As usual, those staying overnight met on Friday evening (October 16) for a cozy get-together, where there was much joy at seeing old friends again, but new participants were also welcomed. One network member celebrated his birthday that day—and it would not be the last one that weekend.

The actual conference program then began on Saturday morning (October 17) at the Central Archive of the NAK West (Link) in Pulheim-Brauweiler. Archivist Alfred Krempf welcomed those present and had prepared a short program. In the “Walter Schmidt Room,” attendees watched a video about the archival work of the Central Archives (see on YouTube Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). In addition, the various sections of the archives were open to those interested. Dominique Baur demonstrated the facility’s digital capabilities. Attendees were also able to browse through books and archival materials, and a variety of fascinating conversations ensued.

At 1:00 p.m., the group set off for their next destination: the New Apostolic Church Kerpen-Stadt (congregation page, chronicle, formerly Horrem). As the local organizer and a network member, congregation leader Frank Bredemeier welcomed the participants. He also provided some interesting insights into the eventful history of the congregation and the building in Horrem.

On behalf of the network’s board, Mathias Eberle provided, as usual, an update on the network’s development. The organization continues to be pleased with rising membership numbers. At the time of the meeting, 196 people were members of the network—and one more person joined during the event. During the meeting, it was also announced that the mortgage on the archive building had been paid off. Four network members received a small token of appreciation for their more than ten years of membership in the network, presented by Chief Financial Officer Volker Wissen.

After a lunch lovingly prepared by the local congregation, the main program began. No recordings were made of the presentations. However, there are plans to publish presentation slides and additional content here at a later date.

First, Mathias Eberle began with the presentation “Religious Revival in the Rhineland: Friedrich Wilhelm Menkhoff’s Training of Deacons in Duisburg, 1849–1852,” which traced the life story of this Evangelical-Apostolic pioneer, with a focus on his time in Duisburg. This was followed by a brief presentation titled “The Beginnings of the Catholic Apostolic Congregations in the Rhineland,” which provided an overview of the origins and current situation of Catholic Apostolic congregations and church buildings in the region.

Volker Wissen then delivered his presentation titled “The Apostolic Congregation in the Rhineland: Regional Focuses and Influential Figures.” In doing so, he highlighted the initial heterogeneity of the Apostolic Community, which was founded in 1955, and shed light on the influence of key figures of that time and subsequent generations.

After a coffee break, Dominique Baur presented the “History of the New Apostolic Church in the Cologne Area.”

He highlighted the humble beginnings in the 19th century and traced the developments up to the ecumenical opening in the 21st century.

Afterward, Siegfried Richter, Bishop of the Church of the Apostolic Ministry of Jesus Christ, took the floor to present his comprehensive lecture titled “The Development of the Apostelamt Jesu Christi in the Rhineland.” The emergence of this regional branch of the AJC did not begin until after World War II and was by no means straightforward. For the participants, the insights provided were fascinating and new—until now, there had been no tangible materials on this topic.

The official conclusion of the day was the “Musical Finale,” which was hosted this year by Andreas Ostheimer. Hans Kuritz, the network’s vice chair, had set some well-known song lyrics to Anglican melodies this past summer. From the resulting small booklet, the participants sang four songs together. This was followed by a get-together in the local parish hall and a cozy conclusion to the evening. During this time, everyone was able to once again enjoy the parish’s warm hospitality.

On Sunday morning (October 18), those staying overnight had breakfast at the hotel and took the opportunity to congratulate another participant at the gathering on a milestone birthday. Afterward, everyone had the opportunity to attend one of several worship services offered in the region. A larger group attended the service of the Apostelamt Jesu Christi in Cologne. Several participants were also present at the NAK Kerpen-Stadt—there, after the divine service, the congregation was presented with a certificate for a previously arranged return visit to the Brockhagen Archive in the summer of 2027.

At noon, everyone met again in the familiar surroundings of Cologne-Lövenich, enjoying the authentic brewery atmosphere they had come to know on Friday evening. After a lunch of “Cologne-style tapas,” Alfred Krempf delivered his fascinating lecture “Hadj Alemán—The Story of the New Apostolic Joseph Klems from Düsseldorf,” whose eventful life story—from a petty criminal in the Rhineland to a Moroccan insurgent—has been adapted for film and novels on numerous occasions.

