Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ

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Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ is part of the name of three Christian religious communities . They have a common root and after decades of separation are looking for a union on a common basis. They are assigned to the denomination group of the Apostolic Communities .

history

The Apostolic in Germany - a simplified overview

The prehistory of this religious community and its origins go back to the year 1832 with the emergence of the first Catholic-Apostolic congregations . Around 1900/01, the New Apostolic District Elder Julius Fischer believed that Christ had already returned "in the flesh" of the newly called Apostles. After disputes with Chief Apostle Friedrich Krebs, he was expelled from the Apostolic Congregation in 1901. He gathered a small group of believers around him and on May 2, 1902 founded the Apostle ministry of Judah .

The former brickworker Hermann Krüger (1869–1933) was one of Fischer's followers. Krüger did great services to the apostle ministry in Judah, especially through the congregations he opened in Berlin-Moabit and in the Frankfurt / Oder district . On February 20, 1921 he was appointed apostle by Fischer under the name "Simeon".

Follow-up disputes after Fischer's death in the twenties led to various divisions and fragmentations. In 1922 Fischer appointed Adolf Tschach "Apostle Bishop in Juda". When Fischer died on March 2, 1923 and Tschach, who was only 31 years old, rose to the highest dignity in the apostolic office, four apostles went into business for themselves with their congregations, of which only the one that Hermann Krüger had removed in April 1923.

In accordance with the dignity given to him, Krüger called his congregation the apostolic office Simeon in Judah and then the apostolic office Simeon in Jacob's line . Before his death on January 3, 1933, he installed Albert Trubach (1901–1980) as his successor. On February 20, 1933, through a prophecy, he received the apostle name "Naphthali".

During the time of National Socialism , the Simeon Apostle ministry was dissolved and banned by an order of the Secret State Police Office in Berlin on November 5, 1934 on the charge of "Marxist activities". A large number of the leading members were arrested, but in the smallest of circles they continued to come together and maintain solidarity.

After the end of the war, the apostle office was re-admitted and registered as a religious community. From March 30, 1946, services were celebrated again without hindrance. During a divine service on February 20, 1947, Apostle Albert Trubach was prophetically called " Chief Apostle Jesus Christ". Two months before his death, Apostle Trubach resigned his office in early July 1980 and appointed the Apostle Hans-Joachim Preuss (1920–1981) from Cottbus as his successor as Chief Apostle. After his death on August 6, 1981, the office of Chief Apostle was not renewed. The Apostle Ministry of Jesus Christ Kdö.R renounced the office of Chief Apostle and returned to the Catholic-Apostolic principle of the equality of all apostles.

Divisions and reunification aspirations

The building of the wall resulted in different developments in West and East Germany, which led to the separation of the West and East AJC. From the Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ initiated by Hermann Krüger, the following so-called apostolic communities developed over the decades :

  • Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ , established in 1960, corporation under public law (AJC K. d. Ö. R.) with seat of the main church office in Cottbus,
  • Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ Church , established in 1960, as a corporation under private law. V. (AJC e.V.) based in Berlin with 24 municipalities,
  • Community of the Apostles of Jesus Christ , registered association, a spin-off from AJC e. V. from 1986 with currently eight communities.

The AJC e. V. and the GdAJC e. V. have been working together intensively for a long time and are striving for an association. In May 2005, the desired unification of all three communities initially failed. The AJC K. d. O. R. had called a new leading apostle. Together with two other apostles of his community, he sought a "merger" with the OAC (Old Apostolic Church). However, this failed because many members and offices of the AJC K. d. usually did not follow this change.

Since 2006 the idea of ​​“growing together” of all three legal forms of the AJC, such as AJC K. d. ö. R, GdAJC e. V., AJC e. V. implemented. Many adjustments and new goals have already been set “to a common AJC (Apostle Ministry of Jesus Christ)”. A mutual exchange is currently taking place, joint statements of faith are being processed and a joint worship liturgy is already being practiced.

The supreme body of all three AJC areas is the "Expanded Apostles Conference", in which decisive decisions on unification are made.

Teaching

The understanding of faith of all communities listed here is based on the Apostolic Creed ( Apostolicum ). The earlier doctrine of an "impersonal return of Jesus Christ in the apostles" is no longer upheld. Among other things, they referred to the Old Testament designation of the people of Israel as the Son of God and to the New Testament image of the head and body of Christ. This belief in the repeated incarnation also led to the rejection of the eschatological expectation of Christ's return.

As in many other apostolic communities, the sacrament of sealing plays a central role in the apostolic office of Jesus Christ. Other sacraments are water baptism and Holy Communion . The apostle ministry of Jesus Christ is otherwise based on the Bible in teaching and practice . The Luther Bible in the version from 1912 is used. The spiritual meaning of the Bible, recognizable through grace, is preferred to literal faith in the Bible.

Ecumenism

Due to the more intensive ecclesiastical cooperation of the churches in the GDR, the Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ K. d. Ö. R. (East) Guest member of the Working Group of Christian Churches in the GDR. After reunification, this became part of the Working Group of Christian Churches . Thus, the Apostle Ministry of Jesus Christ (East) became the only apostolic community to date that worked as a guest member in the ACK at the federal level.

The Apostle Ministry of Jesus Christ (e.V. and K. d. Ö. R.) is a member of the Working Group of Churches and Religious Societies in Berlin (AKR), which enables the communities to broadcast radio programs such as the Word for the Day on DeutschlandRadio Berlin.

literature

  • Horst Reller (Ed. For the VELKD working group on behalf of the Lutheran Church Office): Handbook of Religious Communities. Free churches, special communities, sects, ideological communities, new religions. 2nd Edition. Gütersloher Verlagshaus Gerd Mohn, Gütersloh 1979, ISBN 3-579-03585-1 .

Web links

Commons : Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ  - Collection of images, videos and audio files