Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia ( Latvian: Latvijas Evaņģēliski Luteriskā BAZNICA ) is the most significant of the number of its members forth religious community in Latvia.

Dissemination

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia claims to have 580,000 members (2006). The Communications Committee of Lutheran Minority Churches are for January of 2005 600.000 Lutherans, including 50,000 active members. The Research Institute "Faith in the 2nd world " indicates that the Latvian Lutheran Church had gained 24,500 new members from 2004 to 2007 ( 11,133 outlets in the same time ) and was therefore grown in three years by 6% to 250,000 members. Thus it is one of the few Lutheran churches in Europe, growing in the 21st century.

Organization

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia is headed by an archbishop since 1993 Jānis Vanags. 2006 decided to create the bishoprics of Daugavpils and Liepaja next to the Archbishopric of Riga, the Synod. On 13 October 2007, elected at the Synod of Bishops in June 2007 Einārs Alpe and Pāvils Brūvers were ordained.

In the new organization, the Archdiocese of Riga has seven deaneries to Riga and Vidzeme, the Diocese of Liepāja six deaneries in the regions of Kurzeme and Zemgale in the west of Latvia and the Diocese of Daugavpils three deaneries in the regions of Latgale and Sēlija in the south.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia consists of 300 municipalities. For 2006, approximately 140 pastors and 40 non- ordained evangelists are given. The Latvian Church draws on the priest Service Regulations of Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, to which it maintains a contract-based partnership.

In Germany, the seat of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church is located abroad, to the 130 communities in Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, Sweden and USA are approximately 25,000 members.

History

The first Lutheran congregation was founded in 1523 in Riga; However, the Lutheran Church was at first largely a church of the ruling German-speaking minority. To a revival ( and according to some sources even for the actual Christianization ) of the Latvian- population occurred in the 18th century by the Mission of the Moravian Church.

The clergy of the Lutheran church was largely dominated German. The Baltic German pastor Oskar Schabert counts among the Protestant clergy, who were 1905/1906 and killed during the Bolshevik period, numerous German Balts but only seven Latvians.

With the establishment of the State of Latvia, the Latvian 194 municipalities and 20 purely German-speaking communities were combined into a single Lutheran Church. 1922, elected by the Synod Karlis Irbe were from the Swedish bishop Nathan Soderblom consecrated as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and at the same time P. Polchau bishop of the German communities. Through the processing performed by the Latvian government agrarian reform parishes lost a large part of their land, and the municipalities were exempt from mandatory contributions to the parishes. The bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church received the right to use the Riga Cathedral. At the newly founded University of Latvia, a theological faculty was created in 1934 to over 100 pastors were trained. Bishop Irbe founded independent of the liberal conservative theological faculty Herder Institute, which focused on training for the church service. This seminar remained active in the underground during the Soviet rule.

In 1932, the church decided for one head, and Teodor Grīnbergs was elected Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.

The church was badly affected by the Second World War. 1944 Archbishop had Grīnbergs and the church administration rely on pressure of the German Security Service, the country, about sixty percent of Protestant pastors fled from the Red Army. The church leadership took over provost Karlis Irbe ( 1885-1966 ). Soon after the beginning of Soviet rule Irbe and other active clergy were deported, so that the church lost about 80 % of their clergy. 1954 forced the Soviet Union, a change in the constitution of the church, Archbishop Grīnbergs was forced to abdicate and Gustav tuRs elected archbishop. Around 1967 was one of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church 400000-450000 members with about 90 pastors. The life of the Church was limited to the holding of Sunday worship in the churches.

Under perestroika, it came back to a radical change in the attitude of people to the church. Religion, Bible and Christianity were also in the media back to the topic, and the number of churchgoers initially rose sharply. However, the Lutheran Church had far too few priests, who were not trained for this to new expectations of the church. Added to this was, as in virtually all churches of the former Eastern Bloc, the internal split between the developed during the time of communism wings of the "martyrs" and "collaborators ". At the synod in 1989 Karlis Gailitis replaced former Archbishop Erik Mesters, and the whole consistory was replaced, which enabled an unloaded from the past new beginning for the church. A 1999 survey showed that the Church was regarded by the Latvians before television, the press and Parliament as the most credible institution. However, it was in spite of the priest shortage, especially with the help of the North Elbe Church, set up in all parishes Sunday schools, hospital and prison chaplaincy, Blue Cross and work telephone counseling and the local diaconal work to rebuild.

Gradually, however, theological differences were visible, the Juris Rubenis describes as follows: while the Western Churches had an advanced theology, through which, however, the base often felt not addressed, the Latvian church had a living faith, full churches, but hardly theologians, who could communicate the existential experience of the Church theologically during the time of communism.

Ecumenism

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia belongs to the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches.

She is a member of the Lutheran World Federation and in full churches and altar fellowship with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

Negotiations for membership in the Porvoo Communion are currently underway.

Controversies

Ordination of women

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia takes regarding the ordination of women a negative attitude, like some other Lutheran churches worldwide also. Janis Matulis ( Archbishop 1969-1983 ) ordained some pastors what quite a surprise and opposition aroused in the Church.

His successor, Erik Mesters ( Archbishop 1983-1989 ) was personally opposed to the ordination of women and was asked by the clergy to ordain women. The archbishop renounced the ordination of women, but did not receive any clear position on the issue; there was a moratorium. A certain of the Synod Commission of five pastors decided 3-2 against the ordination of women.

At the synod in 1989, the abwählte Mesters and Karlis Gailitis elected the new archbishop, was matched against the end of the Synod without consultation to allow the ordination of women. Gailitis was a strong supporter of women's ordination, and in the next few years, some women were ordained. In the clergy there were numerous protests; but the church leadership did not allow new discussion of the question. Some conservative communities were determined to start his own church, when the successor of Gailitis would also ordain women.

In the election of the successor of Gailitis both candidates were asked about their attitude to women's ordination. The one candidate, Elmārs Rozītis Ernest, Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad, was this; Janis Vanags declared that he would not ordain women as archbishop, but warned that this attitude the Church would expose it to strong pressure from liberal Lutheran churches. After Egils Grīslis, a Canadian observer, 80% of the Synod against women's ordination. The choice of Jānis Vanags led to a renewed moratorium on the ordination of women. The ordained under his predecessors women could remain in office, but not officiate as parish pastors.