The OAC shares the early part of its history with several other churches in Southern Africa, and elsewhere in the world. There are many accounts of this mutual history from within and outside the Church. Most of the documents contain minor factual inconsistencies. It is not the aim of this document to discredit any previous work on the subject, but rather to provide a record of verifiable information from credible sources such as letters, newsletters, reports, minutes of meetings and resolutions from Church records, as well as private and governmental archives.

The arrival of the Klibbe family and the establishment of the Church in South Africa was preceded by two important phases. The first phase started in Great Britain in the 1800s, and the second in Germany and Holland in the 1860s. 

• The first stage is the revival era of the Apostolic doctrine, founded on biblical principles, in the 1800s in Scotland and England, as well as the establishment of the Catholic Apostolic Church.
• The second phase involved the calling of two Apostles for Germany and Holland in 1863, and the continuation of the teachings and practices of the CAC under a new name and under the leadership of the newly appointed Apostles who were based in Germany and Holland. 

Background and summary information about the aforementioned phases can be found in later sections of this document. 

The OAC started with the arrival of C G Klibbe and his family in South Africa. Their mission was to bring the Apostolic doctrine, founded on biblical principles, to the shores of Africa.

At the time of their voyage to South Africa, the continents of the world were connected by a network of ships of pure sailing ships as well as ships that were driven by a combination of wind and steam.

An Australian newspaper clipping – 1888/1889

The Coorong, a barque powered by three sails only, was in service on the route between Port Adelaide, Australia and Durban, South Africa.

The Barque Coorong in the dry docks in Port Adelaide, Australia.

The departure of the Coorong was delayed by several months after it hit a reef and was stranded off the Australian coast close to Freemantle, near Perth in Western Australia.

Following the salvaging of the ship, it was taken to the Freemantle dockyard for repairs. Port authorities at the same time conducted a formal investigation into the incident. Captain A J Hayward who was in command during the voyage gave an extensive record of the navigation activities during the night hours before the vessel stranded at 03:20 in the morning. The captain testified that he was on the deck all night and that all possible precautions were taken to sail safely. He was exonerated from all blame. After the repairs were done, Captain Hayward and his crew sailed back to Adelaide where passengers had been waiting for months to start their journey to South Africa.

The Klibbe family was among those who had waited for the Coorong. They eventually departed on 7 July 1889 and arrived in Durban on 26 August 1889, after being at sea for 51 days. They were blessed with the birth of a son, August Coorong Klibbe, while the family was at sea. He was a mere four days old when the Coorong moored in Durban harbour and the family set foot on the new continent. The birth of August Coorong, who was referred to as John in later letters and documents, did not work the way the parents had planned it, but they all survived what must have been a harrowing experience. The birth was registered with the port authorities in Durban under the signatures of Carl Gorg Klibbe (Father) and A J Hayward (Master).

A copy of the Birth Certificate of August Coorong (John) Klibbe.

Apostle Klibbe communicated with the other Apostles of the Church by letter via sea mail from shortly after the family’s arrival in Durban. He mainly wrote to Apostle Niemeyer in Australia, who shared the information with the other Apostles. In his first letter he informed Apostle Niemeyer of the family’s safe passage to Durban and of the birth of their son during the voyage.

From Durban, the Klibbes journeyed to Cape Town. This voyage would also have been by ship as there were no inland transport connections between Durban and Cape Town at the time. There were also no motor vehicles in South Africa then and railway connections were limited. The connections between Kimberley and the coastal ports of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and East London were completed in 1889. The first section of the Cape Town – Johannesburg railway, between Cape Town and Bloemfontein, was completed by 1890, and the remainder of the route by 1892. Pretoria was connected by rail to Maputo (Lourenco Marques) in 1894. The railway between Durban and Johannesburg was completed in 1895.

There are no recorded details about the Klibbe family’s departure from Durban or their arrival in Cape Town, but it is known that they purchased a property in Worcester for 150 pounds on 30 August 1890, which was within a year of their arrival in Cape Town. Worcester is approximately 120 kilometres north-east of Cape Town and was at the time of the arrival of the Klibbe family one of only a few towns with an inland railway connection to and from Cape Town. The railway station in Worcester was opened in 1876.

