First steps, true Bethany, 500 congregations

Fifty years ago, the New Apostolic Church took root in Pakistan. Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler will be visiting the country this weekend.

“Land of the Pure” is the name of Pakistan in Urdu, one of the official languages of this South Asian country, alongside English. The climate is predominantly hot and dry, with monsoon conditions, though in the north, the mountainous terrain brings cold winter temperatures.

Pakistan has a population of around 252 million people, including ethnic groups such as the Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Saraikis, Muhajirs, and Balochs. Just over 46 per cent of women and 70 per cent of men are literate; per capita income stands at around 1,500 US dollars per year; and the unemployment rate is 5.5 per cent.

In Pakistan, 97 per cent of the population identify as Muslim, while 3 per cent are Hindu and Christian. The New Apostolic Church, which has been active in the country for 50 years, has around 200,000 members.

The foundations are laid

In 1973, a man called Anwar Riaz from Pakistan was standing at a bus stop in Buffalo, New York (USA). He struck up a conversation with a woman and heard about the New Apostolic faith for the first time in his life. A few years later, his son spent six months visiting relatives in Canada and was invited by a friend to attend divine services of the New Apostolic Church. He attended regularly as he particularly enjoyed the youth group and told his father about it.

At that time, Anwar held an important position in the Presbyterian Church in Pakistan, but wanted to find out more about the New Apostolic faith. Contact was established, and in February 1976 District Elder Fred Wiesel travelled from Canada to visit. Two months later, Anwar and his family were baptised, and in June he was sealed by District Apostle Michael Kraus and ordained as a District Evangelist for Pakistan. On 19 February 1978, he was ordained as an Apostle by Chief Apostle Ernst Streckeisen.

A true Bethany

“Together with Bishop Wiesel, we travelled from village to village, bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus,” recalls Anwar, and within a very short time they touched many hearts. After a year and a half, seven thousand people in Pakistan professed the New Apostolic faith.

“We found a true Bethany in the villages where we ministered,” Apostle Wilbert Vovak wrote in a report in 1977. “District Evangelist Riaz holds the key to the hearts of the members and the people.” And Fred Wiesel “has a wonderful talent for communicating with these people and has often been mistaken for a Pakistani”.

Further Apostles were ordained: Madan Khushal (1980), Sarwar M. John (1985), Fiaz Ud Din (1986), Roshan Raphael (1987), Edwin Riaz (1988). In 1981, a site was found in Lahore for a church building with a seating capacity of 700. Five years later, the city had 76 congregations comprising more than 13,000 members. By 1989, Pakistan had a total of 150,000 New Apostolic Christians.

Fifty years later

Fifty years after the New Apostolic Church was founded in Pakistan, there are over 500 congregations and around 200,000 members. The most well-attended congregations are located in the cities of Lahore, Sahiwal, and Karachi, and the largest church building is in Lahore.

To mark the fiftieth anniversary, celebrations have been taking place at a local level throughout the year, featuring birthday cakes, songs of praise, and retrospective speeches. In addition, a ceremony for representatives of the local authorities, as well as Apostle Ifrahim Roshan and Apostle Jonathan Sturm is planned for next Sunday.

Looking forward to the Chief Apostle’s visit

Most recently, it was Chief Apostle (retired) Jean-Luc Schneider who visited the “Land of the Pure”. This week, Helge Mutschler will make his first trip to Pakistan as Chief Apostle. A cultural programme prepared by the children and young people awaits him. He will conduct two divine services. One on Friday, 25 September 2026 in Karachi and one on Sunday, 27 September 2026 in Lahore. A total of up to 4,500 brothers and sisters are expected to attend the two divine services.