From Vancouver to Brandenburg - New Apostolic Church International

63 Pages·2013·11.81 MB·English

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Masthead
Publisher:
Dr. Wilhelm Leber, New Apostolic Church International, Überlandstraße 243, 8051 Zurich,
Telephone: [phone], www.nak.org
Responsible for content:
Rüdiger Krause, Public Relations Project Group
Editing:
Annette Conrad, Marco Irrgang, Andrea Schnizer, Andreas Vöhringer
With the participation of:
Dr. Manfred Henke, Nicole Prestle, Sonja Warpakowski
Photos:
Holger Beck, Willy Breuer, Église néo-apostolique de France, Klaus Emmerling, Marcel Felde, Rudi Fließwasser,
Heimathaus Schladen, Iglesia Nueva Apostólica Sudamérica, Igreja Nova Apostólica Brasil e Bolívia, Jessica
Krämer, Ingo Meier, Netzwerk Apostolische Geschichte, Neuapostolische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg,
Neuapostolische Kirche Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland, Neuapostolische Kirche Mitteldeutschland,
Neuapostolische Kirche Norddeutschland, Neuapostolische Kirche Nordrhein-Westfalen, Neuapostolische
Kirche Schweiz, Neuapostolische Kirche Süddeutschland, New Apostolic Church Australia, New Apostolic
Church Canada, New Apostolic Church Cape, New Apostolic Church East Africa, New Apostolic Church South
East Africa, New Apostolic Church South East Asia, New Apostolic Church USA, New Apostolic Church
Zambia, Tabea Rienas, Oliver Rütten, Werner Ruppe, Susanne Schmidt, Dirk Voigt, Michael Voigt, Marco Wagner
With special thanks to the head offices of the New Apostolic Church for their support.
Layout:
Sepia Kommunikation gestalten, Mainz
This publication and all the articles it contains are protected by copyright. Any reproduction or use of any of
these texts or images, even in part, requires the written permission of the publisher.
Archive
Photo:
Dear readers,
The year 2013 is of special signifi- sent, that such a Church has deve- by the imminent expectation of the
cance for us as New Apostolic Chris- loped, which is today represented all return of Jesus Christ. This is and
tians as we celebrate the 150-year around the world. In this we recognise remains our goal of faith. When this
anniversary of our Church. This occa- the leadership of the Holy Spirit. goal is attained, an important phase
sion is the reason for the publication in our God’s plan of salvation will
of this commemorative brochure, This commemorative publication have been concluded. The future will
which I hereby lay into your hands. provides some insight into the remain exciting, however.
beginnings and development of our
We look back in admiration and grati- Church. Naturally its progress was The actions and efforts of our Church
tude to our beginnings. Believing men not always as straightforward as it are based upon clearly formulated
and women managed to accomplish might appear in hindsight. There were vision and mission statements, which
a great deal in the development of certainly also many disappointments are likewise printed in this comme-
this work through great personal and setbacks along the way. We need morative brochure. These guiding
commitment and sacrifice. Today it only think back to the two World Wars principles will also remain definitive
is hard to appreciate how difficult it which also left clear marks in the area for our Church in the future.
must have been for them to gain cla- of church. In the present there are
rity over the path they were to pursue. new questions and new challenges, With warm greetings to all readers,
It can be attributed to the courage of and so we continue on our “jour- I remain
witnesses of faith, both past and pre- ney”. Around the world we are united
2 150 Years New Apostolic Church
“ ”
We are New
Apostolic Christians.
Photos: Holger Beck, Willy Breuer, ENA France, Rudi Fließwasser, INA Brasil e Bolívia, INA Sudamérica, Jessica Krämer, Ingo Meier, NAC Australia, NAC Canada, NAC Cape, NAC East Africa, NAC South East Africa,
NAC South East Asia, NAC USA, NAC Zambia, NAK Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland, NAK Mitteldeutschland, NAK Norddeutschland, NAK Nordrhein-Westfalen, NAK Schweiz, NAK Süddeutschland, Neuapostolische
Kirche International, Tabea Rienas, Oliver Rütten, Susanne Schmidt, Marco Wagner, Dirk Voigt, Michael Voigt
150 Years New Apostolic Church 3
“Thheeee kkkkkkiiiiiinnnngggddddooooommmmmmmm oooff GGoodd bbeeeggggiiinnnnssss wwwwwwhhhheennn IIII llloovveee mmmmyyyyy
“The kingdom of God begins when I love my
nneeigghbbooouuuuurrrr aanndd hhoolldd nnnnoooottttthhhhhiiiiinnnnngggg aaaggaaiinnnsssstttt hhhhhhiiimmm..”
neighbour and hold nothing against him.”