The reason for the Klibbe family first settling in Worcester can be linked to the fact that skilled German farm labourers started settling in Worcester from the 1860s onwards. They were followed by German artisans who worked on the construction of the railway line between Cape Town and Worcester. Evangelist Klibbe, as indicated on the birth certificate of August Coorong (John), was a farmer. He had also farmed in Queensland, Australia before coming to South Africa. All indications are that he worked as a farmer somewhere in the Breede Valley in the Western Cape after the family’s arrival in Worcester in 1890.

Evangelist Klibbe bought a second property, Lot 14 on Location Street, for 800 pounds in October 1894. It cannot be said for certain what the purpose with the property was, or whether it had ever been occupied by the Klibbe family, but it is likely that it was meant to be used for Church or Church office, as it seemed to be closer to the town of Worcester. In an undated Church document which was likely to have been published in Europe sometime in the late 1890s or early 1900s, Worcester was listed as the administrative centre (Apostolaat) of the Church in Africa.

Evangelist Klibbe was appointed as an Apostle sometime during his stay in Worcester. According to several official documents, he was appointed as the Apostle for Africa by the Apostle Unity, but the exact date of appointment could not be established beyond doubt. The Church’s first Constitution in South Africa, which was registered on the 10th of January 1911, simply states that Apostle C G Klibbe was called as an Apostle by the Apostle Unity without any reference being made to a date. The second Constitution of the Church which was registered in 1928 refers to his calling as an Apostle “in the year 1896”.

There is also uncertainty as to whether Apostle Klibbe was appointed by letter or whether he was physically ordained. Sources in Australia claims that Apostle Klibbe was ordained in Hattonvale by Apostle H F Niemeyer. This has yet to be confirmed.

Searches of shipping records between South Africa and Europe, and South Africa and Australia during the 1890’s to 1900’s were without success. Die Apostolisch Zondagblad of 21 June 1908 refers to Apostle Klibbe as having been an Apostle for approximately 15 years. This would place Apostle Klibbe’s appointment sometime during 1893. Claims in some quarters that Apostle Klibbe was ordained during his visit to Europe is incorrect.

“Originally a farmer, Apostle Klibbe was sent from Australia as an Apostle for South Africa by the beloved Apostle Niemeyer about 15 years ago”.

 

It was clearly the intention in the mid 1890’s that Worcester would become the Church’s official seat of the Church in Africa. However, without any available explanations or reasons, the Klibbe family bought two small farms on the Cape Flats in March 1897. There is no evidence that they actually moved to the farms, but it is highly unlikely that they would have stayed on in Worcester after they bought the farms. The farms were classified as “quitrent land” and described as Lot No 3 and Lot No 6 in the Cape Flats.

The term “quitrent” in the description of the title deed of the land refers to a category of land which the British government introduced in the Cape Colony through legislation and administrative measures that made it possible for the colonial government to survey and demarcate land, and grant, sell and lease the land units to non-indigenous settlers.

The farms were the same size, measuring just over 22 morgen each. It is assumed that they left Worcester around that time to live closer to the much denser and diverse population in the urban setup of Cape Town, with better opportunities to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, their ultimate goal. The farms together were big enough to enable better living conditions and earning potential, but they might very well have been vacant farms without dwellings.

Within two years of the Klibbe family’s buying the farms on the Cape Flats, the Anglo-Boer War broke out. It started on 11 October 1899 and ended in May 1902. Although Germany was not directly involved in the war, people of German origin in South Africa found themselves entangled in the conflict. The German government was sympathetic towards the Boers. This may have led to Germans not being allowed to enter South Africa, except for German Red Cross workers. Many men of German descent who lived in South Africa, and especially those who lived in the Boer republics, fought side-by-side with the Boers against the British Empire. A volunteer commando of German men, about 400 strong, was raised in Johannesburg and was directly involved in many battles against the British. Germans in South Africa were treated with suspicion during the war.

