Walking with God

Eager, tenacious, happy. This is how Herman Ernst Guigou described himself after his ordination as an Apostle. This weekend he is to be assigned as a District Apostle Helper for the New Apostolic Church South America. 

He was born to New Apostolic parents in Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay) on 16 March 1966. Eleven days later he was baptised, and seven months later he was sealed through District Apostle Federico Lewitus.

Actively involved early on

He spent his childhood in one of the best attended churches in Uruguay: Colonia No. 1. Later, he attended the small congregation of Colonia No. 2, on the outskirts of the city. As a boy, he accompanied two young men who had the task of opening the church and seeing to preparing everything for the divine service.

After some time, a much larger church was opened there, and he was invited to help as a doorkeeper and welcome the members as they arrived. He was twelve years old then. “It was a great joy to welcome the brothers and sisters,” he recalls. 

Always in the best company

At the age of 18, Herman Ernst Guigou had to move to Montevideo, the capital of the country, to continue his studies. “It was not easy to leave my family, I missed them a lot. But in the church, everything was the same: the same love, the same dedication of the ministers. I found all the support I needed. I made unforgettable experiences and felt the permanent accompaniment of the loving God,” he says about that time in his life. 

In 1985, he searched for a casual job during the summer so he would save some money for the upcoming school year. An opportunity arose in a river transport company, where God paved the way and where Ernst eventually took up a management position. 

Together with the young people

On 22 April 1985, he and his father were ordained as Subdeacons. Other ministries followed. He was ordained as Apostle for Uruguay on 20 March 2011 by Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber. 

Among the many tasks as an Apostle, Herman Ernst Guigou especially devoted himself to the young people. “They express their joy of being children of God and they show it is possible to be happy and enjoy things while keeping the spiritual values,” he mentioned in an interview. One of the goals has been to build up trust and fellowship, which are both necessary to generate mutual spiritual enrichment.

Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider will be visiting Buenos Aires (Argentina) this weekend. Apostle Ernst Guigou is to be assigned as a District Apostle Helper for South America in the divine service on 30 March 2025 to assist District Apostle Enrique Eduardo Minio, who will celebrate his 65th birthday in August.