House Rules

and

Creed

for the Members of the

New Apostolic Church

English Edition 1969

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The Apostles' College of the New Apostolic Church
1966
 Preface
We human beings live on this earth only once. During this
brief span of time 'Ne deternline our fate for aU eternity.
Manifold are the ways that go over into the beyond. and yet
Jesus declared that only one way ends in the kingdom of God.
Therefore it is most important for us during our time on eanh
to ascertain beyond all doubt whether we are really on this
one way.

Because the first people on earth sinned, death entered into Lhe
world, and so death "passed upon all men. for that all have
sinned" (Romans 5 : 12). But God did not wish to abandon the
lords of creation to the power of darkness forever. After their
fall He promised the first men that one of their seed should
bruise the serpent's head (Genesls 3 : IS). This promise was
fulfilled in Jesus' mission on earth. In Him God and man were
united, for He was begotten by'rhe Holy Ghost and born of the
Virgin Mary. Although He vvas exposed to many temptations
He remained free of all sin and thus the prince of this world
could lay no claim whatsoever to Him.

Acting in accordance with the ",viI! of His heavenly FatheI',

Jesus took the sins of mankind upon Himself and offered
Himself, an incontestable sacrifice, in atonement, thereby
satisfying the demands of divine justice. He carried om His
mission of His own free will and out of divine [ave for us, in
order to save us from everlasting death as He said: "J am lhp
resurrection, and the hie: he that believelh in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he iive: and H'hosoever !iwth and
believeth in meshatlnever die" (John] I: 25-26).

Then the very last thing that His adversaries had expected did
actually happen: He who had died on the cross rose from the
dead on the third day! He appeared to His followers and gave
His Apostles final instructions concerning the task awaiting
them, as they were to go on with His work of redemption upon
earth (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20 and 21; Acts
I : 1-9). He affirmed and stressed the power they had been
granted, which enabled them to remit and to retain sins in His
name. He commissioned them to undertake their task as
Apostles with the following words: "All power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, 10, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew
28: 18-20).
After which He ordered them to remain in Jerusalem until
they were endued with power from on high (Luke 24: 49). Ten
days after Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples, who were
gathered in Jerusalem, were filled with the Holy Ghost,just as
He had foretold. Peter preached a sermon so impressive that
in consequence about three thousand souls were baptized and
thus became members of the work of God on that day of
Pentecost. The Holy Scripture says of that first Church, rich
in gifts and in the power issuing from the Holy Spirit: "They
continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread,' and in prayers" (Acts 2 : 42, cf. 4 :
32). Thus the Early Church, God's work of redemption, was
an Apostolic Church being led by the Apostles of Jesus,
ambassadors for Christ.
.b accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to
In the same manner as He elected the Apostles of the Early
Church in the past, the Lord has again called Apostles in our
times and has sent them out into the world. These men have
been commissioned to gather together the Lord's congrega­
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tion for Him here on earth; using the lIleans of grace with
which the Lord has empowered them they are to liberate the
members of Christ's Church from the claims of the prince of
darkness; furthermore it is their task to prepare the souls
entrusted to their care in readiness for the Day of the Lord,
when He will come and take His own unto Himself. It was the
Lord who began the work of salvation and today He is
completing it! He it was who set up the ministry of grace and
Apostleship, not men, and through the medium of the Holy
Spirit He is building His house of those who are Willing to do
as His messengers tell them. Therefore we can truly say that we
are built "upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians
2: 20), We know that the New Apostolic Church, the Church
of Christ, can reckon with the second coming of the Lord in
the near future. When that moment comes, d day and an hour
which no one knows in advance (Matthew 24 : 36), the first­
fruits and the overcomers in the realm of the departed and also
those living on earth will be united with the Son of God. That
is the First Resurrection (Revelation 20 : 6). This will be
followed by the marriage of the Lamb with His elect
(Revelation 19 : 6-8). During this space of time the world will
witness the increase of ungodliness under the rule of the
Antichrist to a point never reached before, when the people
living on earth will suffer afflictions such as had never been in
the past (Daniel 12; Matthew 24). After this period judgment
will be passed upon Antichrist and the Millennium, when
peace prevails, will begin. As we believe that the Day of the
Lord is approaching fast we are mindful of His admonish­
ment: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 2 I : 36).
.J
 The New Apostolic Church
called to their ministry in response to signs from heaven when
A brief account
the acute need for such a ministry became evident; this
leadership is undivided and under it the congregations receive
The New Apostolic Church is a community of faithful

spiritual ministration and are prepared with divine wisdom

Christians who are aware that they possess a high calling in

for the Day of the Lord that will soon dawn.