““WWWWWWWWWWhhhhhhheeeeeennn II gggggggoooooo tttttoooo cccchhhuurrccchhhhh IIII fffffffeeeeeeeeeeeell
“When I go to church I feel
ssseecccuuurree iinn tthhee ccoonnggrrreeeggaattiioonn..”””
secure in the congregation.”
“““FFFFFooooooorrrrr mmmmmmmmmeeeeeee,,,, fffooollllllllooooooowwwwwwiinngg CChhhhrrriisstt mmeanss
“For me, following Christ means
ssssshhhhhhaaarriinngg aa ssmmiillee wwwiiittthh mmyy ffffeeeeelllllllllllooooooowwww hhuuuummmmmmmmmaaaaaaannnnnn bbbeeiinnngggggggsssss...”””
sharing a smile with my fellow human beings.”
““““IIII aaaaammmm“I a rrmiiggg hhhhrittttg haaaaatttt attttthhhhhh teeeeeh ehhh eeehaaaaearrrttr too off fmm myyy cccooonnngggrrreeegggaaatittoiioonnn, ,
eeevvveeeeeennnnnnv dddddeneeeee ssssdpppeiisttpeeei tmmmmmmme myyyy yww weeaaeakkknnnneeeeessssssseeesss...”””
““II aamm ddiiffffeerrreeeennnnttt,, bbuuutttt III hhaavvee
“I am different, but I have
aaaa
a fi rm place in our fellowship.”
fifi rrmm ppllaaccee iinn oouurr ffeelllloowwsshhhiiiipppp..””
““II fifi nndd iitt eeeaaaaaassssssiiiiieeeerrr ttoo kkeeeepp mmyy hhooppee iinn tthhee
“I fi nd it easier to keep my hope in the
rrreettuuuuurrrrnnnnnn oooooofffff CCChhrriissstttt aaaallliiivvvee wwhheenn II aamm ttooggeetthheerrr
return of Christ alive when I am together
wwiiittttthhhhhhhhh mmmmmmyy bbrrootthheerrss aanndd ssiisstteerrrssss...”””
with my brothers and sisters.”
4 1155000 YYYYYYeeeeaaarrrsssss NNNNeeeeewwww AAAAAApppooossssttttoooollliiiccc CChurch
““Church helps me ddeevvelooooppppppppp tttthhhheeee aaaattitude:
“Church helps me develop the attitude:
JJJJJeeeesssuuss iiss ppeerrffeecctt,, aanndd II aammmmmm nnnnnoottt.. BBBBBBBBuuuuttttt tthat is no
Jesus is perfect, and I am not. But that is no
eexxccuussee nnoott ttooo wwoorrrkkkk oooooonnnnnnnn mmmmmmmmyyyyysself.”
excuse not to work on myself.”
““FFFFFoooorrrr mmmeee,, bbeeelllliiiiieeeeeevvvvviiinnnggggg mmmmmeeeaannss rreeecccoogggnniissiiinnnggg “I can get involved
“For me, believing means recognising “I can get involved
ttthhhhaaattt lloooovvvvvveeeee iiissss ttttthhhhheeee ggggggggrrrrrrrrreeeeaaatteesssttt ppppppooowwwwweeeerrrrr oooonnn eeeeaaaaaarrrrrrtttttthhhhh..””
in this community.”
that love is the greatest power on earth.”
in this community.”
“TTThhhhhhheeeeeeerrrrreee aaarrree mmmmmaaaaaannnnnyyy tttttiiimmmeess iinnn ddddddiiiiivvvviiinnnneeeee ssservice when
“There are many times in divine service when
I feel ttthhhhhheeeee HHHoollyy SSSSSppppppppiiiiiirrrriiiitttt iiisss ssppeeaakkiinngggg ddddddddiiiiirrrrrrreeeeeeccctly to me.”
I feel the Holy Spirit is speaking directly to me.”
““II ttttoooooooo hhaavvvvveeee aaa plaace in the
“I too have a place in the
NNNeeeeewwwwww AApostolic Church.”
