One country, one church district

‌It is one of the longest countries in the world, but the visit will be rather short. The Chief Apostle is travelling to Chile this week, to the city where the New Apostolic faith first took a foothold in the country. 

Chile extends approximately 4,300 kilometres along the western seaboard of South America with an average width of just 180 kilometres. This includes Insular Chile, a string of scattered islands in the Pacific Ocean, including the famous Easter Islands.

The country’s territory offers a fascinating variety of landscapes, from the Atacama Desert—the driest in the world—in the north of the country, to the glaciers and fjords of Patagonia in the south. There are also fertile valleys, active volcanoes, beaches, temperate forests, and large lakes.

Living in the metropolitan region

The country has just under 20 million inhabitants, half of whom are under 35 years old. Around eleven per cent of the population is of indigenous origin. The official language is Spanish. In terms of religion, around 60 per cent of the people are Catholic and around 15 per cent Protestant. The proportion of people who profess no religion is growing.

Chile is one of the leading economies in South America and is ahead in terms of per capita income. The financial, political, and cultural centre is the Región Metropolitana de Santiago in the central part of the country. Around eight million people live here alone. ‌The focus is on the capital Santiago de Chile, which is also the economic heart.

Started by immigrants 

The New Apostolic faith was first introduced by immigrants arriving in Santiago: families from Switzerland and the Netherlands formed the first small New Apostolic congregation in Chile in 1931. The first meetings were held in their homes. In 1935 then, the first premises were rented. And a year later, the Assistant Chief Apostle Heinrich Franz Schlaphoff formally established the congregation. 

The first New Apostolic Church building was built in 1984, in San Miguel, another congregation in the metropolitan region. ‌The New Apostolic Church now has eleven congregations: three each in the north and south of the country and five in the centre. Chile has been a separate church district since 1998. Claudio Videla from Argentina is the Apostle who is responsible for the approximately 1,100 members.

The first Chief Apostle to visit Chile was Richard Fehr in 1992. Chief Apostle Leber was also there. And this weekend, on Sunday 23 March 2025, the Chilenos are looking forward to welcoming Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider for his first visit. The divine service in Santiago de Chile will be transmitted to the Spanish-speaking regions of the District Apostle Area South America.