The history of the Apostles Church traces back to Heinrich F. Niemeyer, a renowned evangelist born in Schladen, Germany, in 1853. Niemeyer was ordained as an apostle in 1886 and felt called to bring his teachings to Australia. He arrived in Queensland, Australia, with his family and began spreading the gospel there.

In 1889, Carl George Klibbe, who had heard of Niemeyer, met him in Hatten Vale, Australia, and became one of his companions. Klibbe then later traveled to South Africa in 1889 to establish an African branch of the Apostolic Church. He was ordained as an apostle in 1893 by Niemeyer.

The Apostolic Church of Africa was officially registered on December 7, 1910, under the Companies Act of Transvaal. Klibbe was recognized as the apostle and leader of the church, and the African branch operated independently from the German branch. The church’s headquarters moved from the Eastern Cape to Regents Park, Johannesburg, in 1910.

In 1912, both the Australian and South African branches of the Apostolic Church severed ties with the German branch. In South Africa, Klibbe’s principles formed the foundation of the Apostolic Church, particularly in Berlin, where the first congregation was established. Another German, Schlaphoff, decided to start the church in Cape Town again and the two continued to grow. 

There was a division within the church in 1913, resulting in two separate branches, one led by Klibbe and the other by Schlaphoff. This dispute caused a significant rift among the church members, with some following Klibbe and others choosing Schlaphoff.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1926 that Klibbe could continue his activities as the Old Apostolic Church of Africa, and Schlaphoff led the New Apostolic Church. Frederick Ninow succeeded Klibbe as the leader of the Old Apostolic Church in 1931 and played a significant role in unifying the church.

Samuel Hlatswayo became the first black apostle in South Africa in 1953, ordained by Ninow. However, due to racial challenges, some white members refused to recognize him as an apostle. Jim Scotch Ndlovu succeeded Hlatswayo and led the 12 Apostles Church of Africa after his dismissal from the Old Apostolic Church.

During the 1960s and ’70s, riots and racial conflicts in South Africa affected the church. The Old Apostolic Church rejected becoming an apartheid church, but racial tensions persisted. Ndlovu’s arrest in 1978 led to a final split in the church, with some members rallying around him and forming separate communities.

After Ndlovu’s death in 1984, Apostle Mogale and Apostle Mkhonza took over leadership. They continued the traditions and doctrine of the church, with Mogale overseeing the Transvaal region and Mkhonza leading in Natal. Mogale sadly passed away in 1994, and the legacy of these great leaders continues as the church has celebrated its 50th anniversary.