Zurich. Last weekend Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber conducted two divine services in Central America. On Saturday, 25 April 2009, a festive congregation gathered for a divine service with him in Managua (Nicaragua), and on Sunday, 26 April 2009, the believers assembled to hear the Chief Apostle serve in Panama City, Panama. During the Sunday service, the international Church leader retired Apostle Juan Carlos Fernández, after expressing thanks to the 65-year-old for his 47 years of active ministry in the New Apostolic Church.

For over 26 years, Apostle Fernández had travelled throughout several countries in Central and South America, among them Uruguay (where he was born), Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. He served the congregations tirelessly and with joyful faith, said the Chief Apostle in his address to the retiring Apostle. To succeed him in ministry for the Church in Peru, the Chief Apostle ordained the hitherto District Elder Miguel Ángel Flores Cordóva (33). 

The Chief Apostle addressed a special Bible passage from Isaiah 12: 2-3 to the new Apostle and the entire assembled congregation. He called upon the believers to trust in the Lord unconditionally: “If we lay all things into His hand, our fear must retreat.”

The Church’s work in Peru is supported by the District Church of the USA. The South American country has an area of approximately 1.3 million square kilometres and is very heavily defined by the Catholic faith. The New Apostolic Church in this country numbers some 33,000 members.