New Apostolic Church
International

Buenos Aires. Norberto Rubén Batista (54) is the name of the new district apostle helper who will now work at the side of District Apostle Mario Fiore (68). The divine service, which took place in the Buenos Aires Central church, was enjoyed by more than 90,000 souls, either in the church or via satellite transmission.

Chief Apostle Richard Fehr is currently undertaking his last overseas trip, which led him to Argentina on Sunday, 10 April 2005. More than 200,000 New Apostolic members live in this South American country. The Sunday divine service took place in the gigantic metropolis of Buenos Aires, where Chief Apostle Richard Fehr appointed a district apostle helper and went on to ordain three apostles and five bishops.

Norberto Pedro Picchi (57) was ordained an apostle for the District Church of Argentina. Julio Felix Romani Santillana (50) received the apostle ministry for Colombia and Ecuador, and Pedro Segundo Marín Cáceres (53) was ordained an apostle for Peru. The following will from now on work as bishops: Freddy Mercado Ribera (39, Bolivia), Eduardo Haeffner (47, Brazil), Reinaldo Milczuk (44, Brazil), Edwin Saavedra de Luque (45, Peru), and Narciso Enrique Sosa Espinoza (49, Venezuela).

The new district apostle helper will continue to work as an apostle, since being a district apostle helper is a function, not a ministry. District Apostle Helper Norberto Batista will be the main support to his district apostle to help him with the organisation and pastoral care of the approximately 250,000 brethren living in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

On the occasion of his last journey to South America, the leader of our church left the expectant congregation with thoughts from the passage: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification!" (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

That same Sunday evening the chief apostle and the apostles accompanying him travelled on to the North American continent, where a divine service took place in New York on Wednesday evening. During this service the chief apostle ordained a bishop for the Dominican Republic: Euclides Segura Morillo (46).

The travel report on North America will follow. Chief Apostle Richard Fehr is expected to be back home on Monday, 18.04.2005.