Hans Urwyler
Hans Samuel Urwyler (born February 20, 1925 in Bern ; † November 17, 1994 there ) was the sixth Chief Apostle (international church president) of the New Apostolic Church .
Life
Urwyler was born into a New Apostolic home and grew up in Switzerland. His ancestors on his mother's side came to Switzerland as Huguenots . His grandfather Hans Plüss was one of the first New Apostolic bishops in Switzerland. After graduating from school, Urwyler learned the trade of a machine mechanic. After further commercial training and a visit to the cantonal technical center in Biel , he started his own business in the automotive industry with a college friend. As a youth he was a conductor in his home town of Schwarzenburg . It was here that he met his wife Hedi Wenger, with whom he married in 1949, which resulted in two sons.
After Chief Apostle Ernst Fahrtisen died unexpectedly during a business trip to South Africa, Hans Urwyler was elected Chief Apostle at an international Apostle Meeting on November 18, 1978. The New Apostolic Church experienced strong growth during his tenure. In addition to his many European trips, Chief Apostle Urwyler made 28 overseas trips and ordained over 130 apostles worldwide. In 1986, he encouraged New Apostolic Christians to take more personal responsibility for their religious life, as well as love, helpfulness and understanding for those brothers and sisters in faith whose path in life deviated from the general norm (e.g. homosexuality, living in a marriage-like relationship and in divorce) and regulated them in this context Admission to Holy Communion . In 1985 there was a major split in the Wiesbaden area under Apostle Hermann Gottfried Rockenfelder, who founded the Apostolic Community of Wiesbaden with around 1,000 followers .
In July 1987, Hans Urwyler suffered a severe stroke after a trip to Africa, from which he did not fully recover. On August 28, 1987, in the presence of several European District Apostles in the hospital in Bern, he commissioned the Swiss District Apostle Richard Fehr to be Chief Apostle Helper and thus his deputy. On May 3, 1988, he ordained him, again in the presence of several District Apostles from Germany, France, Canada and Zambia, in the hospital in Bern as Chief Apostle and retired himself. The last years of his life were marked by his serious illness. After further strokes, he died in 1994 with his family.
Ordinations
- 1949: Underdeacon
- 1952: Deacon
- 1953: priest
- 1964: Shepherd
- 1965: District Evangelist
- 1966: District oldest
- April 27, 1969: Bishop
- January 1, 1976: District Apostle (Church President) for the District Church in Switzerland (until January 1, 1980)
literature
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Ernst Fahrtisen |
Chief Apostle of the New Apostolic Church 1978–1987 |
Richard Fehr |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Urwyler, Hans |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Urwyler, Hans Samuel (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss clergyman, Chief Apostle of the New Apostolic Church |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 20, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bern , Switzerland |
| DATE OF DEATH | 17th November 1994 |
| Place of death | Bern , Switzerland |