Apostolic
English
The Apostolic Old Catholic Mission is a welcoming and sacramental Christian community rooted in the ancient faith of the early Church. We offer valid sacraments, reverent worship, and pastoral care to those seeking a deeper connection with Christ — especially those who have felt overlooked or excluded elsewhere.
We are catholic in faith, and independent of Rome.
Apostolic, but not rigid.
Structured, but never exclusive.
Orthodox in heritage, yet inclusive in heart.
We are not Protestant, but we honour the Reformation’s call to renewal.
We are not Anglican, though we share a love of liturgy and pastoral tradition.
We are an Independent Sacramental (Old Catholic) mission — drawing from the richness of the Church’s first thousand years, with freedom of conscience and openness at the core.
At the heart of everything the Apostolic Old Catholic Mission does, is our simple but powerful motto:
Christ at the Centre. Everyone at the Table.
The first Christians spoke of their faith as “the Way”. Following Christ shapes how we pray, how we welcome one another, and how we live from day to day.
We make room for God in the ordinary rhythm of our lives, in Scripture, silence and the sacraments.
We gather as people with different stories, learning to receive one another with patience and care.
We seek to carry the love we receive into our homes, our work and the lives of our neighbours.
Rooted in valid apostolic succession, we celebrate the seven sacraments with reverence — without clericalism or rigid hierarchy.
We open the Table to all who seek Christ, extending grace without judgement — no tests, no labels, and no conditions for belonging.
We follow the rhythms of early Christian worship — reverent, structured, and beautiful — yet alive with meaning for today’s world.
The Apostolic Old Catholic Mission is still small, but grounded in faithful care and valid apostolic oversight. Our leadership reflects both pastoral presence and sacramental legitimacy — guided by a commitment to Christ-centred ministry, openness, and shared responsibility. As we grow, we look forward to welcoming others into this journey.
Bishop-Rector · Sofia, Bulgaria
Bishop Ashley Deutschmann is the Mission’s Bishop-Rector, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. He provides pastoral leadership, guidance and episcopal oversight, nurturing a reverent, inclusive and welcoming community. His ministry includes sacramental and pastoral care, alongside fellowship and consultation with other bishops and clergy.
Bishop Emeritus · Brisbane, Australia
Bishop Ian Charles Adrian, based in Brisbane, Australia, brings many years of priestly and episcopal experience to the Mission. As Bishop Emeritus, he offers spiritual support and prayer, and shares advice on occasion. His relationship with the Mission continues through prayerful fellowship and mutual support.
Priest · Reutlingen, Germany
Fr Martin Uwe Lauer, based in Reutlingen, Germany, is a priest of the Mission under provisional incardination. He provides sacramental care in German and Romanian, serving in local churches and working ecumenically alongside other priests. His ministry brings together local pastoral service and fellowship across Christian traditions.
The Reverend Deacon · Lede, Belgium
The Reverend Deacon Colin de Pelsmaker, based in Lede, Belgium, holds a Master of Theology and Religious Studies and speaks English and Dutch. Archbishop Karl-Michael Soemer ordained him on the Mission’s behalf on 10 October 2026, during the St Nikolaus celebration in Paderborn, Germany. Read about his ordination.
Ordinand · Gauteng, South Africa
Kerensa Nothnagel, based in Gauteng, South Africa, brings more than a decade of church leadership experience to her life of service. She has paused her studies for health reasons and work commitments, intending to resume them in future. She remains a faithful servant of the universal Church.
Ordinand · Kentucky, USA
Cody Johnson, based in Kentucky, USA, is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt University. He lives as a diocesan hermit under Bishop Ashley Deutschmann’s episcopal authority, supported by the spiritual care and prayers of the Mission and affiliated communities. He also leads Erasmus House as his personal ministry.
Christ at the Centre.
Everyone at the Table.
The map below shows our growing Apostolic Old Catholic Mission spiritual family across the world. It highlights our own clergy and candidates, our valued intercommunion partners, and our close friends.
Whether you are seeking local sacramental care or simply exploring our connections, please know that you are always welcome here.
Find someone to talk to, a community to pray with, or a connection near you.
For the best view of the map, turn your phone sideways into landscape mode. You can also use the directory below.
Select a pin to see its town and nearby places, or use the directory below for details and contact links. Pins show approximate towns or service areas; please make contact before visiting. Use arrow keys to pan and + or − to zoom when the map has focus.
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18 people and communities
Bishop-Rector
Bishop Ashley serves as Bishop-Rector of the Mission and provides pastoral and sacramental care, including the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
Bishop Emeritus
Bishop Ian Charles Adrian, based in Brisbane, Australia, brings many years of priestly and episcopal experience to the Mission. As Bishop Emeritus, he offers spiritual support and prayer, and shares advice on occasion, drawing on a lifetime of service to the Church.
Priest under provisional incardination
Fr Martin provides sacramental care, serving in local churches and working ecumenically alongside other priests.
Languages: German and Romanian
Ordinand
Cody Johnson, based in Kentucky, USA, is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Vanderbilt University. Rooted in the Appalachian region, he lives as a diocesan hermit under the episcopal authority of Bishop Ashley Deutschmann, supported by the spiritual care and prayers of the Mission and its affiliated congregations and communities. He also leads Erasmus House as his personal ministry.
Ordinand
Kerensa Nothnagel, based in Gauteng, South Africa, brings more than a decade of church leadership experience to her life of service. She has paused her studies for health reasons and because of work commitments, and intends to resume them in future. She remains a faithful servant of the universal Church.