God, which knowledge has prompted them to congregate

round the Apostles of Jesus sent in our time. They know that

The leader of the New Apostolic Church is the Chief Apostle.

they can partake of Jesus' merit through the intermediary of

He is the visible head of the Church and as such the supreme

the Apostles alone, and that this is the only way to attain the

authority in all matters concerning faith. Since the members

righteousness that counts with God.
of the New Apostolic Church look on him as the first servant
of the Lord upon earth, and because he himself is constantly
The contemporary work of God goes back to the years around
aware that it is incumbent upon him to aid his Brothers and
1830. A number of devout men searched the Holy Scripture
Sisters in all questions relevant to their belief, the unique
for illumination and they came across the prophecies recorded
position he occupies is devoid of any dictatorial authority over
therein relevant to the last time. This caused them to offer up
the Church or the members, which is perfectly consistent with
fervent prayers in answer to which, and also guided by
the intentions inherent in Christ's cond uct and in that of the
prophecies uttered at that time, they were commissioned to
first Apostles.
restore the Church of Christ in precisely the same form as the
Early Church. They experienced the second pouring out of
The New Apostolic Church is divided into Apostle Districts,
God's Spirit predicted in the Bible for the evening of the
each of which is in charge of a District Apostle. The District
Church of Christ in the Occident, just as had formerly
Apostle may be assisted by one or even several Apostles.
happened in the morning of the Christian Church in the
Orient.
The District Apostles and the Apostles are the immediate
assistants of the Chief Apostle, who is an Apostle like them
This Spirit called a small number of men to the Apostle
although he is the first amongst them. Together with the Chief
ministry, and these men proclaimed the glad tidings that the
Apostle these men, since they all bear the ministry that
Apostolic Church had been restored; the Lord was quite
administers the Holy Spirit, make up the community
unmistakably with them and their efforts were crowned with
success. Within a short time a considerable number of . commissioned by Christ to offer mankind salvation and
redemption, they bestow upon the faithful eternal life in
congregations were founded both in England, the country
Christ. The Chief Apostle ordains them for this purpose and
where the first Apostles were called, as well as in other
instructs them in all questions appertaining to their ministry.
European lands. This testimony was subsequently carried
further afield by men of faith inspired by the power of the
Holy Spirit, so that today New Apostolic congregations are to The Apostle Districts are divided into districts headed by
be found in each continent. They arc all in charge of Apostles Bishops, which in their turn are subdivided into Elder
Districts. As a rule a Bishop District comprises several Elder

