Women’s ordination in Latvia — 40 years; the Association of Latvian Lutheran Women Theologians — 20 years
On 28 July 1975, at an extended session of the Consistory, the question of women’s ordination was discussed as the second item of the session. After each person present at the session had spoken on women’s ordination, Archbishop J. Matulis said: “If you are against it, I will convene an extraordinary General Synod, and the Synod will grant permission for women’s ordination.”
In the larger Lutheran countries, such as Germany and Sweden, women were already being ordained at that time. It is possible, however, that the most important aspect was that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Abroad also began to ordain women.
In 1974, Agnese Pone was ordained — the first woman ordained in LELBāL. Before the historic vote “for” women’s ordination, J. Matulis said: “Such is our necessity — to involve women in the work of the pastor.”
Pastor Vaira Bitēna recalls: “A congregation out in the countryside in Viļķene requested me, and the situation there was this: either they would let me in and they would keep the keys, or, if they did not let me in, they would hand the keys back to the state and dissolve, because the church was in a state of disrepair. The male pastor refused and said: there is nothing to be done here — there is neither a congregation nor a church.” Since Archbishop J. Matulis fought for the preservation of every church, placing a [female] student as the congregation’s pastor was a way out. So in 1972 V. Bitēna was assigned a congregation in Viļķene parish, Limbaži district. The church was in a catastrophic state and required major restoration work. With energetic action and the support of many friends and the congregation, Vaira Bitēna carried out this work.
The induction of women into the office of pastor in LELB on 23 August 1975 — Archbishop J. Matulis, at St. John’s Church, for the first time in the history of Latvia, ordained women in the 1st degree of the pastorate (with the title of assistant pastors): the Theological Seminary students V. Bitēna, B. Stroža and H. Valpētere. It was a historic day in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. Later, the aforementioned women were ordained to the full degree of pastor on 17 July 1976 in Riga, at St. Gertrude’s Church, being presented with the silver cross insignia of office on a chain. The ordination was performed according to the agenda by Archbishop Prof. Dr. J. Matulis with the assistants dean V. Ozoliņš and senior pastor and rector Prof. R. Priede, who delivered the ordination address. After some time, other women were also ordained. Archbishop J. Matulis ordained Aleksandra Dombure (1976), Irma Kalēja, Milda Vainovska (1981) and Valda Krūmāja (1985).
On 19 August 1985, Archbishop J. Matulis died; until the extraordinary Synod the Church was led by the Presidium of the Consistory.
In 1986, an extraordinary Synod was convened. Ēriks Mesters was elected Archbishop, and pastor Kārlis Gailītis became one of the councillors of the consistory. According to Ē. Mesters’s recollections: “At the 1986 extraordinary General Synod, the question arose of whether one might review how the Gospel and the New Testament provide for women’s ordination and activity in the life of the Church. The young pastors Modris Plāte and Juris Rubenis were the ones who brought up this question — on what basis women were ordained.” It was proposed to set up a commission “On the Continued Expediency of Women’s Ordination”.
In August 1986, pastor Berta Stroža was one of those who prepared and submitted arguments to the aforementioned commission.
On 24 November 1986, by order of the LELB Consistory, a letter was written informing pastors that, as of August 1986, a commission “On the Continued Expediency of Women’s Ordination” was operating. Its head is pastor Juris Rubenis. The letter was also signed by the commission member K. Gailītis. The letter states that, in its work, the commission found that the theological arguments “for” and “against” women’s ordination are equally strong for both sides.
At the 14th General Synod in 1989, the results of the work of the commission “On the Continued Expediency of Women’s Ordination” were reported. The Synod decided on women’s ordination. “46 spoke in favour of women’s ordination, 21 against. This question has a very long history in our Church; a special commission was set up to study it, but it did not, in the end, give an unequivocal answer. The question was settled by voting,” writes Alfons Vecmanis, dean of the Jelgava district, in the 1990 calendar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. At this Synod, Kārlis Gailītis was elected Archbishop. On 9 September 1989, Archbishop Kārlis Gailītis ordained Sarmīte Fišere.
On 13 December 1989, Railvija Rozīte was ordained to the degree of assistant pastor.
