“I often felt that God is right there”

Apostle Misselo, you have been New Apostolic since childhood and have been involved in Church activities ever since your youth. Do you have any special memories of the time?

Apostle Misselo: My parents and grandparents planted the special kind of joy in our hearts that develops when you are involved in Church work. When I was thirteen years of age I began to conduct the choir. In Africa things can be a little more difficult: I often stood in front of the choir without any shoes, just in pants. The most important thing was that the divine service took place and that I could support it in this way.

What kind of an impact has the civil war had on Angola’s people and our brothers and sisters?

Apostle Misselo: The war, which lasted more than thirty years, was nothing less than a disaster for the country. In the province in which I lived the fighting was at its fiercest. The conflicts resulted in a standstill. The country ceased to develop.

Were you and your family affected by the war?

Apostle Misselo: A younger brother of mine was killed in the war. Capote, another brother—he is an Apostle today—was badly wounded in the war. I don’t think there is one family in Angola that was not affected by the war.

Were there any critical situations for you?

Apostle Misselo: I often felt that God is right there and helps His own. Just one example. Shortly before my eighteenth birthday, fighting resumed in our region and they needed new soldiers. All the young men in the villages were picked up and taken to a stadium. Among us was a man from my village who doubted the existence of God. He told me that my faith would not be able to help me any more now either and that the military would pick up every able-bodied young man. I told him that I trusted in the help of God. When the officers finally came they pointed to the area in which we were sitting. With several other men, among them a younger brother of mine and several New Apostolic young men, we were allowed to return to our village. Later that day, the said man was also allowed to go back home. He started to attend the services regularly. Today he is a District Evangelist.

District Apostle Storck, you have been to many regions of Angola now. Are there still signs of the civil war?

District Apostle Storck: You hardly find any war debris or rubble. But depending on which region you travel to, you will still find traces of the war. But the reaction of the country’s people is so positive. They are so happy that there is peace that they pray for it and hope it lasts. They consider peace an incredible fortune.

What is the situation of our Church in Angola today?

District Apostle Storck: The ministers have all the liberties they need, since the government in Angola guarantees freedom of religion. Our Church is welcome in the country. There are even sectors where the State supports our Church if needed. We have very good contacts to other Christian denominations. On special occasions, like the Day of Peace and Reconciliation, we organize joint events together.

The New Apostolic Church is experiencing solid growth in membership. What in your opinion are the reasons?

Apostle Misselo: The main reason is that in the meantime we have members who are New Apostolic in the third generation. I would describe this as inner growth. The young people in our Church get to know each other, marry, and start a family. And their children are baptized and sealed in our Church. That is the main reason for the growth in membership. But there are also people who are looking for a spiritual home and who join the Church.

The New Apostolic Church in Angola was mainly started by ministers from North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). Surely there are cultural differences and maybe even a different spiritual focus.

District Apostle Storck: The congregations in Angola are so incredibly emotional and enthusiastic. This is something that has gone lost in Europe. You clearly get a sense that the members in Angola are very proud of their Church. They love to show this for example by wearing brightly coloured clothing with our Church emblem embossed on the fabric.

Apostle Misselo: On the spiritual level there is neither distance nor are there differences. The reason for this is the unity of the Apostles. Of course there are differences on account of external factors. In the interior of the country, for example, the ministers cover enormous distances on foot in order to care for the congregations. Sure, our music probably also sounds different, even when we sing the same songs in order to praise God.

Is this enthusiasm specific to the New Apostolic Church or does one find the same thing in other Christian churches?

Apostle Misselo: The New Apostolic Church has grown steadily over the last few decades and young people are particularly attracted to it. Young believers especially bring a lot enthusiasm into the Church. When I compare this with our neighbours in Zambia and the Congo, I have to say that the enthusiasm we have here in Angola is one that is very specific to our Church here.

This interview is an abridged version of a longer discussion, which was published in German and Portuguese.