Apostolic Genootschap

Apostolic Genootschap in Leiden , South Holland (2020)

The Apostolisch Genootschap (ApGen) is a religious-humanist religious community that emerged from the New Apostolic Church (NAK) in 1947 . It has around 17,500 members in the approx. 87 Dutch and 5 foreign congregations and is the largest apostolic group in the Netherlands.

In German literature, Genootschap is often translated as cooperative, but the correct translation is society. In English "Het Apostolisch Genootschap" is referred to as "The Apostolic Society".

Emergence

The Apostolisch Genootschap officially emerged on December 28, 1951 from the “Hersteld Apostolische Zendingkerk in de Eenheid der Apostelen” (HAZEA) (this was the name of the New Apostolic Church in the Netherlands!). After the death of the Apostle van Oosbree, who died in 1946, there were disagreements about the succession. The apostle himself had named Lambertus Slok as his successor, while the main church leadership of the NAK in Germany, under the leadership of Chief Apostle Johann Gottfried Bischoff, appointed the Dutch apostle J. Jochems.

The majority of the members (around 25,000) followed Lambertus Slok, whom they referred to as "Christ returned". Around 5,000 members remained, like all church buildings and church assets, at Apostel Jochems and the NAK. Apostle Jochems died in 1947 and was succeeded by Apostle Gerrit Kamphuis, who in 1955 as a result of the New Apostolic "messy messages" founded the "Gemeente van Apostolische Christenen", which has been part of the Association of Apostolic Congregations since 1956 .

development

The Apostolisch Genootschap has changed a lot since it was founded. One began as a church fellowship with an extremely centralized apostolic office, in which one “sought living words from a mouth of God”. Since 1978 there have been major reforms in the Apostolic Genootschap. It has been run as a "foundation" ever since. The apostle Lambertus Slok was followed by his son Jan L. Slok, who relativized the apostleship and placed more emphasis on the other offices. In June 2001, Dick Riemers followed as Apostle and Church Leader. Bert Wiegman, former medical director and pediatric cardiologist of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, has been the apostle and church leader since Easter 2011.

Teaching

In the Church's proclamation, the focus is on the miracle of creation . However, creation is understood as an ongoing and constant process of realization that must be experienced. One does not confess a divine person as power or creator. Every person is responsible out of his consciousness to give shape to the creation mystery (God). There are no afterlife , heavenly bliss or eternal life. Concepts such as sin, the fall and redemption through Christ have taken a back seat. For this reason there is no fixed creed and the mental pictures only represent a preliminary idea.

Web links

http://www.apgen.nl (Official Website)