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Districts and each Elder District includes a number of New
Apostolic congregations. At the head of every congregation is
a Rector who attends to its needs; he is generally a Shepherd, a
Community Evangelist or a Priest. To assist the Priests in
their work Deacons and Subdeacons are appointed.
All the Administration Brothers in an Apostle District are
responsible to their District Apostle. The latter, or one of his
fellow Apostles acting on his instructions, ordains Adminis­
tration Brothers to their ministries as the need arises.
The entire organic structure of the New Apostolic Church
corresponds to that of the Early Church.
The Administration Brothers are carefully selected, it being
their task to minister spiritually to the souls; they are men of
firm faith who, in addition to possessing the gifts going with
their ministry, have also experienced God in many ways. Thus
they are competent to offer spiritual sustenance to the
members and guests of the New Apostolic Church and, by
virtue of their commission, are truly able to help souls to
salvation.
Following the example of the Early Church all the ministers of
the New Apostolic Church are laymen in the sense that they
have neither studied theology nor been trained at any
theological college. These men come from all classes of society
and all walks of life; with few exceptions they are voluntary
workers who receive no remuneration for the leisure time
hours and the energy they devote after their daily work is done
towards serving the work of God. Their sole motive is their
desire to help their fellow men in need who are seeking and
longing for salvation.
The divine services held in the New Apostolic Church are
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uncomplicated and straightforward. The service opens with a
hymn sung by the congregation. after which the Administra­
tion Brother conducting Ihe service says a prayer and reads
aloud a text taken from the Bible. A mixed choir then sings an
anthem meant to provide a melodious introduction to the
simple ceremony, the most important part of which is the
proclaiming of the word of God. At the Sunday services the
whole congregation nses after the sermon and recites the
Lord's Prayer aloud, which IS foHowed by the pronouncing of
Absolution and then by Holy Communion. The divine service
ends with a closing prayer and Benediction. The contents of
the Holy Scripture in both the Old and the New Testaments
provide basic teaching for the servi ces. The word inspired by
the Holy Spirit that is proclaimed in the sermon awakens and
confirms belief in God eternal and in His Son Jesus Christ.
Just like the early Christians the members of the New
Apostolic Church also are firmly persuaded that Jesus will
soon fulfil the promise He made to come again and take His
own unto Himself.
The sacraments dispensed in the New Apostolic Church differ
fundamentally from the sacramental acts performed in other
religious communities. The New Apostolic Church recognizes
three sacraments correspondlllg to the divine Trinity and
further to the triplicity of body, soul and spirit. Two of these
sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion, are also known
in other religious communities. The third sacrament is Holy
.,. Sealing, which is Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Baptism with
water and Holy Communion can be administered by a Priest
of the Church in the name of Jesus and commissioned by an
Apostle. Baptism with the Holy Spirit, however, must be
dispensed by an Apostle, as was the case in the Early Church.
This last-named sacrament provides the foundation on which
a new life in Christ can grow.
No charge is made for dispensing these sacraments or for any
of the ceremonies performed by the ministers of the Church,
even if they take place outside the regular church services
(Matthew 10 : 8).
Understanding spiritual ministration on the part of the
Administration Brothers, regular attendance of church
services, combined with a general spirit of helpfulness make
the members feel they are really all one big family. They are
Brothers and Sisters united closely by spiritual bonds and they
are seriously concerned to lead lives such as will stand up to all
scrutiny, to walk in the fear of God. The sincerity of their
purpose they reveal in everyday life by their honesty,
straightness and loyalty and they perform all duties conscien­
tiously.
The New Apostolic Church is not an imitation of the first
Apostolic Church, it is the direct continuation ohhe work of
salvation that Jesus instituted in the Early Church and
entrusted to His Apostles, and it was called into existence
through God's will; the New Apostolic Church is inseparable
from the first Christian Church, they are one.
The aims of the New Apostolic Church are expressly religious
and may be summarized as follows:
To create and encourage the growth of a community of
faithful Christians among whom profound faith is found,
where envy is not known, where there is brotherhood. They
help one another along in a spirit of Christian charity and
goodwill, and "are built up a spiritual house" as we can read
in I Peter 2 : 5.
Through the word inspircd by the Holy Spirit and through
the impeccable conduct of the Administration Brothers, to
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show the members how to lead godfearing lives and to
remind them constantly of the implications of eternity.
To inculcate respect in the children and juvenile members
for their parents, theil' teachers and also for the laws of the
land. To make the will of God comprehensible forthem and
III
to admonish them to stay humble, recognizing God's
I omnipotence. Furthermore to teach these young people to
observe the laws of nature and the moral code.
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To console and take spiritual aid to human hearts longing