New Apostolic Church.”
“““IIII tttttrrrrryyyyyy tttoooo iiiinnnnttteeeegggggrraate the instructions of the
“I try to integrate the instructions of the
HHHoooooollllyyyyyy SSSSSSpppppiirrriitt iiinnnnnntttttooooo mmmmmyyyyyy llliiffe more and more.”
Holy Spirit into my life more and more.”
““tthhee pprrrooommmmmiiiisssee ooff eettteeerrrnnnnaaaalll llllliiiiffffffeeee ggggggiiiivvvveeeeessssss aaa
“the promise of eternal life gives a
ggrreeaatteerr ppeerrssppeecctttiiivvveeee tttooo mmmmmyyyyyy eeeeeeexxxxxxiiiiisssssttteeennce.”
greater perspective to my existence.”
A church in which people feel at home and, inspired by the Holy Spirit and their love for God,
align their lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ and thus prepare themselves for His
return and eternal life
150 Years New Apostolic Church 5
Photo: NAK Süddeutschland Photo: INA Brasil e Bolívia Photo: Jessica Krämer Photo: Jessica Krämer
NAC Australia Marco Wagner Marco Wagner Oliver Rütten
Photo: Photo: Photo: Photo:
Australia Australia Cape
C C C
A A A
N N N
Photo: NACI Photo: Photo: Photo:
6 1155000 YYYYYYeeeeaaarrrsssss NNNNeeeeewwww AAAAAApppooossssttttoooollliiiccc CChurch
Photo: NAK Süddeutschland Photo: Jessica Krämer Photo: NAC Cape Photo: NACI
Photo: NACI Photo: INA Brasil e Bolívia Photo: NAK Süddeutschland Photo: Marco Wagner
Reaching out to all people Photo: Tabea Rienasin order to teach them thPhoto: Marco Wagnere gospel of Jesus Christ Photo: INA Argentina Photo: NACSEA (Asien)
and to baptise them with water and the Holy Spirit
Providing soul care and cultivating a warm fellowship in which everyone shall
experience the love of God and the joy of serving Him
and others
150 Years New Apostolic Church 7
Thomas Carlyle, one of
the twelve English
Apostles, responsible
for Northern Germany
Winding paths
The history of the New Apostolic Church
“Ye are called, not to be spectators, to the believers to pray for the success Yet the church, to whose represen-
but fellow-workers; not to be idly of an upcoming Apostle meeting on tatives the Apostles had addressed
waiting to see what heroic deeds Pentecost. After all, this meeting will a written manifesto—the so-called
the Apostles will do, but to pray in- deal with an existential question. “Great Testimony”, which emphasised
cessantly that their number may be an intensive, imminent expectation
completed—for one of the Apostles The twelve-fold apostolate of the Lord’s return—remains largely
has become unfaithful—that they As in the beginning—such was the unimpressed by the wake-up call of
may all become fully active, that understanding of the English Apost- the Apostles of the end time.
they may become of one mind in les—God would, at the end, prepare Two of the Apostles resign. The loss
all things, that they may receive the church for the return of Christ of the twelve-fold unity of the Apost-
their full ability to fulfi l God’s plan through an apostolic ministry consis- les comes as a severe blow to the
towards the Church.” ting of twelve men: Catholic Apostolic Church. According
Thomas Carlyle, A Short History of the Apostolic Work, to their self-conception, the other
London 1851, p. 16.
“Sealed by Apostles, the church Apostles can thus only fulfil their
In spring 1851 a publication appears is, at the fi rst, sent into the world, commission in a limited capacity, since
with the title: “A Short History of the to fi ght the fi ght of faith. Sealed by there is no more Apostles’ College in
Apostolic Work”. The author is Thomas apostles, the church, long vanquis- the actual sense. Now some of the
Carlyle, one of the twelve Apostles hed and captive, at length overco- Apostles are raising the question: “Can
called in England in 1835. His publica- mes; and is, at the last, taken out the circle of the Apostles once again
tion, which is distributed throughout the of the world from the great tribula- be made whole?”
congregations of his Northern German tion, and so prepared to come with The Apostles hope to receive the
working area, is prefaced by an appeal Christ.” answer to this question at their con-
Thomas Carlyle, Apostles—Given, Lost, and Restored,
London 1853, p. 37.
8 150 Years New Apostolic Church