In 1960 a high school student from Germany wrote to the US Shipping Line in Tokyo. Eleven years later, the first New Apostolic congregation was established in Japan. This year, the New Apostolic Church celebrates its 50-year anniversary in Japan.

In the last edition of community, readers were informed about the findings of the District Apostle Meeting with regard to the matter of gender equality. The second part of this doctrinal article in the latest edition of community will explore what it means to say that mankind has been created in the image of God.

What moves people to decide to take their own life? This was a question that spirit magazine put to three people who have been directly affected by the subject of suicide. A few days after World Suicide Prevention Day, here are their responses.

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular all around the world. People use them to talk about everything on God’s green earth. And since God is the Creator of it all, it wasn’t long before some of our own members decided to take advantage of the opportunity to use podcasts to profess their faith.

None of us know how the future will look. And yet there is one thing we do know: Christ is our future. District Apostle Wolfgang Nadolny of Berlin in Germany tells us about the tasks involved.

He was a doubter, a man who seemed to fail because he did not endure to the end. At times history depicts him as an antihero—and yet there were so many things he did manage to get right.

“Bah, was that ever a boring evening!” The Priest had announced his visit and blabbed on and on about nothing more than personal preferences. The verdict on that visit was devastating. Real pastoral interest looks quite different.

“God, help the widows and orphans.” This petition has become somewhat of an empty phrase in many prayers. The UN observes 23 June as International Widows Day, and it is an opportunity to take a special look at women in biblical times who had to take charge of their lives.

There was certainly plenty of buzz on the social media sponsored by the New Apostolic Church. The subject of women in ministry generated hundreds of comments. And the reactions could hardly have been more different.

The deliberations on the topic of women in ministry are entering the next round. This is what the Chief Apostle says in his annual interview of 2021. He gives a concrete roadmap and an update on the current status of the discussions.

From “I don't need a visit” to “Come over more often”—traditional family visits from ministers are still valued. What is required, however, are more creative ways to get together, as well as a return to more conventional values.

Ascension Day and Pentecost are coming up. The church Jesus is looking forward to these Christian high feasts as central mysteries of the faith. The church receives testimony of this through the continuous activity of the Holy Spirit.

Suddenly in charge and in trouble. This is what Hendra Tansahsami experienced time and again. As District Apostle he merged the two New Apostolic sister churches in Indonesia. Here is a look back in tribute to a man who would have been 100 years old today.

Woman and man—created equally in the image of God? There is no shortage of evidence supporting that women were active participants in the early church. The question, however, is what these facts have to say about the role of women in the church.

Jesus Christ still heals today. Faith is the foundation. But that alone will not do it: this is the diagnosis from a divine service by the Chief Apostle.

The New Apostolic Church professes equality and equal rights for both women and men. This is one of the conclusions that derives from its most recent doctrinal paper, which includes an appeal for both men and women to accept responsibility in the state, the church, and in society together.

Once the pinnacle is reached, everything begins to go downhill. At least that is the picture society throws at us all the time. Callous public advertising is constantly telling us that everything has an expiration date. Thank God that our ministers see things differently. It is not one’s age, but rather one’s essence, that defines a person.