Finally, at 2:30 p.m., the network held its general meeting on site. No elections were on the agenda this year. Plans were made for the network’s upcoming 20th annual meeting, which is scheduled to take place in northern Germany in the fall of 2027, as well as for the network’s participation in the 2027 NAC South German Youth Day in Stuttgart.

Around 4:00 p.m., the last participants bid farewell to this conference, which was both very harmonious in atmosphere and intellectually stimulating. See you next time!

Please see the German version of this article for many pictures.

We are extremely pleased to announce that, as a result of our fundraising campaign this fall, we have already been able to make the planned special payment toward our mortgage. By October 15, 2026, we had raised approximately €7,500 in donations. Consequently, the Board decided to transfer the remaining balance to the lending bank during our annual conference in Cologne. On Friday, October 16, the outstanding amount of €9,263.92 was received by the bank.

We have thus succeeded in fully financing the purchase of the archive building in Brockhagen in just five and a half years! This is a truly extraordinary achievement for a relatively small association with an unconventional field of research!

First and foremost, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this project possible through donations large and small, advocacy, promotion, and collaboration! We would like to emphasize that it was, in particular, the many small contributions from a three-digit number of donors that made the project possible. Some of these were transferred as designated monthly donations and were invaluable in helping us cover the monthly installments. Thus, the acquisition of the archive in Brockhagen is a successful “crowdfunding project”—a burden shared by many, which has led to this extraordinary success.

Some background on the project:

The former New Apostolic Church building in the Steinhagen district of Brockhagen had already been leased by the Apostolic History Network since January 1, 2012. On July 20, 2021, the Network purchased the building from the New Apostolic Church of West Germany (K.d.ö.R.) for €150,000 plus closing costs of approximately €13,000. Approximately €60,000 of the total amount was raised through donations; particularly noteworthy was the support from the local municipality, the Steinhagen municipality, in the form of a €15,000 donation toward the building purchase. The Network financed the remaining €100,000 through a real estate loan, which has now been paid off in full.

Donations received as part of the fundraising campaign through the end of the year will be applied toward the difference resulting from the special repayment. The archive acquisition project is thus complete—and a great success!

We can hope that the archive will be preserved for a long time to come and continue to serve the study of apostolic history.

In 2026, the Apostolic History Network continued to grow. We now have nearly 200 members, and we are planning our next big step: We would like to fully repay the mortgage on our building this fall!

Some background: In 2021, we took out a mortgage of 100,000 euros, which covered part of the purchase price of our archive in Brockhagen. It was originally set to run for ten years, meaning it was due to end in 2031.

Thanks in part to many generous donations in recent times, we’ve been able to continue to shorten the loan term through extra payments. It’s now scheduled to end in 2027—but in these economically and politically turbulent times, we’d like to pay off the remaining balance as quickly as possible!

As of our annual general meeting on October 18, the remaining debt amounts to approximately 9,300 euros. We could pay this amount “in one go” as an extra payment—and then we’d be done! That would be a great shared success for the preservation of our history!

If possible, we therefore ask you to make a donation to help pay off our loan as described above. And we cordially invite you to attend one of our in-person events and see the developments in the archive over the past few years!

Donations to this worthy cause can still be made until the end of 2026 to our SEPA account

Netzwerk Apostolische Geschichte

IBAN: DE64 3004 0000 0848 5930 00

BIC: COBADEFFXXX (Commerzbank Dusseldorf)

with the reference “Archive 2027.” We do offer donations via Paypal as well, using the address paypal@apostolische-geschichte.de . In any case, please contact us if we can help you transferring a donation.

We cordially thank you for all your support! We publish our financial reports annually—they can be accessed here.

Thank you very much for your loyal support!

The Board of the Apostolic History Network

The handover was preceded by planning and discussions initiated by our network coordinator, Andreas Ostheimer, during which the network coordinated with the construction department of the New Apostolic Church of Southern Germany. The kind and generous authorization from the New Apostolic Church (NAK Süd) to accept the items made it possible to organize suitable freight transport. On site in Reutlingen and Brockhagen, groups of volunteers were on hand to handle the logistics.

The contracted freight company handled the actual delivery of the objects to the archive. Since the street in front of the archive appeared too narrow for the large freight truck, unloading and transport to the building were carried out using a forklift that had been brought on site. The altar being transported on the forklift certainly piqued the interest of the neighborhood on Uhlandstraße.