for salvation, to do work of redemption and to be found in
unalloyed brotherly love and practical charity.
To raise up and stand by people who have fallen low
morally and ethically so that they can once more live as
useful citizens and members of society.
The New Apostolic Church is self-supporting and receives no
State subsidies. The incomes of its members are not subject to
a Church Tax. The means required for the upkeep of Church
property and for the expenses attached to the running of the
Church accrue from the voluntary offerings given by the
members.
The foregoing gives some idea of the objectives of the New
Apostolic Church·-it is an account which cannot be anything
but incomplete because of its brevity. When inner life becomes
i manifest this is a natural consequence of healthy spiritual
fertilization, it is in itself not the main objective of this
~\ community. The Church's supreme aim issues from the Lord
and does not spring from human wishes and understanding­
it is to have everlasting fellowship with the Son of God and the
Father and to leave nothing that this close relationship entails
undone, for doing God's will brings great hliss.
To enlarge further on this subject would exceed the scope of
this small booklet.
Membership
Any person who undertakes to live in a manner consistent
with the teaching of the Apostles, with the Creed, and in
conformity with the Holy Scripture, and who is moreover
willing to comply with the instructions issued by the Church
authorities, is eligible for membership, which is acquired in
two stages:
1. Adoption
Adoption confers the right to partake of the acts of blessing
dispensed by the Church, in particular Holy Communion
every Sunday. People wishing to be adopted as members of
the Church should apply to the Rector who will make
inquiries as to whether the applicant has attended church
services regularly for at least three months, and he will also
find out whether the applicant has sufficient understanding of
the teaching of the Apostles. When these conditions are
satisfied the applicant is handed a copy of the HOUSE
RULES and an adoption form, which is to be completed and
returned to the Rector, this information being required for the
Church Register.
As a rule new members are adopted by a District Leader
during a divine service. Adoption makes the new member a
guest in the New Apostolic Church.
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2. Holy Sealing
The sacrament of Holy Sealing confers full membership of the
Church. Permission will be granted for an adopted member to
be sealed when it is clearly evident that the member has
accepted the teaching of the Apostles in faith and in all
respects deserves to be admitted fully to the Church, and when
there are no grounds for refusal. Prior to the act of Holy
Scaling the membership card must be signed, this being the
formal application for admission to the Church. In the case of
children under 14 years of age their legal guardian is required
to sign for them; this stipulation may vary in that children of
12 years of age are in some countries entitled to express their
personal wishes concerning conversion.
An Apostle alone is authorized to carry out Holy Scaling,
which is the act of Baptism with the Holy Spirit whereby the
believing soul becomes a child of God.
Members may leave the Church at any time, which is effected
by notifying the Rector in writing of the decision to give up
membership; this procedure applies generally except for those
places where other legal regulations are in force.
Excommunication from the Church also entails loss of
membership and takes effect when the District Apostle has
notified in writing the persori in question of the decision.
A member can be excommunicated for disorderly conduct,
for not attending church services over a longer period without
any good reason, as well as for wilfully and persistently
opposing the instructions of the Church authorities.
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 Inner Order
Should the conduct of a member not be compatible with the
Apostles' doctrine to such an extent that he causes offence and
thereby harms the reputation of the Church, the member will
in the first place be invited to have a word with the Rector,
who will warn him in a confidential talk. If this is of no a vail
then a second warning will be given in the presence of two
witnesses. Should this too prove useless the matter will then be
reported to the District Leader; if the efforts of the latter to
bring about a change also prove ineffective he is authorized to
exclude the member from Holy Communion for a period of
four weeks. If this measure does not result in a change of
attitude the case will be referred to the Bishop or the Apostle,
who will in his turn repeat the warning to the person in
question in an understanding manner, and will then proceed
to bar the member from Holy Communion over a longer
period should no improvement be observed. If the member
continues to ignore all these warnings, the District Apostle is
authorized to expel such a person from the Church for a
limited period or permanently. The Chief Apostle also is
entitled to excommunicate a member from the New Apostolic
Church temporarily or permanently as he thinks fit, or at the
request of one of the District Apostles.
Once a person has been excommunicated or has forfeited
membership of his own 'accord, the District Apostle alone is
competent to allow re-admission to membership. If members
have remained absent from divine services without showing
express hostility towards the work of God, the District Elder
or the Bishop, acting upon his own discretion, may admit
these members to Holy Communion again.
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Complaints about Administration Brothers
Should the conduct of an Administration Brother be