On 17 March 1991, Aida Prēdele was ordained to the office of pastor.
On 21 July 1991, Dace Rubļevska was ordained to the office of pastor.
At the 15th LELB General Synod in 1992, in response to the reproaches of the opponents of women’s ordination, K. Gailītis answered unequivocally — briefly referring to the biblical text that was the basis of his conviction, namely the first Creation account, where it is written: “And God created man in His own image and likeness; in His own image He created him, male and female He created them. And God examined everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:27 and 31). At the same Synod he declared that he would continue to ordain women.
From 1990 to 1993, with the archbishop’s assignment, just like male students, the theology students Gija Brokāne (in the Zaube congregation), Ivanda Ceijere (in the Augstroze congregation), Māra Dzērve (at the disposal of dean A. Ālers in the Tukums congregation), Zilgme Eglīte (in the Penkule congregation), Anita Tukiša (in the Valdemārpils congregation), Marika Vidiņa (in the Bolderāja congregation), and Aija Zvirbule (in the Straupe congregation) served in congregations. During this time, the women pastors enjoyed the trust and respect of the Church and the archbishop; they were included in various delegations, representing LELB at the major Church forums.
In November 1992 — the sudden death of LELB Archbishop Kārlis Gailītis.
On 26 January 1993, an extraordinary LELB Synod took place, at which pastor Jānis Vanags was elected Archbishop of LELB; in his candidacy he expressed his conviction against women’s ordination.
From 18 to 20 March 1993, the LELBāL Central Board, at a plenary session in Catskill, unanimously decided: in part A, to recognize that all LELBāL congregations and districts wish to continue restoring a unified Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia; in part B, to recognize that, before forming a unified structure, agreement must be reached on the question of women’s ordination.
On 1 May 1994, the newly elected archbishop E. E. Rozītis was consecrated as bishop of LELBāL.
On 9 August 1995, Kristīne Sūna, a graduate of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia, was ordained to the office of pastor; she continues her theology studies at the University of Oxford and, having completed them, returns to Latvia, but cannot serve.
On 21 August 1995, Zilgme Eglīte, a graduate of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia, was ordained to the office of pastor in LELBāL; she had previously, by the assignment of Archbishop K. Gailītis, served in the LELB Penkule congregation. Zilgme studies at the Catholic University of Leuven and serves the Brussels Latvian congregation in Belgium. The Association of Latvian Lutheran Women Theologians
On 17 July 1995, the Association of Latvian Lutheran Women Theologians (LLSTA) was founded in Riga. The founding meeting was attended by 18 women theologians. Of these, seven are pastors: Vaira Bitēna, Berta Stroža, Sarmīte Fišere, Austra Reine, Ilze Grenze, Inese Radziņa, Anita Vārsberga, as well as the deaconess Vija Klīve, the serving theology students Marika Vidiņa, Dace Jaunzeme, Sandra Rozenberga, Indra Skuja (was not present but sent a letter, which was accepted at the founding meeting), and the theology students Kristīne Sūna, Aiva Rozenberga, Ilze Ezerniece, Ilze Geidāne, Ieva Vintere and Dace Vidruska. The aim of the association is to foster mutual support and fellowship at a time when women are being pushed out of the communion of the Church, and to organize educational events to inform society about the service of women and men in the Church. The first woman ordained in Latvia, Vaira Bitēna, is elected president of the association, with Sarmīte Fišere and Austra Reine as vice-presidents.
On 22 August 1995, a commemorative worship service dedicated to the 20th anniversary of women’s ordination takes place at Riga Cathedral, organized by LLSTA and attended by all the ordained LELB women pastors and serving students. Archbishop Jānis Vanags was also invited, but he did not come to this worship service. LELB Archbishop E. E. Rozītis and a few LELB pastors of the older, middle and younger generations take part. A book dedicated to this anniversary is published, “Go and Tell!” (Ogre Evangelical Lutheran congregation, 1995), whose initiator is Sarmīte Fišere. A supplement to “Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze” dedicated to this topic is published, whose editors are Marika Vidiņa and Indra Skuja. Information prepared from materials available on the LLSTA website
Information compiled by Aļesja Lavrinoviča