Buenos Aires. Ezeiza is a small city about 35 kilometres outside of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. In the Espacio Canning in the city’s Centro de Convenciones, Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber, international leader of the New Apostolic Church, conducted a divine service on Saturday evening and a youth gathering on Sunday during the last weekend in August. In the process, some 43,000 believers from the District Apostle district of Norberto Passuni witnessed the well-earned retirement of Apostle Vicente Teti (66), who had served God’s work faithfully for many years.

Vicente Teti had worked as a minister of the New Apostolic Church for 34 years, the last nine of them as an Apostle, during which time he had travelled extensively throughout Argentina. Chief Apostle Leber thanked him for his work of love, which he performed in addition to his profession as a physician. To succeed him in ministry, the Chief Apostle went on to ordain Norberto Bianchi (58) an Apostle.

The Sunday was dedicated to the young brothers and sisters of the district. The multinational Youth Day brought together approximately 10,000 young people from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, and Bolivia, along with some 1,500 ministers and organisers.

After a prayer and some words of welcome from the Chief Apostle, a very colourful program began. It was comprised of choral and instrumental performances, folk dances, workshops on literature and art, discussion panels, games and puzzles, sports, and question-and-answer sessions with the Chief Apostle.

Argentina is the second-largest country on the South American continent. Approximately 90 percent of the population professes the Roman Catholic faith, while six percent belong to Protestant churches. The New Apostolic Church in the country numbers over 200,000 members, who are served by some 5,000 ministers.