inconsistent with the teaching, the statutes or the Creed of the
New Apostolic Church. members of the Church have the right
and are also expected to lodge a complaint with their Apostle.
Confession
If a member is uneasy about some errors committed in the past
even though he or she has been offered grace at divine services,
this member may make a confession to the Apostle, either
orally or in writing; no other Administration Brother should
be approached in matters of this nature. The Apostle is an
ambassador of the Lord and as such bound to treat in strict
confidence all confessions made to him.
If the members of an Apostle's family, including those
relations four times removed or persons living in his home or
in the same house, wish to make a confession they may address
themselves to the Chief Apostle for this purpose.
Church Finances
The New Apostolic Church does not exact a Church Tax of its
members. The members are free to give the offering they find
appropriate, it is a voluntary donation made in faith, out of
love for God and His work. These offerings are given with
believing hearts as tokens of gratitude towards God, an
attitude that He sees and blesses in His turn.
All expenses connected with the running of the Church are
met out of these voluntary offerings.
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Administration Brothers are not allowed to insist on members
contributing financially to the Church.
The Rectors and District Leaders are required to submit a
monthly statement to the District Apostle and pay into the
account designated by him the balance of the receipts of the
congregation and the district. The District Apostle has to
submit to the Chief Apostle a monthly financial report for his
district showing receipts and expenses, and he is expected to
keep an exact control over the cash and capital assets.
Furthermore he is required to submit a duly audited annual
balance sheet to the Chief Apostle at the end of each year.
As a rule the Church does not accept legacies or endowments.
In special cases the District Apostle is competent to make an
exception.
Attitude towards other Religious Denominations
The ministers and the members of the New Apostolic Church
will always refrain from making derogatory remarks about
other religious institutions. A person who attends divine
services held at our Church and listens attentively to the word
inspired by the Holy Spirit will notice on his own the
difference between the New Apostolic Church and other
religious communit'ies.
Even if we do not share the religious views of members of
other Churches in every point this is no reason not to treat
other beliefs, the exponents of the same and members of other
Churches, with all due respect, all the more so as we ourselves
expect to meet with courtesy.
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The New Apostolic Creed
The Ten Articles ofFaith
The First Article of Faith: 1 belteve in God the Father, the
Almighty, maker of heaven and .earth.
The Second Article of Faith: I believe in Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God, our Lord, who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, entered the realm of the
departed, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, and
sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from
whence He shall return.
The Third Article of Faith: I believe in the Holy Ghost, the
Holy Apostolic Church, the community of the saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and life
everlasting.
The Fourth Article ofFaith: I believe that the Lord Jesus rules
His Church through living Apostles until His return, and that
He has sent them into the world and still sends them with the
commission to teach, to forgive sins in His name and to
baptize with water and the Holy Spirit.
The Fifth Article of Faith' I believe that all ministrations in the
Church of Christ are chosen and ordained into their ministries
on! y by Apostles and that all gifts and powers must come forth
out of the Apostle ministry; equipped with these, the
community becomes a legible letter of Christ.
The Sixth Article of Faith: I believe that the Holy Baptism
with water is part of the rebirth, and that a person baptized
with water is entitled to the Holy Sealing. It is furthermore the
covenant of a good conscience with God.
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 The Sevel<uh Article ot Failh: l believe lh2U the Holy
C'ommunio.:l was ins~iluted the Lord Hilmelf, in memory
of the once brought, valid sacrifice and the hitter
suffering and death of Christ. The worthy partaking of the
Holy COI)]tuunion establishes our fellowship with Jesus
Christ, our L.ord. It is celebra\ed ',)lith unleavened hread and
wine, such co be blessed and dispensed by a Priestly ministry
of the Church.

The Eighth Ilrticle F'aith: 1 believe that those baptized Wilh

"vater must Lhrough a living Apostle be sealed with the Holy
Spirit, to receive the right of the firstborn, whereby they are
incorporated as members into the body of Christ.

The Ninth Article Faith: 1 believe that the Lord Jesus will
return as sure as lIe ascended into heaven and that He will
transform and gatherthe rirstfmit.s of the de::,d and the living,
those who have "waited Him and were prepared for His
coming. E believe that after the marriage in heaven He will
return to eanh with these firstlings to establish His Kingdom
of Peace and rule with them as Kings :md Priests. After the
conciusion of the Millennium, He will conduct the Last
J udgmem . when all [he iiving and the dead shall be judged
according to that which they 11ave done during their lifetime,
be it good or evil.

The Tenth Article ofFaith: J believe that the government is the

servant of God for our benefit; he who opposes the
government, opposes God, because it is decreed by Him.

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