This specific door changed everything. A good fifty years ago, it was the New Apostolic Church’s gateway to Panama, the country that the Chief Apostle is now visiting again.
A knock echoes through the hallway on the tenth and last floor of a large apartment building in Panama City. It is his first door on this day in 1973. Normally, District Elder Lorenz Muth always goes from door to door. Yesterday he distributed 1,500 invitation cards—with moderate success. Very few people came. Now he has a different plan.
A man opens the door on the tenth floor, “What do you want?” “Can I rent your living room for a religious meeting at 8 p.m.?” asks Lorenz Muth. The local man frowns, “Who’s coming?”
“I’m inviting your family, relatives, and neighbours.”
That was fine with the man, but not at eight o’clock. It would have to start at 7.30—and end by eight o’clock.
The meeting started on time, and everyone present listened with interest. The District Elder talked about his faith, the future, and the reoccupation of the Apostle ministry. At 8.30 p.m., Muth got up to end the meeting. “What are you doing?” the host asked indignantly. “According to your instructions, we were to have been finished by now.” He replied, “Don’t worry. We will have a cup of coffee now and then we still have lots of questions.” Muth left the apartment after midnight. He did not have to pay rent: “Our heavenly Father moved this man’s heart in a marvellous way.”
A country that connects continents and hearts
It was more than half a century ago that Lorenz Muth, the later Apostle, laid the foundation stone for the New Apostolic Church in the “land of abundance of fish, trees and butterflies”.
There has been much speculation about the origin and meaning of the name Panama, and there are various theories. The official version says that it is the land of abundance. The extensive coastal landscape, the variety of bird species, the many rivers, and the dense forests confirm this. Panama’s mangrove forests are the largest in Central America.
The isthmus of Panama, the narrow strip of land between the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, links North and South America. The famous canal, however, is of even greater importance to the country. The Panama Canal, an 82-kilometre artificial waterway cutting through the country and connecting the Caribbean with the Pacific Ocean, is one of Panama’s largest revenue generators. Thanks to it, Panama is one of the richest countries in Latin America.
The cultural soul of Panama
Panama has always been home to a number of indigenous peoples. These include the Kuna, Emberá, Ngäbe, and Wounaan, whose communities have preserved their traditional ways of life, language, art, and craftsmanship to this day.
The culture is characterised by a colourful mixture of tradition and innovation, with plenty of dance and music such as calypso, reggae, and salsa. Street festivals are just as much a part of it as are colourful markets.
The locals, the Panameño, are known for their energy, zest for life, warmth, and cordial hospitality. Their lives revolve around family, friends, and nature.
Growing faith
The population in Panama is predominantly Christian: 55 per cent are Protestant and 33.4 per Roman Catholic.
The New Apostolic Church developed steadily after its beginnings. Shortly after Apostle Muth’s meeting in the living room, there was already a congregation with nine members and three ministers in the capital, Panama City. “Priest Carlos Guerrero, who was the first of the Guerrero family to become New Apostolic in Bogotà, is a Priest there and is assisted by two Sub-deacons,” District Elder Muth wrote in a 1977 report.
And Apostle Gottfried Schwarzer reported on his journey through Central America in 1979: “The day in Panama was joyful and focussed. The choir and the congregation bear the marks of maturity gained through many years of consistent pastoral care. Priest Carlos Guerrero and his family are a great asset for God’s work.”
There are currently five New Apostolic congregations in the country with thirteen ministers. Panamanian-born Jesús Ernesto Rangel Aguilar has been working as an Apostle in Central America since February 2025. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider last travelled to Panama for the Palm Sunday service in April 2017. After nine years, the brothers and sisters can now look forward to a visit from the church leader in Panama City this coming Sunday, 25 January 2026.
Divine service with Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider in Panama on 9 April 2017
Photo: diegograndi – stock.adobe.com