The Brockhagen volunteer group then first moved the altar—which had been on display in a central location in the archive building since 2013—to a different spot. This altar had been reconstructed in 2013 for the NAK Central Germany Youth Day in Glauchau as a replica of the first altar of the Leipzig Central Church and had been a defining feature of the seminar room in the archive ever since. After approximately 13 years (with a few interruptions), the Network’s board decided to move this altar to an adjacent room in order to properly display the Reutlingen altar. This relocation was carried out by the volunteer group. Subsequently, the Reutlingen altar and the organ wall were set up and installed in the seminar room.

We are delighted with this valuable addition to our exhibition! At the same time, we invite you to help cover the costs of the shipping by making a donation to the Network. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped and pitched in!

Exciting presentations and opportunities for fellowship and music are planned! We warmly invite you to participate!

Registration for the meeting is required! Please register by August 31, 2026! Click here to register:

The planned program (as of July 2026)

Friday, October 16, 2026

Starting at 3:00 p.m.: Check-in at the hotel

Hotel Landhaus Gut Keuchhof, Braugasse 14, 50859 Cologne

(Please check in by 6:00 p.m.!)

Starting at 6:00 p.m. Casual get-together; dinner available at your own expense (Reissdorf em Keuchhof, Braugasse 12-14, 50859 Cologne)

Saturday, October 17, 2026

10:00 a.m. Tour of the Central Archives of the NAK West, Donatusstraße 15 d, 50259 Pulheim-Brauweiler (8-minute drive from the hotel)

Presentations on the archival system of the NAK West and the church records office (Alfred and Reiner Krempf)

1:00 p.m. Meeting at the New Apostolic Church Kerpen-Stadt, Adenauerstraße 18-20, 50169 Kerpen-Horrem – approx. 20-minute drive from Brauweiler; parking is available on site.

Welcome by our hosts, organizational matters, light lunch

2:30 p.m. Lecture: Religious Revival in the Rhineland: Friedrich Wilhelm Menkhoff’s Deacon Training in Duisburg, 1849–1852 (Mathias Eberle)

3:00 p.m. Short presentation: The Beginnings of the Catholic Apostolic Congregations in the Rhineland (Mathias Eberle)

3:15 p.m. Lecture: The Apostolic Congregation in the Rhineland: Regional Focuses and Influential Figures (Volker Wissen)

4:00 p.m. Coffee break, discussions

4:30 p.m. Lecture: History of the New Apostolic Church in the Cologne Area (Alfred Krempf Dominique Baur)

5:30 p.m. Lecture: The Development of the Apostolic Ministry of Jesus Christ in the Rhineland (Siegfried Richter)

6:10 p.m. Musical conclusion

6:30 p.m. Social gathering, conclusion of the evening.

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Check out of the hotel by 11:00 a.m.!

Morning Option to attend a divine service or devotional (recommendations will be sent to participants)

12:00 p.m. Light lunch (Reissdorf em Keuchhof, Braugasse 12–14, 50859 Cologne)

1:30 p.m. Lecture: Hadj Alemán – The Story of Joseph Klems, a New Apostolic Christian from Düsseldorf (Alfred Krempf)

2:30 p.m. General Meeting of the Network for Apostolic History e.V. at the Reissdorf em Keuchhof restaurant, Braugasse 12–14, 50859 Cologne (as per the invitation sent to members)

3:30 p.m. Closing remarks, end of the conference

Information on the scope of services (subject to change)

Meals and beverages are included in the respective conference fees. Vegetarian meals can be ordered; in this case, please note this when placing your order.

Additional nights’ lodging unfortunately CANNOT be booked through us for organizational reasons! Please contact the accommodation provider directly for this.

Payment Terms

The total fees are due upon receipt of the order and will be collected via direct debit. Unfortunately, we no longer offer PayPal due to cost considerations. The order is valid only after payment has been received.

Information on the Process Following the Order

All registered participants will receive an automatic order confirmation via email after placing their order, based on the options selected. The organizer reserves the right to make changes to the program or event. In the event of significant changes, participants will be notified via email. For further inquiries, please contact us at 0175/64 80 273 or via email at treffen@apostolische-geschichte.de.

First, an in-person board meeting of the network took place in the afternoon, which was also a first. Since the Network’s board has operated almost entirely virtually since 2010, its members typically meet in person only during general membership meetings. According to all board members, the meeting on July 14, 2026, was the first since the association’s founding in which the entire board gathered for an in-person meeting.