By the end of 1899 the Klibbes had been on African soil for a decade. The baby boy who was born during their sea voyage had turned 10 and the two older children were 12 and 14 years old. No spiritual breakthroughs had been recorded until then and South Africa was thrown into a war between the British Empire and the Boers. The family’s angst and economic hardships must have been close to unbearable and their disappointment great.

The war had a significant impact on the ability of people to plan their lives and ability to travel freely. Coastal harbours were clogged with ships carrying arms and ammunition and several civilian ships were requisitioned by the British government to ferry arms, ammunition, and troops to South Africa. Nothing is known about the movements of the Klibbe family from the time they bought the farms on the Cape Flats in 1897 until a few years later. Did they keep a low profile, avoiding unnecessary attention, while spending their energy on their two farms?

What would the family’s emotional state have been at the time? How were they dealing with the hostilities and their lack of spiritual progress? Were the many thousands of miles on treacherous seas and the hard years in Worcester worthwhile? Were they wrong to believe that they would find fertile spiritual soil for their Godly mission? Would they be able to deal with the complex political situation, language difficulties and economic hardships?

What transpired next was astounding. In a surprising twist, the Klibbe family somehow moved more than a thousand kilometres from Cape Town to East London on the South East Coast of South Africa. The move must have taken place either shortly before or during the brutal Boer War. The only feasible way for the move to have taken place would have been by ship, during a time when coastal ports were militarised, and civilian ships requisitioned for military purposes. The details of the move, which must have been challenging to the extreme remain unknown until this day. Whichever way it is looked at, it was miraculous, brave, and very daring. While it is not known what happened with the farms on the Cape Flats, it is known that the Klibbe family lived near East London in the Eastern Cape around 1900. The family’s first known address in East London was at 76 George Street, Berlin General, approximately 46-kilometres from East London.

The early population of East London consisted mainly of British soldiers and settlers and German settlers. German settlers arrived in the larger East London area from the mid 1800’s. The first group of around 2 500 were German mercenaries who were recruited by the British to fight in the Crimean War in 1854. The war was over by the time the soldiers arrived in Britain and they were offered the opportunity to settle in the East London area where they settled in 1857. They were followed by a group of peasant farmer settlers in 1858 who were not accustomed to running their own farms. The German settlers were allocated land in remote and waterless locations on farms that were of very poor quality which made it impossible for them to survive from farming alone. To survive, the German settlers were forced to work for English farmers in the more fertile regions or to find work in larger centres. In contrast to all other German settlements in South Africa, the Germans settlers in the East London area were not a uniformly Lutheran group. Some were Baptists even before they settled in the East London area. Tensions very soon developed, leading to a division that weakened the settlers to the extent that they could not function as a cohesive unit.

A typical early German settler’s home (East London Museum).

The reason for the Klibbe family moving to East London could most likely again e attributed to the presence of German settlers in the area which would have made it easier for them to communicate. In later letters around this time to the Apostles in Australia and Europe, Apostle Klibbe recalled some of the challenges they had faced during the first few decades of their stay in South Africa, and he often wrote about the continuing hardships people in the land faced. However, except for a few passing comments, he never complained about the family’s own hardships. It is not difficult though to imagine the intricacies and complications that went with the move to a completely strange place with young children.

The Klibbe family’s most sincere prayer was answered before the war even ended. In a complete turnaround their sacrifices began to bear fruit and the first congregation of the Church in Africa was established in East London in 1901. The first members of the Church were taken up and sealed in East London at Pentecost in 1902. A hall was built for the congregation by the members and the first officers were ordained in 1903.

With a clear vision Apostle Klibbe soon put the new officers to work, sending one to Queenstown, one to Johannesburg where the gold rush attracted people from all over and one to Cape Town. In the same year Apostle Klibbe sent Brothers Rickoff and Milliman to Port Elizabeth. Having been sealed between 1903 and 1905, and still very young and inexperienced in the Apostolic doctrine, it had now become the turn of these families to move far and into completely unknown environments to preach the gospel. They did this with complete faith in God and as good seed in the hands of the Master.

