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Chief Apostle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Chief Apostle is the highest man-made minister in the New Apostolic Church, and has existed since 1896.

History

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Former Chief Apostles:

Name Birth-Death Birthplace Place of Death Working Period
Friedrich Krebs 1832–1905 Elend (Harz) (Germany) Braunschweig (Germany) 1895–1905
Hermann Niehaus 1848–1932 Steinhagen (Germany) Quelle (Germany) 1905–1930
Johann Gottfried Bischoff 1871–1960 Unter-Mossau (Germany) Karlsruhe (Germany) 1930–1960
Walter Schmidt 1891–1981 Neuemühle (Germany) Dortmund (Germany) 1960–1975
Ernst Streckeisen 1905–1978 St. Gallen (Switzerland) Cape Town (South Africa) 1975–1978
Hans Urwyler 1925–1994 Spiegel (Switzerland) Bern (Switzerland) 1978–1988
Richard Fehr 1938–2013 Flaach (Switzerland) Switzerland 1988–2005
Wilhelm Leber 1947– Herford (Germany) -- 2005–2013
Jean-Luc Schneider 1959– Strasbourg (France) -- 2013–

Function

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The function of the Chief Apostle is to lead the New Apostolic Church. On questions about the faith of New Apostolic Church members, he has the highest authority. Together with the district apostles he determines the policy of the church.

The Chief Apostle can ordain new apostles or retire them.

One of the most interesting Chief Apostles was J.G. Bischoff: at Christmas in 1950 he declared his "Botschaft" ("message"). This teaching announced that he would not die before Jesus Christ's return, during which the chosen people will be taken into His kingdom (the First Resurrection). In 1954 this teaching became official dogma. Those ministers, especially the apostles, who did not preach this message lost their positions and were excommunicated from the New Apostolic Church. The most important "victim" of this policy was Peter Kuhlen, the ordained successor to J.G. Bischoff. When Chief Apostle Bischoff died in 1960, his dogma about Christ's return had not been fulfilled. In 2013, Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber made a statement in which the position of the Church is reviewed and provides that the "message" represented a personal position of Apostle Bischoff.[1]

The various communities and congregations which evolved out of these conflicts in different countries (Australia, Europe, South-Africa) gathered in 1956 to form the United Apostolic Church.

References

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Sources

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