Their business is to serve the Church

Why is such an instrument even necessary? The answer is clear: to support the Chief Apostle. After all, in addition to his task as spiritual leader, he is also responsible for the organizational needs of the international Church.

To this end, the Chief Apostle works closely with the District Apostles and Apostles around the world. And he also depends on a total of six service divisions located in Zurich, Switzerland and Frankfurt, Germany. The daily business of coordination lies with the Administrator, the leader of these service groups. As a member of an advisory body, he is also jointly responsible for the direction of the Church-owned Bischoff Publishers.

The Secretarial staff works directly with the Chief Apostle. They take care of correspondence—for example with the District Apostles and Apostles—mostly in German, English, and French. Beyond that they also organize his divine service trips and are responsible for the preparation and follow-up of the District Apostle Meetings.

The Theological Division assists the Church leadership in deepening the New Apostolic doctrine on the basis of the Bible. To this end, its consultants provide advice in scientific matters and bring their knowledge to bear in various committees of the Church. They monitor and support the production of foundational texts such as the Catechism or teaching material for children, youth, and adults. The main emphasis of this work is on the Divine Service Guide, a monthly publication of the New Apostolic Church for ministers, which provides the foundation for divine services around the world.

The Project and Product Division plays a very similar role, although less in terms of content than organization. It is here that the threads between the Church leadership and the committees intersect. This department documents the work of the various groups and prepares the results for decisions by leadership boards.

The Finance and Reporting Division takes care of financial and legal matters. This includes coordinating the flow of funds between the District Churches from around the world: financially strong regions support those regions that cannot sustain themselves. With a view to the laws in effect in the various nations, as well as the Church’s own prescriptions, the team helps to create the necessary legal foundations for the District Churches.

The Audio-visual Service Group is often on the air: its main function is to organize audio-visual transmissions, mostly of divine services. To this end, the group organizes the necessary satellite or internet capacities, operates a broadcast vehicle, coordinates the use of interpreters, and manages a network of around 1,600 transmission stations in Europe.

Last but not least is the Communications Division. Under the direction of the Church spokesman, New Apostolic news from around the world is gathered, evaluated, and disseminated. The results of this work include the many internet offers of the New Apostolic Church—such as nac.today, for example.

The team currently numbers some 20 positions. Half of these work in Zurich while the other half work in the Church-owned publishers in Frankfurt—but it is not seldom for them to find themselves at work in constantly changing locations. However, Church service is not only their business: they also bring their gifts to bear for all members in a voluntary capacity as ministers, functionaries, or helpers in other areas.