The fire had now been lit, and new congregations were being opened in many locations in South Africa. In Port Elizabeth the Bell, Bird, Hinrichson, Malachi, Morton, Oosthuizen and Tobin families were taken up and sealed by 1904. Most of them were almost immediately sent to new places to preach the gospel and start new congregations. The Malachi family was sent to New Brighton, and the Tobin family to Kimberley. The Bell, Bird, Hinrichson, Morton and Oosthuizen families were sent to towns such as Berlin General and King Wiliam’s Town. The Behm family, one of the first families to be taken up in East London, was sent to Durban in 1904. 

Note: Records do not clearly indicate whether the members were single, married couples or part of bigger families. For the purpose of this document they are referred to as “families”. It is known though that most of the German settlers arrived in South Africa as single members.

A congregation was soon established in Cape Town and soon expanded beyond expectation. The first eight members were sealed in Cape Town 10 April 1904. The first entry is that of a Brother Reimers. He was very soon ordained as a Priest and sent to Knysna where a sizable congregation was built within two years. The fourth entry is that of Brother Johannes Karow who became the first Priest in Paarl. He was later transferred to Namibia.

By 1905 the Church already had a sizable following among people of all races in many places in South Africa. Apostle Klibbe’s work turned from near despair in the late 1890’s to jubilation in five short years despite the difficult and sometimes hostile environment and in 1906 a Church hall was built for the congregation in Claremont, approximately 12 kilometres from Cape Town. It was officially opened on 4 June 1906 in the presence of several high ranking dignitaries.

The first Church Hall in Cape Town (Claremont) – 1906

In the meanwhile, Apostle Klibbe in 1904 bought a farm in Imvani, about 160 kilometres north of East London and near Queenstown. As a farmer with no other income, he needed to provide for his family from the land, while he continued to preach the gospel. A photo taken at Imvani in 1905, a year after the Klibbe’s arrived there, visibly illustrates the spiritual victories that were being achieved in little more than one year.

Imvani Congregation in 1905

In a letter to Apostle H. Niehaus dated 5 December 1905, Apostle Klibbe briefly reported on his visits to congregations and his actions to open new congregations, saying “I must always travel long distances, part by boat and part by rail. The last years were very dry, so much so that there was no question of sowing and harvesting.” In the letter he also reported about the poverty and misery in South Africa, but then wrote, “But I will rather relate to you the incidents on my travels and the promotion of God’s work.” He then continued by reporting on his year-end visits to various congregations.

Apostle Klibbe’s first stop was in Bloemfontein on 12 October 1905. He journeyed for 20 hours by rail and was joyfully greeted on the station. Apostle Klibbe soon learnt of the despair among the members and the difficulty they had to find employment. This did not deter the fieriness of the congregation and eight living souls were sealed during the first Sealing service in Bloemfontein which took place on 15 October 1905, the third Sunday of the month, or perhaps a day or two earlier.

After a brief return to his residence in Imvani, Apostle Klibbe departed for the congregations of King William’s Town, Berlin, and East London. On 20 October 1905 Apostle Klibbe journeyed to Port Elizabeth from East London. To reduce the travelling time and costs, he travelled by boat.

In his letter Apostle Klibbe remarked that a new congregation had to be established in Port Elizabeth following the work of a Deacon-Evangelist that he sent to Port Elizabeth earlier. He wrote that he was met at the harbour by the congregation with “much joy”. He continued by writing that he was even more amazed when he was taken to the residence of the Toenessen family where a lovely hall and, in an adjoining room, an Apostolic altar and organ were prepared.

The Toenessen Home in Port Elzabeth 

Apostle Klibbe during the service acknowledged Apostle Niemeyer of Australia who sent him to do the Lord’s work and wrote that he only wanted to be acknowledged as a brother among brothers. 

Note: The Toenessen family name featured a few times in the early history of the Church. Brother Toenessen was an engineer who immigrated from Norway to South Africa. Sister Laraine O’Connell who is an important contributor to this document is a descendant of the Toenessen family. 

Apostle Klibbe stayed in Port Elizabeth for fourteen days before travelling to Cape Town by boat. The voyage lasted a day and two nights. It was Apostle Klibbe’s fourth visit to Cape Town after the family moved to East London. Upon his arrival in Cape Town, he was met by many Apostolics and taken to Claremont where most of the members lived. During this visit 39 souls were sealed. 

