Johann Gottfried Bischoff

Johann Gottfried Bischoff (2 January 1871 – 6 July 1960) was a German Christian leader, Chief Apostle of the New Apostolic Church from his ordination in 1930 until 1960, time of his death.

His leadership featured several controversies. Bischoff was an ardent follower of Adolf Hitler. He often expressed racist and antisemitic views on his writings, particularly on the official magazine of the Church, Unsere Familie. Argentine historian Aurelio Nicolella mentions that Bischoff even entertained the idea of turning his Church into the state religion of the Third Reich.

On Christmas Day 1951 he delivered his infamous Botschaft (message), where he stated that Jesus Christ would fulfill his long-awaited Second Coming before his passing, claiming "the Lord will come again during my lifetime. I am the last, and there is no one after me." For a short while it would be fixed as a Church dogma. After his death, when it became evident for the faithful that Christ would not return any time soon, a significant degree of members began to leave the Church.

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