Zurich. On Friday of last week, Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber, the international Church leader, reached the large metropolis of Dar es Salaam in the East African country of Tanzania after a flight that lasted many hours. Two divine services were scheduled to take place here in Tanzania, one of them on the Saturday in Mbeya and the other on Sunday in Mwanza.

Mbeya is located around 1,000 kilometres west of Dar es Salaam. On Saturday, some 10,000 people gathered when Chief Apostle Leber began the first divine service of his East African journey. Mbeya is a New Apostolic stronghold with many congregations and members. After the divine service, the Church leader flew on to Mwanza, some 1,400 kilometres north of Mbeya. It was here that the Sunday divine service had been scheduled.

Retirements and...

Mwanza lies on the southern shore of Lake Victoria. There approximately 2,000 participants gathered, while another 30,000 members and guests participated in the service via satellite transmission. At the end of the divine service, the Chief Apostle gave Apostles Mathias Nzarombi (Tanzania), Apostle David Seulu (Zambia), and Bishop Noah Bejumula (Tanzania) – all of whom had reached the age limit for active ministry – a well-deserved retirement. All of these brothers had been joyful ministers of the Church for many decades, and the Chief Apostle thanked them sincerely for all the work they had done.

... Ordinations

He then went on to ordain seven Apostles and five Bishops for various African District Churches: for Burundi, he ordained the first local Apostle in Lambert Ntahimpera (46), for Kenya, he ordained Bishop James Mutuku Masila (51), for Congo South-West  the Apostles Fernandez Kalume Abasi (39) and Kithaka Kimbere (50), for Malawi the Apostle Owen Lyson Kayira (50) and Bishop Peter George Nkhana (57), for Zambia the Apostle Patrick Poho (46), for Tanzania the Apostle Steven Shaban Nhende (47) and Bishop Leonard Zawendugu Leopold (43), and for Uganda Apostle Yohonan Byoona (49) as well as Bishops Fredrick Karyebu (45) and James Ssali (39).

The District Apostle district of East Africa incorporates the District Churches of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. District Apostle Shadreck Lubasi is responsible for the administrative and pastoral work of the New Apostolic Church in this region.