After staying in Cape Town for eight days, Apostle Klibbe travelled to Paarl where six souls were sealed. While he was with the congregation in Paarl, Apostle Klibbe decided to send Priest Karow to South-West Africa (Namibia) to begin the Church there and to ordain a new Priest for Paarl. (The Karow family left for Swakopmund early in 1906). Also during his visit to Paarl, Apostle Klibbe was asked to ordain an officer for the members who lived in the town of Worcester and the surrounding areas. Apostle Klibbe reflected in his letter to Apostle Niehaus on his prior spiritual work in Worcester and how he departed from there “without hope”. 

At this point of his visit, he wrote, he was starkly reminded of the realities that faced his family. In the midst of many spiritual victories and much joy among the growing number of Apostolics, he began to receive letters and telegrams from home reminding him that the harvest, because of the severe drought, had become overripe. This aspect of the Klibbe’s life would continue for many years. Because of the duration and cost of travel, Apostle Klibbe was forced to travel to distant congregations on his own, leaving his family behind with very limited means. The anguish of both Apostle Klibbe and his family must have been immense and heart-wrenching. 

Also in the letter, Apostle Klibbe wrote that he was heartily greeted at the harbour by the congregation when he left Cape Town by boat for Port Elizabeth, and again enthusiastically welcomed in Port Elizabeth upon his arrival by many Apostolic Brothers and Sisters. He reported that he was grateful to have another opportunity to give them teaching before he travelled onwards to East London and from there to King William’s Town where he participated in the Christmas service (25 December 1905) before going back to Imvani where Church members and his personal family eagerly awaited his arrival. 

After Apostle Klibbe had returned to his farm in Imvani at the end of a joyful and fruitful visit to now blooming congregations and the associated victories and celebrations to the honour of God, he returned to face the reality of the devastating drought, locust plagues and wide-spread famine that devastated many areas in South Africa at the time. 

Several contributions from South Africa were published in 1906 editions of the Church newsletters the “Zewende Bazuin” and “Wachter Sions”. The contributions contained reports and stories by congregations as well as letters written by Apostle Klibbe to Apostle H Niehaus. The newsletters provide interesting and valuable insight into Apostolic life in South Africa at the time. 

• A report from the chairman of the congregation of Port Elizabeth, which was published in full, painted a picture of the Port Elizabeth congregation in 1905/1906:
  “The Apostolic work in South Africa is now blossoming and developing into a force to be reckoned with. Although the Apostle can only speak German, and most of the members desired to hear the teaching in English, the word of Jesus came true: “My sheep hear My voice”. Although many could not understand the language, they received beautiful insight that testified about what was going on in the Apostle’s heart, and where the tongue could not reach, the eyes had to serve”. It further reports; “I the writer of this report can truly say that I had never before experienced the fulness of the Apostolic blessing as here, and never before the love and the loyalty of our beloved Apostle, as in the days of his presence in Port Elizabeth.” 

• In a follow-up to the first letter, it is reported that a Roman Catholic Priest, a Dr Martin, arrived at the congregation. He expresses his disillusionment with what was happening in the monastery. After receiving testimony he acknowledged the truth and became a faithful brother. He was placed in the Priest-Evangelistic office but had to move away from Port Elizabeth after his life was threatened by people who called him a traitor. 

• In the October 1906 newsletter, it was noted with great interest how Apostle Klibbe cared for the well-being of members in German South West Africa (Namibia). It was at the time reported that Apostle Klibbe had approached the Governor regarding the possible allocation of land that was part of German territory to Apostolics. 

• The October 1906 newsletter also published the whole contents of a letter by Apostle Klibbe to Apostle H Niehaus. It contained a report on the tireless sacrifices of the first members of the Church, the spiritual progress that was being made. It referenced the strength of the congregations in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth as well as progress in Durban and Namibia. The letter also contained a short description of droughts, insect plagues and how his entire crop of oats were destroyed in a matter of minutes. The letter is concluded with sincere gratitude for the Lord’s blessing and the abundant fruit on the labours of officers and members and then, finally, with a sincere prayer: 

“Oh how I would love to go to Germany this summer to get bread from my Father’s house. The officers here also want me to travel, and have raised 20 pounds of own free will, but necessity demanded it in other places. Now we have come so far through God’s help and will go further.” 

