Fifty years ago to the day he was ordained as a District Apostle. At that time Zimbabwe was still called Rhodesia. He was also responsible for Zambia and Malawi: Andrew James Fernandes was born in Cape Town in South Africa and became an international traveler in Africa.

Only a few weeks after the most recent retirement, the circle of District Apostle Helpers will receive a new addition: to support one of the largest District Apostle Areas.

There were only a few retirements and ordinations of Apostles in the second half of 2020. On account of travel restrictions, the District Apostles carried these out by mandate of the Chief Apostle. Currently, 348 Apostles are active worldwide.

These were difficult times in the history of the New Apostolic Church. They included two world wars, internationalisation, consolidation, division, and realignment—a little bit of everything. And he stood firm like a rock in the pounding surf: Chief Apostle Johann Gottfried Bischoff was born 150 years ago today.

Freedom. Where? When? How? The Chief Apostle and the District Apostles have explored the annual motto from all sides. Here are a few highlights from our Spotlight series to usher out the old year.

Whenever innovations were in the offing, he was front and centre—and he was never shy to apply his international perspective. In retrospect, this allowed him a special view of God’s work: District Apostle Helper John Sobottka from Canada is retiring this Sunday.

The New Apostolic Church is continuing its process of consolidation: in the year 2022, the District Apostle district of Northern and Eastern Germany will merge with the District Apostle district of Berlin-Brandenburg. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider made the announcement yesterday.

Things never stay the same for long. This applies to many areas of life, also when it comes to church. Here are three stories on learning, giving, and rethinking.

A faithful servant of the Church, that sounds like the perfect caption for the life of Johann Rissik Kitching, who was responsible for the fate of the New Apostolic Church in Southern Africa for many years. Who was this man? Let us take a look back in honour of his 100th birthday.

Life is varied. Misery and elation alternate, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is making it difficult not to feel overwhelmed. But there are always hopeful little stories that encourage and point to a better future. Here is a small glimpse.

God wants to take every believer out of prison and lead him to perfect freedom. The Chief Apostle highlights important stages along the way and what is so wonderful about them.

The return of Christ: this is the goal of faith for all New Apostolic Christians. Yet the fire of Christian anticipation of His imminent return was ignited long before the modern age. Following is a summary of 2,000 years of history.

Who cares about the children? Who is responsible for their religious upbringing? Many, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider says. A look at love, responsibility, and the structures of the Church.

Not omniscient, but certain of their own superiority. Not omnipotent, but securing and defending their rights with all their might. It is in this way that human beings set a trap for themselves. Paul shows how to get out of it—a letter that warrants reading together.

We have all heard about the first love. But what do we mean when we speak about the “beginning of our confidence”? A divine service on conviction, trust, and hope, and the answer to the question, where does it all lead?

The goal is still the same: the return of Christ. However, the Church is developing. This is what the Chief Apostle made clear in a doctrinal paper that was recently published. He looks back on the way we have covered so far and looks ahead to what still needs to be done.

Children are our future—this sentence is not only true, but it must also be verifiable. This also applies to the Church’s pastoral care, which may be confidential, but should not take place in secret. A great deal of mindfulness is required of all involved.

Naturally the churches acknowledge each other’s baptisms, even though this step has taken centuries to achieve. After all, the question of sacraments is intimately linked to the respective understanding each one has of what constitutes church. And yet they have all managed to approve sound papers on the subject.