Zurich. Outside the American continents, this year’s Pentecost divine service will once again play out in the familiar circle of each home congregation, something that has not happened for quite some time. This year, the Pentecost divine service conducted by Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber will be transmitted beyond national borders by satellite to congregations throughout North and South America. The international Church leader is expected in Rosemont near Chicago (USA). The divine service will take place in the Rosemont Theatre and will be transmitted to Canada, the USA, and a number of countries in South America.

Chief Apostle Leber sends a special Pentecost greeting to all congregations around the world, and writes as follows:

My dear brethren in faith and dear friends of our Church,

I wish all of you a richly blessed Pentecost, filled with much peace and joy out of the Holy Spirit. I will conduct this year’s Pentecost divine service in Chicago</st1:city> (USA), and will thus be serving our members in the American continents. Nevertheless, I remain closely connected with all Apostles around the world. The power of the Holy Spirit will bind us together such that there will be nothing lacking anywhere.

It is always quite impressive to read the biblical account concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The account ends by relating that the disciples continued “praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2: 47). We can understand this as follows: the congregation of the time looked up to God in gratitude, and possessed a special “radiating power” that emanated from the members toward the outside world. That was the work of the Holy Spirit! It is my wish that we too may have such a special “radiating power”, such that the effect of the Holy Spirit may become more and more clearly visible.  

I send you my greetings and assure you of my prayers. I intercede especially for those who are lonely and those who are sad. May the Holy Spirit lead you onward and upward!

Yours,

Wilhelm Leber

For last year’s Pentecost celebration the Church president came to Berlin, where all but two of the Apostles of Europe had gathered together. The divine service took place in the congregation of Berlin-Lichtenberg, and some 1.5 million members from around the world participated in the divine service by satellite transmission. The Chief Apostle’s message of greeting for Pentecost 2008 was: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4: 11).

Please read our History of Pentecost services.