Flooding in Isangi, plans for new churches and an organ tour in Wil

United Kingdom and Ireland: Renovations and four new church buildings

In a letter to the congregations in Northern Germany shortly before Thanksgiving 2015, District Apostle Rüdiger Krause announced that some of the offering collected at Thanksgiving would be used for building projects in the United Kingdom and Ireland: “We have 40 congregations there, yet only 17 have their own church building.” He said that they were beginning to show age and that the structures are in a bad state. “We have to think about whether it makes sense to still invest money in the existing premises or to consider building new churches.” An amount of 220,000 euros has been set aside for the planned measures. The plans foresee that Dublin will receive a new church building. Currently the congregation meets in rented premises. Three other new church buildings are planned for Birmingham, London, and Swindon. Renovating the existing buildings does not make sense from an economic point of view. Bishop David Middleton, who is responsible for the congregations in the UK and Ireland, was thrilled about the news.

More information on the congregations in the UK and Ireland: http://nacukie.org/

Switzerland: An organ tour in Wil

Five organs, five organists, five organ recitals … A number of people participated in an organ tour in five different churches on Sunday, 3 January 2016 in the city of Wil in order to get a glimpse into the world of organ music and hear some of these fine instruments. The group began with the Glatter-Götz organ in the New Apostolic Church in Wil SG. This was followed by tours and organ recitals in St Peter, the Church of the Holy Cross, and the abbey church of St Catherine. The final stop was the church of St Nicholas with its Mathis organ. The organs all vary significantly. The organ of the New Apostolic congregation was built in 2002 and has 18 registers on two manuals and a pedal.

La Grande Orientale: Flooding in Isangi

Isangi is a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo located about 130 kilometres north-west of Kisangani in the province of Orientale. Here at the confluence of the Lomami and Congo Rivers floods caused a great deal of property damage and personal hardship in November and December last year. Quite a number of families lost their houses and all their possessions. Also New Apostolic people were affected. There was a great outpouring of relief aid. The members of the New Apostolic congregation in Kisangani, for example, sent clothing, sugar, soap, and other essential items to Isangi, in order to help alleviate some of the suffering.