Working with the talents one has received, and not burying them. This also applies to the many years of experience of retired ministers. An initiative was started by the Church in South Africa on how retired ministers can coach active ministers.
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Retired ministers as coaches
Photo: NAC Southeast Africa
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Apostolic Community rents church building
Photo: NAK Immobilien GmbH
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Apostolic Community rents church building
Photo: NAK Immobilien GmbH
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Apostolic Community rents church building
Photo: NAK Immobilien GmbH
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Apostle Hans-Jürgen Berndt
Photo: Daniel Rudolph
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… and funeral
Photo: NAK Süddeutschland
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… and funeral
Photo: NAK Süddeutschland
Retired ministers as coaches
A mentoring and coaching programme for ministers. This is what Apostle Jeremia Martinus Joubert is launching in his working area in the District Church of South East Africa. He wants to find a way of constructively utilizing the vast experience of retired ministers, rather than merely allow such experience to go to waste once a minister retires. To this end a structured mentoring programme is being launched in his working area, and a number of retired ministers attended an orientation session in Sinoville congregation on 11 February 2016. Among those who attended were the retired Apostle Willy de Smedt and Bishop Andree Maree. The Apostle hopes that the mentoring programme will be in place by the end of April 2016.
Apostolic Community rents church building
The former building of the New Apostolic congregation in Duisburg-Homberg (Germany) has a new occupant: the Apostolische Gemeinschaft (Apostolic Community).
The church building was decommissioned in February 2011. Since then it had been waiting for new tenants. The Apostolic Community had been meeting in its own church building, which however was in a bad state of disrepair. On account of contacts among members of the two churches, talks ensued with the New Apostolic Church. The church building, with a seating capacity of 140, has now been rented out to the Apostolic Community for an unlimited period of time.
The Apostolic Community came into being as a result of a conflict within the New Apostolic Church in the 1950s. After a cautious approach and years of dialogue the two churches signed a Statement of Reconciliation.
Retirement and funeral
Apostle Hans-Jürgen Berndt retired after nearly 42 years of ministerial activity. Of these he served 23 years as an Apostle. During a divine service in Berlin-Lichtenberg (Germany) on 14 February 2016, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider thanked him sincerely for his many years of dedicated service. Apostle Berndt also looked after congregations in Central Asia for many years.
Many members gathered to pay tribute to Apostle Günter Beck on Saturday, 13 February 2016, in Heidelberg (Germany). Apostle Beck passed away on 4 February 2016 at the age of 84. His ministerial activity had stretched over a period of 48 years in various areas in south-central Germany.