All indications are that Apostle Klibbe did not go on many long journeys during 1906. However, there is record of a trip to Cape for the opening of the new Church building in June 1906 and towards the end of the year again to Cape Town and from there onwards to Swakopmund.

The “Apostolisch Zondagsblad” (AZ) replaced the “Zewende Bazuin” and “Wachter Sions” in 1907. The new publication continued in the tradition of its predecessors and regularly published reports and letters about South Africa. The three publications contained precious information about the Church.

A letter from the Claremont congregation, written to Apostle H Niehaus in Germany by direction of Apostle Klibbe, was published in the Apostolisch Zondagsblad, number 11 of 1907. The letter was published verbatim and described the mixed feelings of despair, faith, and longing for the presence of the Apostle by the congregation. It started with a heartfelt and touching introduction:

“Long but also fearful months, with their alternating joy and sorrow and temptation, had come to an end, and so the longing grew in all our hearts to have in our midst the one from whom and through whom life, light and power of God flows in our hearts, but those who are looking forward to their rebirth long for it even more.”

The letter referred to the confidence the new Church building inspired among Church members, but also lamented the fact that it resulted in a vigorous onslaught by the enemies of the Church, noting that they did not hesitate to destroy the work of God.

“We had to swallow many a bitter pill, much anguish came upon the church, but the Redeemer of Israel always showed His strong arm when the need was at its peak,”

It was further stated that the beloved Apostle (Klibbe) had known about their longing for his presence for quite a while, and that he would have visited them sooner had it not been for the pressing circumstances of other congregations, the costs associated with travelling in South Africa and his own precarious personal circumstances. It described the great joy when the Claremont congregation received news that Apostle Klibbe would be visiting Cape Town by Christmas 1906.

Apostle Klibbe’s arrived by boat early on 25 December 1906 in the presence of Priest Fink from Port Elizabeth. It was reported that the rain came down in “streams” and they immediately went to the house of the Priest. The rain came pouring down all day and this hindered the members from travelling. However, the rain totally subsided towards the evening, and it was not long before Apostle Klibbe was in the company of all his beloved children. The festivities and joy continued until late that night.

A Church service was arranged for 10:00 the next day, 26 December 1906, in the Claremont hall which was decorated with greenery and flowers. Apostle Klibbe was greeted by a choir with the hymn: “We greet you anointed of the Lord”. After commencing the service with a “warm and heartfelt” prayer, Apostle Klibbe read from

Zephaniah 3:13–20:

13The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid.” 14Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. 16In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. 17The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” 18“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whom its reproach is a burden. 19Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, And gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame. 20At that time I will bring you back, Even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I return your captives before your eyes,” Says the LORD.

Apostle Klibbe commenced the service with a caution about the constant battle that rages between the flesh and the Spirit. He continued by saying:

“For we have no time to involve ourselves with matters of a passing nature, for our time must be used to the benefit of our immortal souls”.

Forty-two souls were sealed during the service which was followed by the recitation of a poem by a young girl and, thereafter, a presentation by a group of 65 children which took them two months to prepare. This was followed by the singing of Christmas Hymns by a children’s choir.

In the letter the writer expressed some sadness saying that as the festivities drew to a close around 11:00 pm, the congregation was reminded that the beloved Apostle would soon be departing from them. In his closing remarks Apostle Klibbe thanked God for the uninterrupted joy they could share together and after the Benediction he departed, but not before Apostle Klibbe promised the congregation that he would, on New Year’s Day, offer a special prayer of supplication unto God for all their requests and yearnings and that he would pray that God’s blessing would be upon the whole of the New Year, and in the words of the author:

“So do we come to a new year. It is an important day, and we have mixed feelings of fear and joy, but our hearts are mainly filled with hope because the beloved Apostle opened the gates to the new year and a new life for us. As far as the new year is concerned, we may be in the dark now, but our faith will overcome the world.”

