In the service of charity

They make their way across impassable terrain, assist with fire-fighting operations, and bring urgently needed supplies to areas destroyed by flooding—the employees of NAC SEA Relief are there for people who live in disaster areas. It is an advantage that the relief organisation of the New Apostolic Church of Southeast Asia is based right in the island state, which ranks highest on the World Risk-Index for extreme natural events. This means that the aid organisation, which has been officially registered since 2011, can quickly mobilise staff and volunteers to respond to one of its three objectives: providing emergency aid. The other two objectives of NAC SEA Relief are to help the sick and needy, and to promote education in rural areas. The aid agency also receives support from Europe. NAK-karitativ (Germany), NAK-Humanitas (Switzerland), and “human aktiv” (Southern Germany) are the largest donors to NAC SEA Relief.

Helping the helpers

The activity profile of “human aktiv” is to support non-profit institutions and organisations. The aid agency was founded in 1993 and was originally known as the “Missionswerk”, but since 2018 it has gone by the name “human aktiv”. It is primarily active in countries served by the New Apostolic Church of Southern Germany, where it finances emergency aid projects and promotes assistance for self-help.

The Swiss aid agency known as NAK-Humanitas emerged from the Missionsstiftung [charitable mission foundation] of the New Apostolic Church Switzerland, which was founded in 1988. Its aim is to sustainably improve quality of life and create better prospects for people in difficult living conditions. It achieves this primarily through donations and contributions to public and private institutions.

There for Church members

In 2002, the relief and support foundation known as NAK-Diakonia likewise emerged from the charitable mission foundation of the New Apostolic Church Switzerland. This institution is particularly focused on Church members in countries served by the New Apostolic Church Switzerland. The foundation aims to provide communities with the best possible conditions for sustainable development. This includes support for children and young people, training and continuing education for ministers, teachers, and musicians, construction and maintenance of Church infrastructure, facilitation of major events, and support for Church members in emergency situations.

The NAC Foreign Extension is yet another aid agency that is at work within the New Apostolic Church. The Canadian relief organisation finances missionary work in the eleven countries for which its District Apostle is responsible. The NAC Foreign Extension supports church construction projects, distributes Bibles, and provides training and ongoing education to ministers, particularly in Africa and Asia. It also provides financial support to local charitable organisations.

When brothers and sisters take the initiative

In 2005 hurricane Katrina swept across the USA and caused enormous damage. The relief organisation known as “re Charitable Ministry” emerged from a relief effort organised by volunteers in the Regional Church of the USA following this disaster. In the meantime, re Charitable Ministry employees remain committed to helping people in need. For example, in collaboration with the Denver Metro Food Pantry, they have created a store for people in need.

A number of natural disasters that occurred in the area served by the Regional Church of Australia prompted members to ask the Church administration whether they could set up their own relief organisation to provide help where needed as quickly as possible. In 2016 NACare was founded in response. With its network of ministers and community members, it is primarily active in Fiji, the South Pacific, and Australia.

The South American aid organisation known as SerPrójimo brings together young people who want to help. It has been doing so since 2018. The relief agency describes its helpers as follows: “They are willing to work and serve, they are responsible, and they are capable of love.”

Three relief agencies in Africa

The Masakhe Foundation of the Regional Church of Southern Africa has a social programme that incorporates education, addiction awareness, child safety, and outreach. “Masakhe” is Xhosa and means “Let us build”. The aid organisation, which was founded in 2013 by the New Apostolic Church, is now independent of the Church and has set up many programmes of its own, for example, the Skills Development Centre or the church building in Leiden Central that also serves as a shelter and recreational location for children in a dangerous neighbourhood.

The Swahili words “kujenga maisha” mean “creating life”. Accordingly, the aid organisation known as Kujenga Maisha East Africa, or KUMEA for short, is named after this phrase. It was founded in 2010 as part of the New Apostolic Church of East Africa, and works beyond the boundaries of the Church. Its mission statement is to “empower communities to live dignified lives through providing sustainable livelihood solutions and capacity building, and responding to emergencies”.

NACRO is the name of the relief organisation of Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. It was founded as the “Henwood Foundation” in the year 2002 by the Regional Church, in order to provide humanitarian aid to those who are less privileged. It focuses primarily on education, health, and building livelihoods.

Widely diversified and yet specialised

The latter agencies are supported by NAK-karitativ . In order to fulfil the organisation’s vision—namely: “A world in which everyone, regardless of religion, age, origin, or gender, can have adequate nutrition, education, and sufficient basic services for a healthy life”—the German aid institution works hand-in-hand with many partner organisations operating locally. Beyond that, NAK-karitativ also initiates and supports measures that help families earn their income. The aid organisation focuses on structural projects to improve living conditions in the long term, but also responds to short-term disasters, with the focus always being on reconstruction.

Suriname is a small country on the east coast of South America where Dutch is spoken. That is why the New Apostolic Church of the Netherlands has been at work there for 35 years. In 1997, it founded the Corantijn Foundation to help the local population, mainly by shipping containers with (medical) relief supplies from the Netherlands across the sea, renovating schools and providing school materials, initiating sustainable and economic projects, and providing emergency aid.