New Apostolic Christians—part of society

“In the New Apostolic Church the gospel of Christ is proclaimed. For members, this means they are to treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of their social background, age, language, or other differences. Within its capacity and commission, the Church as an institution helps to promote the common good, thus functioning as an integral part of society,” the Catechism of the New Apostolic Church describes the life of New Apostolic Christians.

It is not always possible to meet these high requirements. But New Apostolic Christians commit themselves all over the world where they can and defend the gospel, which includes love for the neighbour as an essential part of Christian life. But they also help their neighbour in a very practical way through aid agencies of the Church.

Europe: Trustees approve projects at home and abroad

The aid organization of the New Apostolic Church Switzerland, NAK-Humanitas, recently made a number of financial contributions to social and humanitarian projects. The equivalent of 310,000 US dollars were donated to various partners at home and abroad. Among the beneficiaries is a project that supports street children in Nepal, an association that funds transportation for the handicapped in Switzerland, and the Bulgarian Red Cross, as well as a dozen other initiatives.

Asia: Reconstruction in Nepal

“It has been over a year since a devastating earthquake struck in the Himalayas. Nearly 8,000 people were killed in Nepal at the time and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. While emergency aid was quick to come in, the effort of rebuilding is ongoing. The main reason for this is that many of the villages in the mountains are remote and hard to reach,” NAK-karitativ, the aid organization of the New Apostolic Churches in Germany, says in its most recent report. The report documents how the reconstruction is progressing and that earthquake-proof houses are now being built in the disaster area.

Africa: School projects in Ethiopia

“Ethiopia with its annual per capita income of about 350 US dollars is one of the poorest countries in the world. About 30 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty. Child labour is a part of everyday life. More than 50 per cent of children under the age of 14 have to work,” the Missionswerk, the aid organization of the New Apostolic Church in Southern Germany says. The children work as shoe shiners, cattle boys, fruit vendors, or as maids in order to support their families or to secure their own survival. According to estimates by UNICEF, more than 100,000 children in Ethiopia live on the street. These children are left to fend for themselves and live in constant fear of violence, abuse, and disease.

The Missionswerk has been supporting schools near Addis Ababa for years. Already the founding of these schools some ten years ago was made possible thanks to funds from the German aid agency.

The New Apostolic Church runs twelve aid organizations around the world, spread over all continents. They operate across national and cultural borders. Some have been active for many years while others, such as NACare, the aid agency of the New Apostolic Church Australia, were just recently founded.