Union of the Apostolic Communities

The Union of the apostolic communities is the dissenting branch of the néo-apostolic Église most widespread and most known. It should not be confused with the Apostolic Church, a branch of the pentecotism, nor with various dissenting Catholic churches or the apostolic Catholic church whose members want to be all " apostoliques".

The néo-apostolic Church knew scissions during its history, part of the members not recognizing more the religious matter authority of the Apostle-patriarch. Therefore the Swiss apostles Ernst and Otto Güttinger, the German apostles Peter Kuhlen, Siegfried Dehmel and Ernst Dunkmann were made exclude from the néo-apostolic Church by " the apostle-patriarche" Johann-Gottfried Bischoff, on January 23rd, 1955, with twelve bishops and several old of the district. All the faithful ones excluded federated as of January 1956 to give rise to the Union of the apostolic communities .

Currently the union contains nine churches members:

(Australia)
Apostolic Church - Apostle Unity (South Africa)
(Germany)
(Netherlands)
Igreja Evangelica Apostolica (Brazil)
Union of the apostolic Christians (France)
United Apostolic Church (India)
United Apostolic Church (Philippines)
(Swiss)

Since 1994 the Apostolische Gemeinschaft of Germany gathers also the Reformiert-Apostolischer Gemeindebund of the old GDR. The apostolic Churches are currently directed by ten apostles:

a. Baron, Knauth, Lieberth and Loose - Germany
a. Den Haan - the Netherlands
a. Schaeffer - France
a. Baltisberger - Switzerland
a. Erasmus - South Africa
a. Flor and Dargusch - Australia

The Brazilian congregations are managed by the apostle Schaeffer de France. The 80 congregations of Philippines, rested by the Australian apostles, are managed by the latter.

The Européens members (including the Indians) are very close on the level to theology and the organization whereas they have more or less distant contacts, as well as theological differences with Australia and South Africa.

In 2003 the European apostles decided to authorize the ordination of the women and, in 2004, the first three women priests were ordered in Germany. January 1st, 2005, three other women priests were ordered in the district of Düsseldorf, and an in March 2005 in the Netherlands. The 1st janvrier the 2006 seventh woman was ordered in Düren in Germany. Currently ten women work in Allemgagne and one in the Netherlands.

Bonds

www.united-apostolic.org Union of the Apostolic Communities in Europe
www.apostolicchurchqld.org.au Apostolic Church off Queensland (Australia)
www.apostolisch.ch Vereinigung Apostolischer Christen (Swiss)
www.apostolisch.de Apostolische Gemeinschaft (Germany)
www.apostolisch.nl Gemeente van apostolische Christenen (Netherlands)

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