500 congregations around the world. The apostolate includes nine District Apostle Helpers, 16 District Apostles, and the Chief Apostle.

Ordinations

On Sunday, 27 January 2019, Chief Apostle Schneider conducted a divine service in Cape Coast (Ghana) and ordained four District Elders as Apostles: Richard Osei Senyo (1976), Anthony Kofi Kuada (1965), and Samuel Ayidaana Atinga (1974) for Ghana, as well as Oscar Kabanga Nwanza (1972) for Nigeria.

On 10 February 2019, the Chief Apostle conducted a divine service in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA), in which he ordained District Evangelist Robert C. Ferguson (1962) an Apostle. He succeeds the retired Apostle Reinhard Hecht.

In a divine service in Kampala (Uganda) on 31 March 2019, the Chief Apostle ordained Bishop Charles Godwin Zimba (1963) and District Elder James Chinkubila Kasongo (1963) as Apostles for Zambia.

On Sunday, 30 June 2019, Chief Apostle Schneider conducted a divine service in the working area of District Apostle Rainer Storck. In this service in Oberhausen (Germany) he ordained three new Apostles: Dimitrios Diniz Vassiliadou (1966), previously a Bishop, and Stefan Pöschel (1968) and Thorsten Zisowski (1967), who previously worked as District Elders.

Retirements

District Apostle Helper David Devaraj retired Apostle Lazrus Patel (1954) in Banswara (India) by commission of the Chief Apostle.

Four Apostles went into retirement in a divine service on 27 January 2019 in Cape Coast (Ghana): Samuel Arthur (1953), Wilson Dzattah (1954), and Benjamin Kwadzo Pidah (1956) from Ghana; and Emmanuel Ityoapine Hagher (1955) from Nigeria.

District Apostle Helper David Devaraj retired Apostle Christranjan Nanda (1951) on 27 January 2019 in a service in Amath (India) by commission of the Chief Apostle.

In the service in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) on 10 February 2019, Apostle Reinhard Hecht (1953) retired after 42 years in ministry, more than 17 of which he worked as an Apostle. The retirement was carried out by Chief Apostle Schneider.

District Apostle Charles S. Ndandula retired the Apostles Alexon Alec Samson Nyaleye (1954) and Moses Kangwa Chileshe (1953) on 31 March 2019 in a divine service in Blantyre (Malawi) by commission of the Chief Apostle.

During a divine service in Lavistown on 12 May 2019, the Chief Apostle retired Allister D. Kriel (1954).

Five Apostles from the District Apostle Area Western Germany retired on Sunday, 30 June 2019. Chief Apostle Schneider took the opportunity to thank the Apostles Pavel Gamov (1957), Clement Haeck (1953), Wilhelm Hoyer (1953), Manuel Luiz Jerónimo (1952), and Walter Schorr (1953) for a total of more than 121 years of activity as Apostles.

District Apostle Areas

The sixteen District Apostle Areas across the globe are led by the following District Apostles:

  • Michael David Deppner (DR Congo West)
  • Michael Ehrich (Southern Germany)
  • Joseph Opemba Ekhuya (East Africa)
  • Edy Isnugroho (South-East Asia)
  • Leonard Richard Kolb (USA)
  • Rüdiger Krause (Northern and Eastern Germany)
  • John Leslie Kriel (Southern Africa)
  • Enrique Eduardo Minio (Argentina)
  • Raúl Eduardo Montes de Oca (Brazil)
  • Wolfgang Nadolny (Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany)
  • Charles Sakavumbi Ndandula (Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe)
  • Peter Schulte (Western Pacific)
  • Rainer Storck (Western Germany)
  • Tshitshi Tshisekedi (DR Congo South-East)
  • Mark Woll (Canada)
  • Jürg Zbinden (Switzerland)

Some of the District Apostles have District Apostle Helpers as assistants who, as a rule, are active in specific countries:

  • David Devaraj (India)
  • Frank Stephan Dzur (Canada)
  • John William Fendt (USA)
  • Arnold Ndakondwa Mhango (Malawi)
  • Mandla Patrick Mkhwanazi (Southern Africa)
  • João Uanuque Misselo (Angola)
  • Robert Nsamba (Zambia)
  • John Sobottka (Canada)
  • Kububa Soko (Zambia)

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