Carl George Klibbe was born in Pomeranian (Germanized part of Poland which after WWII returned to Poland). He became a Lutheran Pastor who shortly after developed a deep interest in teachings of Edward Irving and also Henry Drummond and for this reason he went to Scotland, and then joined Catholic Apostolic Church. From there he was sent to Australia where he met Apostle H. F. Niemeyer.
After few years with Apostle Niemeyer he was ordained Evangelist and sent to South Africa in 1889. He was to begin mission work for the Apostolic Church. His efforts at evangelising in Cape Town, where he landed, had limited success and, hearing of large numbers of German settlers in the vicinity of East London, he moved there in 1892. This was successful and the community that he founded built their own church in St Georges Road, Southernwood, East London residential suburb.

Klibbe was ordained Apostle on 8 July 1893 by Apostle H. F. Niemeyer of Queensland, Australia, who had sent Klibbe to South Africa some 4 years earlier.

In 1901, a shoemaker named Georg Heinrich Wilhelm Schlapphof, an immigrant from Germany, visited the congregation. Schlapphof was sealed by Apostle Klibbe on Pentecost 1902. At Christmas 1902, Schlapphof was ordained into the Deacon-Evangelist ministry and commissioned to go to Cape Town to re-establish the Church there. On Pentecost, 4 June 1906, the first church in Cape Town was dedicated by Apostle Klibbe. Colloquially, this community became known as the German Apostolic Church.

In addition to Cape Town, Apostle Klibbe also sent servants to Port Elizabeth, Durban and Johannesburg. From these towns, servants were then sent to other centres such as Grahamstown, King Williams Town and Kimberley.

Unfortunately, a severe difference of opinion arose within the Church in South Africa. Apostle Klibbe had appointed G H W Schlapphof to the Bishop ministry in 1910 but had rescinded this appointment by 1912 and reduced it to a District Eldership. Sadly, this led to a division between Apostle Klibbe and District Elder Schlapphof.

At the same time there was a difference of opinion between Apostle Niemeyer (and his son Bishop Niemeyer) of Australia and Chief Apostle Niehaus of the New Apostolic Church in Germany, to the extent that Apostle Niemeyer left the New Apostolic Church and founded the Apostolic Church of Queensland. The Niemeyers then visited South Africa and Germany. Subsequently Apostle Klibbe severed all contact with the Chief Apostle, even returning all mail unopened. This difference led to the involvement of District Elder Schlapphof who was invited to Germany to bring clarity to the situation. On 21 September 1913, whilst in Germany, District Elder Schlapphof received the Apostle Ministry from Chief Apostle Niehaus. Apostle Klibbe was excommunicated from the New Apostolic Church by the Chief Apostle but refused to accept the ruling.

A little known, but crucial fact is that these differences between Apostle Klibbe and ‘Germany’ arose regarding the handling of tithes. Apostle Klibbe refused to accept a ruling that all tithe money received from South African congregants be paid over to the Church in Germany as Head Office and refused to comply despite severe pressure and threat of excommunication.

Another factor was that when Chief Apostle Niehaus died, Apostle Krebs appointed himself successor to Apostle Niehaus without consultation with all other Apostles. ......>>>

Apostle Niemeyer and Apostle Klibbe sharing the same understanding of the Apostle Doctrine sided against the Chief Apostle Office of the New Apostolic Church in Germany.

From 1913 onwards, there were 2 Churches in South Africa, both operating as the “New Apostolic Church”, the one led by Apostle Klibbe, the other by Apostle Schlapphof. The dispute and the bitter conflict between the two Apostles was only settled in 1926 by a Supreme Court Ruling. Apostle Klibbe, sticking to the original Apostle Doctrine, had vastly differed from the teachings of the New Apostolic Church and therefore after the Suprme Court Ruling changed the name of his Church to “The Old Apostolic Church of Africa” as an affirmation of his beliefs in the Original teachings of Apostles of 1820s.

Apostle Klibbe died in May 1931 and was succeeded by Apostles E Ninow, C. Ninow and W. Campbell, who were appointed by Klibbe before his death.

William Campbell served as Apostle in Durban from 1928 till 1948 and then in Cape Town till 1958. Two weeks before his passing away he ordained Overseer W. Lombard as Apostle W. Lombard.

Robert William Lombard was born on the 18th (October) 1895. He was ordained as a Priest in 1920 at the age of 25. He remained with Apostle Klibbe when he (Klibbe) moved away from the New Apostolic Church and started the Old Apostolic Church.

On Sunday the 11th May 1958 he was ordained as the first Non-White Apostle in the Church by Apostle William Campbell, only 11 days before the demise of the latter. Apostle Lombard was ordained in the Maitland Town Hall in Western Cape. That was a very emotional day. There was not a dry eye in the hall during the service. There were so many prophecies that there was very little time for preaching.

Apostle Robert W. Lombard was a very straight forward, no nonsense loving man who dedicated his life to the church in his quest to carry out God’s commands.

He was a man of integrity and a no nonsense man who hated lies.

He always said “even if the truth is how bad or filthy, never tell a lie”

He was a man who listened intently to what you have to say before answering. He never lost his temper and never bad mouthed anybody. He only owned a car for a short time in his early life and as Apostle refused a car from the church.

His door was always open to all even brothers and sisters.

In January 1972 Apostle Lombard was excommunicated from the Old Apostolic Church and went on to establish the “Hervormde Ou Apostoliese Kerk” - Reformed Old Apostolic Church.

Shortly before end of his life he told us that God gave him the choice of deciding when to leave this Earth. And that is exactly what happened, he chose the day and died that day.