Since it was particularly warm that day, the meeting took place in the archive’s large basement room, which had been renovated some time ago. The discussion focused primarily on organizational matters, such as planning this year’s annual meeting of the network, an invitation to an external lecture, and ideas for future exhibits at the Brockhagen Archive.

Around 7:00 p.m., the archive choir gathered in the archive’s hall—which had cooled down somewhat by then—for a brief rehearsal in preparation for the commemorative ceremony that followed. Together, they put together a small repertoire of songs, from which conductor Gabi Weinert was then able to spontaneously select two pieces for the ceremony.

During the memorial service, board members Hans Kuritz and Volker Wissen—who had traveled from farther away—each delivered a few remarks. The board had spontaneously decided, as a one-time exception, to conduct this memorial service in black robes resembling those of the Catholic Apostolic lay assistants. Rebecca and Mathias Eberle performed a soprano solo with organ accompaniment, and Sara Eberle read a passage from the Bible. The Archivchor sang, and the entire assembled congregation of about 20 people also sang two songs, accompanied by Hans Kuritz on the organ.

After the service, which is still available on YouTube, there was an opportunity to socialize on-site over sandwiches, coffee, and cookies—an opportunity that was widely enjoyed; the last participants did not leave until late in the evening.

We are grateful for a day rich in both content and fellowship and hope that some of that richness was able to shine through.

For many years, the Network for Apostolic History has commemorated this day and its events. In the meantime, various Apostolic churches have also begun (once again) to mention it in their divine services. This year, for example, it will be the theme of the weekly divine services of the New Apostolic Church on July 15 and 16.

The commemorative gathering will also be streamed live on YouTube:

On August 22, 2026, we’re hosting a second English-language networking meeting virtually. This event is scheduled to accommodate Asian time zones and will take place at 10 a.m. German time.

On October 3, we will commemorate the “100th Anniversary of the Reformed-Apostolic Hymnal” with a sing-along presentation, highlighting its origins, content, and legacy. This presentation will also be streamed on YouTube.

The network’s annual meeting will take place from October 16 to 18, 2026, in Cologne, Germany! Registration for this event will open in the coming weeks. Our general meeting is scheduled for October 18 in the Cologne area.

As usual, we are offering a chronological and a thematic program for download. Printed copies are available at the archive itself and can also be mailed upon request. In addition, the events are listed on the right side of this page and on our events page. Any changes or cancellations will also be posted here.

Thematic Program: https://apostolische-geschichte.de/download/Veranstaltungen2026-2-thematisch.pdf

Chronological Program: https://apostolische-geschichte.de/download/Veranstaltungen2026-2-chronologisch.pdf

In addition to the scheduled events, we have long offered lectures and archive tours for interested groups outside of the regular program. We plan these events on demand in consultation with the groups. We have listed some examples of group events at the bottom of our events page. If you are interested, please contact us by email.

The day began at 10 a.m. with an introduction, a round of introductions, and a schedule that guided the group through the day. This was followed by six lecture segments presented by Mathias Eberle, which examined key periods of Apostolic church history in chronological order.

In addition to the content presented, each of these segments offered an opportunity for questions and was concluded with a fitting song from the network’s Apostolic Song Book and a break. A light homemade lunch and a coffee and cake break rounded out the program, which ended at 5 p.m.

Although the program comprised nearly 280 presentation slides and lasted seven hours, participants regretted that some interesting topics could only be touched upon due to time constraints. Both a repeat of the event for additional interested parties and a more in-depth follow-up to this day are conceivable. The intensive, constructive, and at times cheerful atmosphere was described by some attendees as a “mini-annual meeting” of the network.

Thanks to a small, earmarked grant from the German Foundation for Civic Engagement and Volunteering, we were able to purchase four additional high-quality folding tables for the archive’s hall in recent weeks, which were used for the first time on this occasion as seminar room furnishings. The very sturdy yet flexible tables proved to be excellent work equipment, and we hope to be able to use them for many years to come.

We thank all attendees for their interest and participation! We enjoyed it too.

The reason for this is that some very interested individuals were unable to attend last year’s event due to scheduling conflicts. We cordially invite them and anyone else who is interested to this repeat event. Due to space limitations, the group size is limited to 16 participants.

Participation is free of charge. A donation to cover costs will be requested on-site. The event will take place exclusively in person in Brockhagen; due to the workshop format, no livestream is planned.

Registration by April 5 is politely asked for so we can plan a light lunch:

https://www.apostolische-geschichte.de/intensivkurs-anmeldung