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Does the New Apostolic Church carry out missionary work?

On the regional homepages of the NAC in Germany you can find the following sentence:

“Our mission: to go to all people to teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to baptize them with water and the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Homepage NAC South Germany, accessed on June 29, 2025)

From a biblical perspective, this sounds good because it corresponds to the missionary command of Jesus Christ:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19, ESV)

The questions that arise from the missionary work of the NAC are the following:

• Does the NAC reach out to all people? Is “mission” still an issue for the NAC, and what does this mean for them?
• What does the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” mean for the NAC?
• What does the NAC understand by “baptizing with water and the Holy Spirit” and how does this correspond to the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19?

In this article I will clarify if missionary work is still an issue for the NAC.

Is mission still an issue for the NAC?

A statement by the head of the NAC, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider, from April 2025 gives us a surprising answer:

“Jesus also made it clear that his disciples are a small flock. We sometimes forget that. Brother and sister, the Lord Jesus never said that the whole world must become New Apostolic. He clearly stated that those who follow him will remain a small flock compared to the world. The truth of the apostles’ teachings cannot be measured by the number of believers who follow them. God has a small flock that he wants to make the bride of Christ. Only later, in the Kingdom of Peace, will the gospel be preached to all, and all people will have the opportunity to be saved. But for now, we are a small flock. The truth of the apostles’ teachings cannot be measured by the number of believers who follow them. What is important is that the flock follows the Shepherd, that is, Jesus Christ. That is the teaching of Jesus.”
(Jean-Luc Schneider in a sermon on November 17, 2024, in Conakry, Guinea, quoted in the NAK’s internal church newspaper “neuapostolisch” in April 2025, page 14)

Let’s take a closer look at this statement:

Correct: Not the whole world needs to become New Apostolic

“The Lord Jesus never said that the whole world must become New Apostolic.”

That’s a good insight. Jesus gathers his followers from all peoples and nations, regardless of their particular church affiliation.

False: The “little flock” refers to the situation at the time of Jesus

The statement that Jesus called his followers a “little flock” comes from Luke 12:32 :

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” ( Luke 12:32 )

What does Jesus mean by this?

• Jesus is speaking here to his disciples, that is, to a specific, small group of followers in a hostile environment.
• “Little flock” describes the situation at that time: Christians were indeed a minority in terms of numbers.

Does this mean that Christians will always remain a small minority?

• That’s not what Jesus says. His statement refers to the situation at that time, not to an eternal rule.
• On the contrary: Jesus speaks in other places of a worldwide growth of his kingdom (e.g. Matthew 13:31-32 : parable of the mustard seed).
• In Revelation 7:9, John sees “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue.”

Conclusion:
The term “little flock” is not a permanent limitation on the size of the church, but rather describes the situation at that time. The Bible shows that God’s kingdom will grow and encompass people from all nations.

False: A small flock that God wants to make the bride of Christ?

“The truth of the apostles’ teaching cannot be measured by the number of believers who follow them. God has a small flock that he wants to make the bride of Christ.”

This reveals Jean-Luc Schneider’s motivation for speaking of a “small flock”: The New Apostolic Church is shrinking, and the worldwide missionary activity of the NAC has come to a standstill. Many believers are asking why this is so. Mr. Schneider thus provides a justification for the lack of growth in the New Apostolic Church.

Does God want to make the “little flock” (i.e., the New Apostolics) the bride of Christ? Several misconceptions lie behind this:

• The “little flock” Jesus speaks of in Luke 12:32 does not correspond to the believers of the New Apostolic Church (see above), but rather to the followers of Jesus at that time. Even if this term is extended to the present day, the “little flock” still consists of all who believe in Jesus, not just New Apostolics.
• Mr. Schneider thus proves once again that the NAC still teaches a claim to sole representation, an exclusivity. The “Bride of Christ” is therefore the believers of the NAC, as described in the 2012 Catechism.
• Mr. Schneider thus also demonstrates that the NAC does not recognize any assurance of salvation. His “little flock,” the believers of the NAC, must first be made the bride of Christ by God. Therefore, it is not enough to be “sealed” by an apostle of the NAC. Biblically speaking, the sealing of the Holy Spirit protects against outside interference and is proof that believers in Jesus are saved forever. They do not need to be “made the bride of Christ.” This biblical statement is valid for every believer, regardless of their church affiliation. Every true believer who follows Jesus belongs to the bride of Christ (see Romans 10:9).

False: Mission only in the Kingdom of Peace

“Only later, in the Kingdom of Peace, will the gospel be preached to all, and all people will have the opportunity to be saved. But for now, we are a small flock.”

Mr. Schneider is postponing Jesus’ missionary command, the proclamation of the gospel to all people, until the Kingdom of Peace, that is, the time after the rapture of believers expected by the NAC. This is convenient. Missions cost the NAC money, and they don’t have that much money anymore. Thus, there is now a reason why the NAC’s worldwide mission was scaled down.

But biblically speaking, Jesus’ missionary mandate in Matthew 28:19 applies to all believers at all times. This is absolutely clear.

Right: Following Jesus Christ is the teaching of Jesus!

“What is important is that the flock follows the Shepherd, who is Jesus Christ. That is the teaching of Jesus.”

Mr. Schneider is absolutely right with this statement. Dear believers of the NAC, this is the crucial point.

A word to New Apostolic believers

Follow Jesus Christ and not self-proclaimed apostles who twist the Word of God in the Bible to suit their own purposes. It pains me to have to write this “nasty” sentence, because I always try to remain as objective as possible and don’t want to attack anyone, especially not the believers of the NAC. I find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to the leaders of this church, because they are guilty of misleading their believers, which is once again clearly demonstrated by the example in this article.

For further reading: New Apostolic Church: Criticism of the exclusive understanding of the church