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This part of the article New Apostolic Church urgently needs to be improved and coordinated.

Here's the new organisation of the chapters 2 - 10 of the article New Apostolic Church.

Article based on the sixth Chief Apostle Hans Urwyler.

articles

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  • Sacrament of Holy Sealing (date unkown)

The third and most important sacrament of the Apostolic Churches.

  • Schisms of the New Apostolic Church (date unknown)

Article supposed to be a historical chronolgy of the various schisms in the past of the New Apostolic Church. Reference New Apostolic History. The possible artice doesn't refer to the New Apostolic Movement at all.

A Brief History of Schisms

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The third schism occurred in 1897 in the Netherlands with the HAZK due to the introduction of the office of the Chief Apostle. The name Hersteld Apostolische Zendinggemeente in de Eenheid der Apostelen (HAZEA) that was adopted after the schism of 1897 by the group following the Chief Apostle, was maintained until the 1960s. In 1907 the name of the church in Germany was changed into Neue Apostolische Gemeinde (New Apostolic Congregation). In 1912 the Australian Apostle H.F. Niemeyer withdrew with a majority of members and formed the Apostolic Church of Queensland, this followed in 1913 by Apostle C. Klibbe withdrawing with some members in South Africa to form the Old Apostolic Church

Another schism occurred in Saxony in 1921. The New Apostolic Chief Apostle Hermann Niehaus was led more and more by emotions, dreams and visions after 1914. The Saxon Apostle Brückner became the solicitor for all those who criticized the spiritual views of the Chief Apostle and the worshipping of his person. The different opinions led to the exclusion of Apostle Brückner and some thousand believers in 1921. The excluded founded the Reformiert-Apostolischer Gemeindebund.

In the late 1920s, the name Neuapostolische Kirche (New Apostolic Church) was uniformly adopted in Germany, this name had been in use in North America as early as 1918. Previously, in North America, a variety of names had been used, including German Apostolic Church and Apostolic Church

Great splittings of the New Apostolic Church occurred in Switzerland Vereinigung Apostolischer Christen , South Africa (again) Apostle Unity, and the Netherlands (again) Apostolische Geloofsgemeenschap in 1954 and in West-Germany Apostolische Gemeinschaft in 1955 due to a new teaching from 1951 of the then-reigning Chief Apostle Johann Gottfried Bischoff. This teaching presumed that he would not die before Jesus Christ returned to take the predestined into his kingdom (First Resurrection). In 1954 this teaching, called "The Botschaft," became an official dogma.[1] Those ministers, especially the apostles who did not preach this, lost their offices and were excluded from the New Apostolic Church. Chief Apostle Bischoff died in 1960 without his prophecy being fulfilled.[2]

There was no restoration of the excommunicated ministries. The various communities and congregations like the Apostolic Church of Queensland or the Apostolic Church of South Africa - Apostle Unity which evolved out of these conflicts in different countries (Australia, Europe, South Africa) gathered 1956 in the "United Apostolic Church".

On May 1, 2005 a document of first steps of reconciliation was signed by the Swiss New Apostolic Church and the United Apostolic Church in Switzerland (Vereinigung Apostolischer Christen).

A Chronology of the Evolution and Schisms involving the New Apostolic Church

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  • 1835 England - Catholic Apostolic Church, an evolution from the churches of the day
  • 1863 Germany - In the Hamburg Schism, the Allgemeine Apostolische Mission (General Apostolic Congregation) splits from the CAC Germany: (also Apostolische Zending, later (1893) registered as Hersteld Apostolische Zendingkerk (HAZK) in the Netherlands)
  • 1878 Germany - Prophet Geyer causes the Hamburg congregation to schism over the calling of Apostle Pruess' successor, his followers form the Apostolische Mission (Apostolic Mission); the remainder under Apostle Menkhoff continue adotping the name Allgemeine Christliche Apostolische Mission (General Christian Apostolic Mission)
  • 1897 Netherlands – Apostle van Bemmel - Reason: excommunicated by Chief Apostle Krebs for preaching false doctrines - Name: Hersteld Apostolische Zendingkerk; the group loyal to the Chief Apostle then adopted the name Hersteld Apostolische Zendinggemeente in de Eenheid der Apostelen (Restored Apostolic Mission Congregation in the Apostle Unity) abbr. HAZEA
  • 1902 Germany – District Elder Fischer - Reason: doctrinal differences about Second coming - Name: Apostelamt Juda
  • 1912 Australia – Apostle Niemeyer – Reason: Office of the Chief Apostle – Apostolic Church of Queensland
  • 1913 South Africa – Apostle Klibbe – Reason: Office of the Chief Apostle – Name: Old Apostolic Church
  • 1919 Germany - Bishop Mütschele and others - Reason: doctrinal differences
  • 1921 Germany – Apostles Brückner and Ecke - Reason: Office of the Chief Apostle- Name: Reformiert-apostolische Gemeindebund
  • 1929 Germany – District Evangelist Gaidies - Reason: personal revelation of Gaidies - Name: Apostolische Gemeinde
  • 1929 Netherlands - Evangelist Smit - Reason: doctrinal differences with the then District Apostle van Oosbree - Name: Hersteld Evangelische Apostolische Gemeente
  • 1946 Netherlands – District Elder Slok - Reason: District Elder Slok's appointment as new District Apostle in the deceased District Apostle van Oosbree's will, and the subsequent refusal of Chief Apostle Bischoff to accept Slok - Name: Apostolisch Genootschap
  • 1949 Germany – District Elder Bitsch - Reason: Favorable attitude of the New Apostolic Church's leadership to the NAZI-regime - Name: Christen unserer Zeit
  • 1951 Germany – District Evangelist Schmidt - Reason: the person of Chief Apostle Bischoff - Name: Apostolische Gemeinde des Saarlandes
  • 1954 Switzerland - Apostle Güttinger - Reason: the 'Botschaft' of Christ returning in Chief Apostle Bischoff's lifetime - Name: Vereinigung Apostolischer Christen (also has some congregations in France. Name: Union des Chrétiens Apostoliques)
  • 1954 Netherlands - DEL van Asperen e.a. - Reason: not fervent enough preaching of the 'Botschaft' of Christ returning in Chief Apostle Bischoff's lifetime - Name: Nieuw Apostolische Kerk
  • Note: In 1964, this group rejoined the HAZEA within the New Apostolic Church under the Chief Apostle under the name Nieuw-Apostolische Kerk in Nederland
  • 1955 Germany District Apostle Kuhlen, Apostles Dehmel and Dunkmann - Reason: the 'Botschaft' of Christ returning in Chief Apostle Bischoff's lifetime - Name: Apostolische Gemeinschaft
  • 1955 Netherlands - Bischop Kröner & ret. District Apostle Kamphuis - Reason: the 'Botschaft' of Christ returning in CA Bischoff's lifetime - Name: Apostolische Geloofsgemeenschap, in the 1980s changed into Gemeente van Apostolische Christenen
  • 1989 Germany – Apostle Rockenfelder jr. - Reason: doctrinal differences about hierarchical structure of the New Apostolic Church - Name: Apostolische Gemeinde
  • 1989 Netherlands - ret. District Elder Bijl - Reason: doctrinal differences about hierarchical structure of the NAC - Name: Apostolische Gemeente (Dutch branch of Germany 1989, see above)
  • Introduction of "New Apostolic Church (02.15.09)

