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.

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:

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

The following files are in PDF format and can be used for reference and personal follow-up work. However, the authors reserve all further rights to these materials.

We hope you find them informative!

Introduction Christians of our time – Presentation by Mathias Eberle

Hymn books CuZ – Presentation by Andreas Ostheimer

Musical finale

Not-Gottes-Kapelle – Notes on the tour by Karlfried Eyermann

The day began punctually at 10 a.m. with an introduction and a “timetable” that guided us through the day. In six individual lessons, moderated by Mathias Eberle, we looked at the different eras of Apostolic church history.

In addition to the content presented, each of these parts offered ample opportunity for questions and was concluded with a fitting song from the Apostolic Songbook of the Network and a break. A light homemade lunch and a coffee and cake break rounded off the program, which ended punctually at 5 p.m.

Some people who were interested in the event were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, so we are considering offering a second run of this course again next year.

The presentation shown, which contains all the content, can be viewed and downloaded here:

https://www.apostolische-geschichte.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-13-Intensivkurs-apostolische-Kirchengeschichte-1.pdf

One of the main goals is to provide some orientation about the colorful diversity of apostolic churches and communities that can be found in many places in Germany today.

Due to the wealth of material and the necessary interaction with those present, the event is designed to be purely in-person. Everyone is welcome and nothing needs to be brought along – however, in order to plan a light lunch, binding registration is required.

Participation in the event is free of charge, but we ask for a donation on site to cover the costs incurred.

Last fall, the network had already asked for donations for its appearance at the DEKT. This enabled around €3,000 to be invested in this purpose, particularly in stand construction and wall posters, advertising materials, and catering for the support group on site. The Apostolic Community of Hanover provided the network with accommodation in its parish hall. This enabled a group of seven people to stay relatively close to the exhibition grounds and make use of the good infrastructure on site.

On Wednesday, April 30, the first task was to set up the exhibition stand at the Hanover exhibition grounds. The close proximity to the stands of the Apostolic Community and the New Apostolic Church made it possible to support each other. This enabled the network to take over a rented refrigerator that was not needed at another booth and to cool the supplies of drinks and fair trade chocolate they had brought with them on site—a great relief on these warm days. Thanks to the network’s good preparation, the setup itself went smoothly and quickly.

At 7:30 p.m., Volker Wissen, church elder of the Apostolic Community and chief financial officer of the network, invited everyone to an evening service in the parish rooms of the Apostolic Community in Hanover. The service was well attended and dealt with the theme “courageous – strong – resolute” based on 1 Corinthians 16:13f. Another focus was Psalm 27 (“The Lord is my light”), which is often sung in the various apostolic churches and communities and was also sung on site with instrumental accompaniment. After the service and an informal get-together in a colorful group, the church hall was converted into a place to spend the night.

The next morning, the three days of the fair began. At first, the weather remained very warm, until a thunderstorm on Friday brought a significant cooling. More and more church convention visitors came through the “Apostolic Alley” at the Market of Opportunities and learned about the diversity of apostolic life in Germany and beyond at the three stands. Among them were clergy from the Protestant Church, experts in the field of worldview issues, people with an Apostolic background or those who had belonged to one of the Apostolic churches in the past, and many others. At times, three or four conversations could be held simultaneously on and in front of the small 12-square-meter booth.

For specific questions, the neighboring booths also referred people to our booth. Overall, during the Market of Opportunities, we were able to welcome three new members to our association, distribute many flyers, and give away some of the books published in our community in exchange for donations.

On Saturday morning, the overnight accommodation was dismantled and cleaned, and then, after another day at the fair, the booth was also dismantled in the evening. Most of the networkers then made their way home from Hanover, while some attended the closing service of the Church Congress or the service at the NAK Hanover-South the next morning.

Overall, we have a positive impression of our visit to the DEKT. Even though some of the organizational tasks were challenging, we managed everything well and were able to welcome a large number of interested people to our booth. We would like to thank everyone who gave us the opportunity and helped us to make this a wonderful event!

More images can be found here below the German text: https://www.apostolische-geschichte.de/grosses-interesse-an-apostolischer-geschichte-beim-kirchentag-in-hannover/