Two brothers, two Apostles, two pioneers—one was recruited by the US intelligence service, the other was struck by lightning. Wilbert Vovak and Ernest Vovak would have marked two significant milestones this week.
“My boy, we need another Apostle because there is so much work to do.” These words of District Apostle Michael Kraus of Canada came over the telephone to Ernest Vovak. Fifty years ago, on 19 September 1976, Chief Apostle Ernst Streckeisen ordained him as an Apostle.
“An Apostle with fiery zeal,” said Chief Apostle Richard Fehr of District Apostle Helper Wilbert Vovak at his retirement 25 years ago, on 16 September 2001. “He never let hardship deter him,” reports Apostle Daniel Njuguna from Kenya, a colleague of the District Apostle Helper. He even walked barefoot through flooded areas so as not to disappoint the brothers and sisters who were waiting for him.
But how did it all begin for these two brothers?
Driven by a missionary spirit
Wilbert was born on 5 September 1931 as the fourth child, and Ernest on 9 April 1938 as the fifth and youngest child of their parents in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. They grew up in a New Apostolic household. Their mother, who was originally from Germany, would translate the contents of the German Church magazine Unsere Familie into English for her children. She read Bible stories to them and taught them how to pray.
As a teenager, Wilbert was fascinated by his father’s activities as a Priest. Almost every evening of the week, the father would get into his car to drive to the neighbouring villages to tell people about the gospel and the Church. Wilbert joined him. They would go from house to house, and over time new congregations were established in places including Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Kent.
Both brothers became Sub-deacons and were entrusted with other functions and ministries over the years. Wilbert was ordained an Apostle on 17 November 1974. On 8 June 1986, Chief Apostle Hans Urwyler called him as a District Apostle Helper: “It was the first time such a commission had been assigned.” On 19 September 1976, Ernest became an Apostle and would go on to support his brother on many of his future journeys.
The brothers married and started families. They moved to Texas to advance the work of the Church there, and later, after a few stops along the way, they settled in Michigan. Their professional careers also took them to various fields. Wilbert worked for the Coast Guard, an engineering firm, in construction, and was even recruited by the US intelligence service. After three and a half years, however, he left. “When my work interfered with my Church activities, it was easy for me to give up my position.”
The wider world calls
Wilbert made his first journey to East Africa in 1973. During the trip, District Apostle Kraus asked him out of the blue: “Would you go to Kenya?” He had no idea what lay in store for him there. At the time, the membership of the Church in Kenya was small, with the brothers and sisters scattered across different places. Wilbert accepted the challenge, and adventurous times followed: treks through mud, a Jeep stuck in a ditch, flooded roads, divine services on mountains, hills, and under trees, 20-hour Sundays with as many as five divine services, and 700 dollars in excess-baggage charges at the airport because of the church materials he was carrying to Kenya.
Despite all the difficulties, the young church developed rapidly. “Spiritually speaking, one can say that dreams are coming true in Kenya,” stated a report from April 1976. Church offices were established in the capital, Embu, along with a church building for up to 1,500 people. Further congregations were to follow. By the time of his retirement, District Apostle Helper Wilbert Vovak had crossed the Atlantic to East Africa 112 times. He had conducted nearly 1,200 divine services with Holy Sealing, and had sealed approximately 62,000 men, women, and children.
In addition to America and East Africa, India and South-East Asia also fell within the brothers’ area of activity. Apostle Ernest Vovak, in particular, was active in these regions. He felt God’s protection. During a divine service in India in 1975, a bolt of lightning came in through the window and struck the metal chair on which he was sitting. He was not harmed, nor was anybody else hurt.
A farewell to two pioneers
After fifty years of ministry, District Apostle Helper Wilbert Vovak retired on 16 September 2001. He died on 28 July 2013. Apostle Ernest Vovak retired on 5 September 2004, after 45 years of ministry. He passed away on 3 June 2014. The biography of the two brothers aptly sums up the spirit that shaped their ministry: “Our family’s joy lay in the pioneering spirit for the Lord’s cause.”
Photo: Vintage New Apostolic Church Memory/Kevin Luke, Canada District News, Unsere Familie