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- Chief Apostle Helper – An appointment with firmly defined tasks
Zurich. At this year’s Pentecost service, which will take place in Cologne on 27 May 2012, Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber plans to appoint District Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider a Chief Apostle Helper. The appointment of a Chief Apostle Helper is not entirely unknown in the New Apostolic Church. Most recently, Chief Apostle Richard Fehr was appointed a Chief Apostle Helper for a whole year before taking on the ministry of Chief Apostle.
An appointment is the assignment of a firmly defined task. It is not to be equated with an ordination—this is what was stated in our last press release. Concerning this we received questions: “What does that mean in concrete terms, as applied to the upcoming appointment of Chief Apostle Helper Schneider?” Chief Apostle Leber has replied as follows: the “firmly defined task” is his involvement in all international leadership tasks. After a transition period, the future Chief Apostle Helper will also take on a portion of the Chief Apostle’s divine service program. In this way, Chief Apostle Leber will be able to limit his travelling activity somewhat.
Retirement on the horizon
The Chief Apostle goes on to say that the appointment of a Chief Apostle Helper is also to be seen only in the context of his own approaching retirement. Whether this role will become a permanent institution as a result of the broader scope of the Chief Apostle’s international activity is an open question, on which he himself will give no further direction.
The international Church leader, who will turn 65 this year, describes District Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider as being qualified in special measure for the task of a Chief Apostle Helper. His spiritual competency, his convincing proclamation of the word of God, and his gift of inspiring others are special hallmarks of his personality.
Chief Apostle Helper Schneider
District Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider (52) comes from France. Since September 2004 he has led the District Church of France, as well as numerous other District Churches such as Burundi, French Polynesia, The Democratic Republic of Congo-Southeast, and New Caledonia. He is married and the father of two children.
30 March 2012