Introduction

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The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a chiliastic church, numbered to Protestantism as a free church of the denominational group of apostolic churches. The church has been existing since 1879 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands. It came forth from the Hamburg schism in 1863 in the Catholic Apostolic Church, which was founded in 1847 in England and started in the 1830s as a renewal movement in, among others, the Anglican Church and Church of Scotland.

Premillennialism and Second Coming of Christ are to the fore of the New Apostolic doctrines. Most of its doctrines are akin to christian mainstream and, especially its liturgy, to Protestantism, whereas hierarchie and organisation could be compared with the Roman Catholic.

The church considers itself to be the re-established continuation of the Early Church, and led by the successors of the twelve apostles. This doctrine resembles Restorationism in some aspects.

The official abbreviation in English states is NAC for New Apostolic Church, whereas it is NAK in German, ENA in French and INA in Portuguese and Spanish.

The emblem of the church portrays a white Latin cross, hovering above stylized waves on blue background. The sun rises at the horizon of those waves, symbolized by 10 rays. There isn't any definite interpretation of its meaning. According to Peter Johanning, spokesman of the church, the various elements can be interpreted as Crucifixion of Jesus Christ (cross), Holy Baptism (water) and as Holy Sealing (sun), referring to the three sacraments of the church. Sunrise or sunset in the emblem could also be regarded as the immediate Second Coming of Christ. The first official emblem was set up by Chief Apostle Schmidt in 1968, which may still be found on many church buildings, although it was changed by Chief Apostle Fehr in 1995.

Church leader Emblem
Papst Benedikt XVI.
Basic data
Church leader: Papst Benedikt XVI. (Joseph Ratzinger)
Members: 1.131.000.000 (Stand: 2008)
Ministers: 407.262 (Stand: 2008)
Congregations:
Address: Via della Conciliazione 54
SCV-00120 Vatikanstadt
Website: www.vatican.va
New Apostolic Church
New Apostolic Church hall in Germany
ClassificationChiliastic, Restorationist
OrientationIrvingian movement
Christianity
PolityApostolic Hierarchical
LeaderChief Apostle
Wilhelm Leber
Distinct fellowshipsInternational Apostles's Meeting
District Apostles's Meeting
Project Groups:
-Faith Questions
-Ecumenism
-Music
-Communication
-Youth
Committee for special affairs
AssociationsConsortium of Christian Churches, Germany and Switzerland
Region181 nations
OriginJanuary, 1863
Hamburg, Germany
Congregations66,388
Members11,239,935
Ministers259,515
Aid organizationNAK karitativ, Germany
Official websitewww.nak.org/en/

To-do-list

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  • Compare introduction with others
  • Write an article on Hans Urwyler
  • Write an article on Richard Fehr
    • Compare categories of spirituals
  • NAC - disambugation
  • NAC - references
  • NAC - doctrine
  • NAC - criticism
  • NAC - weblinks
  • NAC - Nazi History
    • Insert NAC-Infos where possible
  • Write an article on Holy Sealing
  • Write an article on Apostolic Denomination
    • Create articles and categories on Apostolic Churches
  1. ^ Letter to all members in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, J.P. Fendt and E. Hiby, January 1955
  2. ^ "Letter to Administration Brothers and Members at home and abroad", Signed by the Apostles, July 7, 1960