The Chief Apostle is almost cheerful as he faces the camera, delivering his New Year’s address. He is on his home stretch, and this is his last address. Observations from twelve years.
Every year a certain picture takes a little trip. It is a small painting that probably dates back to the time of Chief Apostle Richard Fehr. It hangs in an office in Zurich where few have ever set foot, but with which many are familiar thanks to the Chief Apostle’s New Year’s address. Because it is distracting in the background, the painting always has to be moved.
Technical equipment rolls through the corridors. The camera and assorted equipment have been provided by the Regional Church of Switzerland, the cameraman-cum-editor comes from the south of Germany, and the editorial team has travelled in from the western part of Germany. The whole production is directed by the New Apostolic Church International.
One room, one team, one message
The Chief Apostle’s office is a hive of activity, and the Church leader has not even arrived yet. Two cameras, a monitor, and other technical equipment are being set up to record the latest New Year’s message.
The theme of the 2026 message is no longer a secret: “Don’t be afraid. Just believe!” This is the title of the first article in the January 2026 issue of the Divine Service Guide, which has just been distributed. And this is our motto for 2026: “Don’t be afraid. Just believe!”
Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider has been issuing such a motto since 2014. And since 2015, he has been addressing the Church members via video. The address has already been recorded in a studio in Dortmund or a church in Frankfurt, but the Chief Apostle feels most at home here at the head office in Zurich.
Tie, cable, camera
The boss has arrived. He takes a seat at his desk while the people around him are still wrangling with cables. Project management needs to consult with him. And then there is the signature folder, piled high with documents and requiring a firm grip.
Someone comes to clip a lapel microphone on the speaker. The Chief Apostle is familiar with lapel mics and a mini transmitter from divine services and concerts. He can easily tell whether it is being handed to him by a woman or a man—simply by how the cable is coiled, he says with a smile. In the one case it is neatly coiled, in the other it is a tangled mess.
The camera is rolling. A final check: how does the tie look? Ties can be tricky because they get into the habit of bouncing around on the chest and stomach—especially when someone talks with their hands and arms like Jean-Luc Schneider.
Between tension and mission
The door is closed, the phone has been silenced. Now the Chief Apostle speaks: in French, German, and English. French is the language he grew up with. His knowledge of German helped him win school competitions and got him a spot on a newspaper. And English he started to tackle in an intensive course when he was assigned as Chief Apostle Helper.
The edge of one hand rests on the desk, thumb pressed down on the fingers, which are almost clenched into a fist. And sometimes his middle and index fingers almost cross. No, such recordings will never become a favourite pastime. Of course, he is quite accustomed to cameras, but that is usually in the context of a divine service in the presence of a congregation. That is very different.
When the words flow the gestures follow
Once the first language version is in the can, the hand opens to make gestures. Now the speaker is moving along nicely. When he feels at home, he not only talks with his hands, but even his eyebrows hardly ever stand still. In French, the team sometimes even has to hit the brakes. People at home have complained about the speed.
But the technicians have what they need: six recordings, two in each language. That is enough to work with. The dismantling begins. The picture can be put back in its place. For the Church president, the day’s work is only just beginning. There is an issue with the Divine Service Guide. And the finance department and the Chief Apostle Helper are waiting in the next room.
Photos: Oliver Rütten