“A historic visit to Ghana”. This is the headline of the Regional Church’s website. Historic because this is the first time that the West African country is hosting all the District Apostles and District Apostle Helpers—at an unusual time.
Twice a year, the leaders of the New Apostolic Church meet for their general assembly: once at Pentecost on varying continents and once towards the end of the year in Switzerland. This time things have been reversed. This is because the rainy season typically begins in Ghana in May, just around Pentecost. And that makes the already hot and humid tropical climate even more of a problem.
Decision makers meet
A series of working meetings in the Ghanaian capital Accra start this Wednesday with the board of directors of the New Apostolic Church International. This board, which emerged from the former Finance Committee, is responsible for organisational and financial matters. Its counterpart, and responsible for spiritual subjects, is the Coordination Group, which will present itself with its new committee members to the International District Apostle Meeting.
The District Apostle Meeting is the highest decision-making body of the New Apostolic Church International. In addition to the Chief Apostle and the District Apostles, the District Apostle Helpers are also members, albeit in an advisory capacity. The District Apostle Meeting will meet on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, the programme calls for music by young people. The final event will be the divine service in our central church in Accra on Sunday.
A country on the move
With Ghana, the District Apostles are visiting a democratically stable and economically strong country. The population is growing rapidly and has almost doubled since 2000 to an estimated 35 million inhabitants. Half of the people are under the age of 21.
Around 71 per cent profess Christianity, just under twenty per cent Islam, and around three per cent tribal and natural religions. Among Christians, the charismatic movements have as many members as the Catholic and Protestant churches combined. The New Apostolic Church has 411,000 members in around 2,860 congregations.
One faith, two beginnings
The New Apostolic faith came to Ghana from two directions back in the 1960s: the New Apostolic Church Hesse in Germany was active in the west and interior of the country, while the New Apostolic Church Canada was active in the north and east. In addition to Apostle Rudolf Schilling, who was affectionately known as Papa Ghana, the founding fathers also included Apostles Erwin Wagner, Gottfried Schwarzer, George Van der Ploeg, and Nelson Kraus.
Isaak Nantwi Kankam was the first Ghanaian to be ordained an Apostle in 1983. As the first local Apostle, Samuel Oppong-Brenyah took over responsibility for the New Apostolic Church Ghana in 2013, which has been part of the District Apostle Area of Southern Germany since 2001.
In 1994, Richard Fehr was the first Chief Apostle to visit the West African country. His successor Jean-Luc Schneider—then still as Chief Apostle Helper—was an official guest there for the first time in 2013. The New Apostolic members are eagerly anticipating him and the members of District Apostle Meeting. “Ghana has long awaited this momentous visit, and the excitement is palpable,” the website states. “Ghana is ready to welcome you with open arms, hearts, and hymns!”