Apostle Klibbe remained with the members and officers who resided in the greater Cape Town area from 25 December 1906 until 3 January 1907 when he departed by mailboat to Swakopmund. He remained in Swakopmund for a little more than two weeks and sealed six souls during his visit there. This was the first recorded Sealing service and visit by an Apostle to Namibia.

Apostle Klibbe returned to Cape Town on 21 January 1907 where another Sealing service was held, and 22 mostly English-speaking people were sealed. The new members were taken up during Apostle Klibbe’s short trip to Swakopmund. Apostle Klibbe departed to His home in Imvani on 22 January 1907 after being away for more than a month.

The extended absence of a father, even under normal circumstances, is disruptive. The situation of the Klibbes was very far from normal. They were farmers who had little means and who had to take out substantial mortgages to finance the properties they bought. Most of their day-to-day needs were bought on credit. South Africa was gripped in a drought and crops were failing year after year. By 1907 their children who had been very small when they arrived, would have been teenagers.

The spiritual blessings and growth of the congregations demanded Apostle Klibbe’s personal attention, and this meant that he had to spend even more time away from home while his family remained behind and had to deal with the farm and their survival. Travelling to Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Swakopmund from East London could only be accomplished by boat. Because of the significant expense, Apostle Klibbe’s wife and children never travelled with him, especially during long trips of many weeks. The farm could not be left unattended either, and extended visits by Apostle Klibbe to congregations such as Cape Town and Namibia must have been preceded by much angst and tears. The family survived mainly by buying “on the book”. Entries from May 1906 showed that the Klibbe’s began to buy on credit for their living. The family ran a “book” with C J Laver, the general merchants in Imvani.

(actual extract)

The Klibbe family bought everything they needed from C J Laver and ran up significant debts for goods such as groceries, vegetables, seed, shoes, clothing, knives, cotton, candles. The image is an actual extract from the “book”.

Only people who had been in a similar situation as the Klibbe’s would be able to understand the angst of family members during their father’s absence. The Klibbe family is but one that we have record of. There were many others pioneers who sacrificed family bonds, whatever housing security they might have had and stable education for their children. The Church’s history cannot be complete without acknowledgement and appreciation for the sacrifices they made. Church history often focusses on the officers and families are normally left out of the picture. The history of The OAC speaks for itself and testifies of God-fearing families who had complete trust in God, and who allowed the Holy Spirit to lead them.

In the midst of the terrible drought and desperate economic situation, Apostle Klibbe travelled to Cape Town for the Pentecost service on Sunday 19 May 1907. The service took place in the Claremont hall. There were 27 souls sealed during the service. It is remarkable that the Claremont congregation, having been in existence for a few years only, consisted of members from various races, nations, and languages.

Services were now being conducted in many locations in South Africa, mainly in German, Dutch and English. This would become a standard and lasting practice in The OAC. The service on 19 May 1907 made history as it was the first time simultaneous translations were done during an Apostle service. It was reported in the newsletter that Apostle Klibbe spoke in German and that a brother in the congregation simultaneously translated the service into English.

By 1907, a large congregation had been established in Knysna under Priest Reimers who was sealed in Cape Town in 1904, and thereafter sent to Knysna to establish a new congregation.

By 1908, several congregations were functioning, and souls were continuously being added. The officer structure also kept on expanding and news from South Africa was frequently published in the Apostolisch Zondagblad. In the 3 May 1908 edition, it was reported that Apostle Klibbe would soon be visiting the other Apostles in Germany upon invitation of Apostle Niehaus. In the 21 June 1908 edition, it was reported that Apostle Klibbe was heartily greeted by the members and officers before his departure from Cape Town to Europe and that his arrival was eagerly awaited by the members and officers in Europe. His arrival in Hamburg was reported in the same edition.

