“You have been a minister for 44 years and one day,” Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler said as he proceeded to retire Michael Ehrich during a divine service in Karlsruhe, Germany on 21 June 2026. Twelve of these years he served as an Apostle and twenty years as a District Apostle. “We all thank you. We thank your dear wife, Elke, and we thank your family,” said the Chief Apostle.

The leader of the New Apostolic Church International appointed District Apostle Helper Martin Rheinberger as the new District Apostle. “I would like to place these four points—the teaching of the Apostles, the breaking of bread, fellowship, and prayer—into your heart as your guiding agenda,” Chief Apostle Mutschler emphasised.

District Apostle Rheinberger is 58 years old and has been serving as a minister for 37 years. He was ordained as an Apostle in 2020 and assigned a District Apostle Helper in 2025. In addition to Southern Germany, his area of responsibility includes nearly thirty countries in Central, West, and East Africa, as well as in Asia and Europe.