The Reverend Deacon
The Reverend Deacon Colin de Pelsmaker serves the Mission from Lede, Belgium. He holds a Master of Theology and Religious Studies and speaks English and Dutch. He was ordained to the diaconate on 10 October 2026 by Archbishop Karl-Michael Soemer, acting on behalf of Bishop Ashley Deutschmann and the Mission. His ordination took place in Paderborn, Germany, during the St Nikolaus celebration of Gemeinschaft St. Nikolaus, with the assistance and prayers of the clergy gathered there.
Languages: English and Dutch
Archbishop Karl-Michael Soemer
A community in the Catholic tradition, gathering for worship in the St Nikolaus house chapel. Please contact the community before visiting its small chapel. Online worship is also available by arrangement.
Msgr. Alexander Patrick Holland
Local pastoral contact within Gemeinschaft St. Nikolaus. Enquiries are currently arranged through the community in Hövelhof.
Subsidiar Willy Reiter
Local pastoral contact within Gemeinschaft St. Nikolaus. Enquiries are currently arranged through the community in Hövelhof.
Pater Johannes Haertwig
A Franciscan community centred on prayer and liturgy. Worship takes place in the private St Franziskus house chapel; friends and visitors are welcome to enquire.
Pastor Bruno Baia
A community in the Catholic and Franciscan traditions, shaped by Portuguese spirituality. It gathers in a private chapel in Münster and shares Sunday worship online. Contact the community for worship and pastoral enquiries.
Dr. theol. Philipp Tropf, community leader and provost
The Good Shepherd congregation offers worship and pastoral accompaniment. The separate Order of the Good Shepherd is rooted in the Spessart. Contact Philipp Tropf to enquire about their activities.
Archbishop Matthias Johannes
A Catholic community gathering at the Chapel of the Holy Archangel Michael in Winterswijk, with house gatherings elsewhere in the Netherlands. Contact the community for worship times, pastoral care or an introduction.
Bishop Dawid (David) Waliczek
The independent Catholic Community of the Good Shepherd centres its life on the Eucharist, Scripture and prayer. It serves in Kraków and Oświęcim; contact Bishop Dawid for local worship and pastoral enquiries.
Archbishop Joseph Richards · Full intercommunion
A sacramental Christian community in full intercommunion with the Mission. Contact the ICC for worship, pastoral care and information about its ministries.
Archbishop Primus Ricardo Lorite de Lima · Full intercommunion
A fellowship of autonomous Anglican and Episcopal churches. This pin indicates its administrative contact in Lins, rather than the full extent of its communities. Contact the communion for local ministry enquiries.
Bishop Petar Petrović · Full intercommunion
An Anglican community sharing liturgical worship, teaching and Christian service. Its separate agreement with the Mission establishes full intercommunion. Contact the community to confirm its current gathering location.
Agreement of dialogue
A self-governing Orthodox-Catholic body with clergy and communities in several countries. This pin identifies a listed Fort Wayne contact, not a headquarters. Our relationship is an agreement of dialogue, not full intercommunion. Use the general contact for information about local communities.
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Partner communities retain their own governance and ministry arrangements. Read about our relationships or contact the Mission for help finding pastoral care.
The Apostolic Old Catholic Mission is led by The Right Reverend Ashley R. Deutschmann, our Bishop-Rector.
We are locally governed and pastorally focused, but we do not stand alone. We are not a separate denomination, church empire, or self-contained jurisdiction. We are a mission: a sacramental community serving within the wider Church of Christ.
For that reason, we value friendship, counsel, and fellowship with bishops, priests, deacons, and communities from other jurisdictions, whether or not formal agreements are in place.
This reflects something of the early Church: local communities rooted in their own setting, yet strengthened by prayer, counsel, mutual recognition, and shared responsibility.
Through these collegial relationships, Bishop Ashley regularly speaks with other bishops and clergy, sounding out ideas, learning from different traditions, and seeking wisdom for the Mission’s growth. This helps us remain independent without becoming isolated.
Bishop Ashley was ordained priest on 18 May 2025 by H.E. Archbishop Svetoslav Vasilev, Archbishop of Serdica, and was ordained to the episcopacy on Pentecost, 24 May 2026, by Bishop Seamus and H.E. Archbishop Svetoslav Vasilev – click here for more.
As a small and emerging community, we keep our structure simple, transparent, and focused on the essentials:
Christ at the centre, and everyone at the Table.
Together, we seek to offer a faithful catholic witness — ancient in roots, open in spirit, and centred always on Christ.
At the heart of our Mission is a simple but profound belief: the Church is called to be a place of grace, not exclusion — a Table, not a gate. We draw deeply from the ancient rhythms of Christian worship, but we do so with hearts open to the Spirit’s movement today.
We don’t claim to have all the answers. We are not building an empire or performing a show. We are simply striving to offer a space where prayer is honest, worship is reverent, and everyone is received with dignity.
In all of this, our concern is service rather than status. We use traditional ecclesiastical symbols and heraldry in a modest way, but we respectfully do not recognise invented noble titles, pseudo-chivalric “orders”, or micro-nation claims as having any place in our life or governance. Ministry is measured by faithfulness, integrity, and pastoral care — not by grandiose styles or elaborate titles.
Whether you join us online, through prayer, or in fellowship someday — know that there is a place for you here.
Continue your journey with us
Bund freier katholischer Gemeinden
The Apostolic Old Catholic Mission is a member of the Federation of Free Catholic Communities, a fellowship rooted in sacramental faith, Christian unity, and inclusive ministry.
We remain self-governing while working together in friendship, mutual support, and mission.
Find our fellow communities