Apostle Klibbe stayed in Europe for a number of months and participated in joint services that were held throughout Europe. During a service attended by him and Apostle Niehaus in Zurich, Apostle Klibbe described the stark difference between Switzerland and Africa, referring to the absence of wealth, growth, safety, and peace in South Africa, as well as the many different languages that were spoken in the country. He also referred to the lack of transport infrastructure and the length of time of any journey in South Africa and ongoing droughts and insect plagues.

The next service Apostle Klibbe attended was in the Concert Building in Amsterdam on 1 October 1908. Apostles Niehaus, Kofman, Bornemann and Bruckner also attended. Apostle Kofman led the service and Apostle Klibbe, and then all the other Apostles followed. The service was attended by 1 500 people. The last service was an emotional farewell service for Apostle Klibbe in Bielefeld, Germany on 1 November 1908.

It was clear throughout the visit to Europe that Apostle Klibbes was the guest of Apostle H Niehaus and it clearly emerged that all the Apostles, including Apostle Klibbe and Apostle H F Niemeyer of Australia acknowledged Apostle Niehaus as the Chief Apostle (Stam-Apostel). After the visit it also emerged that while Apostle Klibbe valued the association with the other Apostles, he regarded the Church in South Africa as being independent but aligned with the Church in Europe.

During a reception for him in Cape Town on 2 December 1908, Apostle Klibbe briefly spoke about his visit to Europe, about what he had done and experienced during the trip and how he mostly stayed with Apostle and Sister Niehaus during his time in Germany. He referred to the future relationship between the Church in South Africa and the Church in Europe and declared that the Church in South Africa would remain independent but included in the greater Unity of Apostles.

A Church service was held the next evening during which the Apostle was presented with a welcoming hymn in German and one in English. Apostle Klibbe’s wife was among those who welcomed her husband back after not seeing him for many months. In Apostle Klibbe’s absence his Klibbe family endured even more hardships. After the service Sister Klibbe received a special, fitting and timely message:

“A young girl stepped before the wife of the dear Apostle and said: You too, dear mother, be glad today after the suffering you have endured. May peace and joy surround you from now on and may the Lord wipe away your tears.”

Sadly, the Klibbe family had nowhere to return to. In his absence, Apostle Klibbe’s estate was sequestrated and all their belongings, including the farm was sold. The desperate state of affairs was caused by failing crops and accumulated debt. They were offered accommodation by Priest C Kreunen and his family in their home in Queenstown, which they gratefully accepted.

Brother Behm who was sent to Durban to establish a community initially had no success. Apostle Klibbe later sent a Brother Anders to assist Brother Behm. Together the two Brothers began to make breakthroughs and in 1910 Brother Behm was ordained as a Priest. The first members were also sealed in KwaZulu-Natal during 1910.

Apostle Klibbe moved from Queenstown to Johannesburg in 1910, accompanied by Priest C Kreunen. Apostle Klibbe stayed at 22 MacDonald Street, Jeppes Extension, Johannesburg. Initial Church services were held for the few members in a rented shop. The next congregation was next established in a bakery in La Rochelle, which is south of Johannesburg and in the immediate vicinity of the present head office of the Church district of Gauteng.

South Africa in 1910 became the Union of South Africa, a self-governing dominion under British rule. New laws came into effect and enabled the Church to be registered in terms of Section 21 of the Companies Act (Transvaal) 31 of 1909. The Church, up to this time known as “The Apostolic Church”, was registered as “The New Apostolic Church (Africa)” on 10 January 1911. The first subscribers were C G Klibbe, J Fink, C H Kreunen, Brother S Toenessen, F F Konig, F C Hendricks and J Radandt. An important provision in the Articles of Association is a reference to the Church as “a recognised branch of the Church, known as the “New Apostolic Church” whose headquarters is in Germany”.

Regular contributions from South Africa continued to be published in the “Hersteld Apostolisch Weekblad” and sermons held by Apostle Klibbe were regularly referenced therein throughout 1909 and 1910, including a beautiful testimony by of a minister of religion who visited the Church in Port Elizabeth and who had testified how his eyes were opened by the teaching of Apostle Klibbe. He was subsequently taken up and sealed. The Port Elizabeth congregation consisted of white and coloured members. By 1910, the Port Elizabeth congregation had a beautiful Church hall.