11.3 The reoccupation of the Apostle ministry in the Catholic Apostolic Church

11.3 The reoccupation of the Apostle ministry in the Catholic Apostolic Church Geyer. On 4 January 1863, the Hamburg congregation acknowledged this calling. Even when Apostle Rosochacky resigned from his ministry shortly there- after, Geyer, Schwartz, and the Hamburg congregation maintained that a divine calling had indeed been given. On 27 January 1863, Schwartz was removed from his ministry by Apostle Woodhouse and expelled from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The Hamburg congregation was also excommuni- cated because they followed Schwartz. Therefore January 1863 marks the beginning of the New Apostolic Church. Soon after, Priest Carl Wilhelm Louis Preuss (1827–1878) and, a little la- ter, Friedrich Wilhelm Schwartz, were called as Apostles. Preuss worked in northern Germany while Schwartz was assigned the Netherlands as his work- ing area. Further callings of Apostles followed shortly thereafter. The newly formed community called itself the Allgemeine Christliche apostolische Mission (“General Christian Apostolic Mission”). This name, like the designation of the Dutch branch “Restored Apostolic Mission Church”, reflected the hope of reaching large parts of Christianity. In 1872, Friedrich Wilhelm Menkhoff (1826–1895) was called as an Apostle for Westphalia and the Rhineland. In 1884, he founded the first Church periodical in Germany, entitled Der Herold. Monatsschrift für wahrheitsliebende Christen (“The Herald, a monthly circular for truth-loving Christians”). Under his influence, Apostle Schwartz, beginning in his working area, did away with liturgical vestments and many elements of the liturgy taken over from the Catholic Apostolic Church. As of 1885, these changes were adopted by all other congregations. In 1881, Friedrich Krebs (1832–1905) from Braunschweig was called as an Apostle. After the death of Apostles Schwartz and Menkhoff, he took on the function of leader. His most important concern was the oneness among the Apostles. He was the first Chief Apostle in the current sense of the word. The more the Apostle ministry, with its comprehensive powers, came to the foreground in the Church toward the close of the nineteenth century, the 385 11 From the history of Christianity more the significance of the prophets began to diminish. By the end of the 1920s there were no more prophets active in the congregations. The first decades in the history of the New Apostolic Church served, among other things, to consolidate the congregations and the unity among the Apostles. Beginning in 1897, the Chief Apostle ministry began to crystal- lise as the leading ministry of the Church. It was occupied by Friedrich Krebs until his death in the year 1905. Other bearers of the Chief Apostle ministry were: Johann Gottfried Bischoﬀ (1871–1960, Chief Apostle from 1930 to 1960), (cid:129) Hermann Niehaus (1848–1932, Chief Apostle from 1905 to 1930), (cid:129) (cid:129) Walter Schmidt (1891–1981, Chief Apostle from 1960 to 1975), (cid:129) Ernst Streckeisen (1905–1978, Chief Apostle from 1975 to 1978), (cid:129) Hans Urwyler (1925–1994, Chief Apostle from 1978 to 1988), (cid:129) Richard Fehr (born 1939, Chief Apostle from 1988 to 2005), (cid:129) Wilhelm Leber (born 1947, Chief Apostle as of 2005). SUMMARY It was in the context of believing anticipation of a special ministry in the church that believing men were called to the Apostle ministry in England starting in 1832. (11.3) In 1837 the Apostles published the Great Testimony and called upon the clergy of all the churches to subject themselves to the authority of the Apostles. This appeal of the Apostles met with no response, however. (11.3.1) In January 1863 the congregation in Hamburg acknowledged the calling of Rudolf Rosochacky as an Apostle. Therefore January 1863 marks the beginning of the New Apostolic Church. (11.3.3) As of 1897 the Chief Apostle ministry began to emerge as the leading minis- try of the church. (11.3.3) 386 Part 12 Divine service, acts of blessing, and pastoral care 12

11.3.1 The development of a church led by Apostles
Beginning in September 1833, further Apostles were called through prophecy.
In the process, people with prophetical gifts played an important role.
In 1835, the Apostles called through prophecy were consecrated to their
future work. Subsequently the Apostles, now numbering twelve, adjourned
for one year to Albury for intensive consultations.
The Apostles waited to be sent to all Christians and to receive a special
power for this purpose. With the Great Testimony of 1837 they sought to
reach out to all spiritual and secular leaders of Christendom. They called on
the clergy to subordinate themselves to the Apostles. In preparation for the
unification of all Christians under their leadership, the Apostles began famil-
iarising themselves with the doctrines and liturgies of various denominations
as of 1838. The appeal of the Apostles met with no response, however.
Within the apostolic work a focus began to develop on the preparation of
the end-time group known as the “one hundred and forty-four thousand”
mentioned in the book of Revelation. These were to be sealed through the lay-
ing on of hands of the Apostles. In 1847 this act was performed on approxi-
mately one thousand believers in England. In the same year, Holy Sealing was
383

11 From the history of Christianity
also performed in Canada by Apostle Francis Woodhouse and in Germany by
Apostle Thomas Carlyle.

11.3.2 The calling of additional Apostles
Apostle Thomas Carlyle, supported by one other Apostle, proposed the con-
vening of an Apostle meeting In 1851. In this meeting, he did not garner the
necessary support from among all the other Apostles for his motion that the
two Apostles Duncan Mackenzie and Henry Dalton—who were no longer ex-
ercising their ministries—be replaced by others.
In the year 1855, three Apostles died, among them Apostle Carlyle.
Successors in the Apostle ministry were called by Edward Oliver Taplin
(1800–1862), the “Pillar of the Prophets”, and the prophet Heinrich Geyer
(1818–1896). The calling of these men was not recognised by the other
Apostles, however.
Yet the longing for the preparation of the bride of Christ by the Apostles,
and the expectation of their sending in the full power of their ministry, re-
mained alive among many of the ministers once ordained and instructed in
northern Germany by Apostle Carlyle. Here, the congregations of Berlin and
Hamburg played a major role.

11.3.3 The continuation of the Apostle ministry in the
New Apostolic Church
The English Apostles were successful in their resistance of an extension of the
circle of Apostles and thereby actually the continuation of the church led by
Apostles. In opposition to this, the prophet Heinrich Geyer and the leader of
the Hamburg congregation, Friedrich Wilhelm Schwartz (1815–1895), in-
sisted that Rudolf Rosochacky (1815–1895) had received a divine calling. On
10 October 1862, the latter had been called as an Apostle by the prophet
384