Zurich. Apostle Clement Haeck is the newest member of the Work Group Contacts with other Religions and Denominations (WG CRD).  He succeeds Bishop Paul Imhof, who has recently retired from active involvement in the Church’s group work, after having retired from ministry in October 2013.  Clement Haeck is 62 years of age and resides in Luxembourg.

Apostle Volker Kühnle (NAC Southern Germany), chairman of the WG CRD, gave his new colleague a warm welcome, stating, “We welcome you into our ranks and look forward to some positive new ideas, in particular from our European neighbours.” Apostle Haeck has good connections to the various church representatives of Luxembourg. Just recently, several of the nation’s church leaders had attended a divine service in Luxembourg with Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider (we reported). The ensuing discussions took place in a very friendly and relaxed environment. Clement Haeck speaks German and French equally well. As an Apostle, he looks after the District Church of Hesse / Rhineland-Palatinate / Saar, as well the congregations of Belgium, Luxembourg, the North African countries of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, and the Central African countries of Burkina Faso and Niger.

An impassioned European

He is looking forward to his involvement in this Work Group, as well as to the many conversations and contacts he will have with other churches: “I intend to fully support the valuable work of the WG CRD. As a person who comes from a small country, and an impassioned European at that, it will also be my concern to intensify collaboration with other churches throughout Europe and establish new contacts that do not yet exist, particularly in the Francophone regions.”

Good contacts with other churches

Bishop Paul Imhof took his leave of the Work Group at the end of 2014. He had already retired from active ministry on 20 October 2013, but continued his work in the group for some time afterward. His extremely good connections with churches and institutions in Switzerland have had a marked influence on the group’s work in this part of Europe.

The other members of the WG are Apostle Rolf Wosnitzka (NAC Central Germany) and Bishop Peter Johanning (NACI).