Zurich. Tshitshi Tshisekedi, who currently serves as a District Apostle Helper, will receive the District Apostle ministry for the District Church of South East Congo in January of next year. Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber announced this news in the course of the International District Apostle Meeting in Herzliya, Israel. District Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider will thereby transfer responsibility for the care of one of the largest New Apostolic District Churches in the world in order to dedicate himself increasingly to his tasks as a Chief Apostle Helper.

As we reported, the care of the District Church of France will also be entrusted into new hands. In a divine service scheduled for 23 December, Chief Apostle Leber will transfer responsibility for this region to District Apostle Bernd Koberstein. In January of next year Chief Apostle Helper Jean-Luc Schneider will personally ordain his successor in the District Church of South East Congo. He is convinced that Apostle Tshisekedi will handle his new tasks very well: “Apostle Tshisekedi is a very believing man, filled with confidence and strength. I am also happy that responsibility for both the administrative leadership and pastoral care of the District Church can be entrusted to a local Apostle. He is still the most familiar with the mentality of the people and the culture of the country.”

Ordination in January 2013

Tshitshi Tshisekedi (40) lives in Lubumbashi in the region of Katanga. He speaks French, English, Lingala, and Tshiluba. The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to approximately 1.5 million New Apostolic Christians. They are served by some 56,000 ministers in over 10,000 congregations. The neighbouring country of Burundi is also in the care of the District Church of South East Congo.

The south-western portion of the country, which itself is home to another million members, is led by District Apostle Mike Deppner.