On 23 August 1975, in St. John’s Church, Archbishop J. Matulis, for the first time in the history of Latvia, ordained women – the Theological Seminary students V. Bitēna, B. Stroža, and H. Valpētere – to the first degree of pastor (with the title of assistant pastor). It was a historic day in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.
From the recollections recorded by pastor Valdis Amols: “It took place in Riga, in the archbishop’s cathedral, St. John’s Church, on Saturday, 23 August 1975, at 6.30 p.m. The venerable church of the capital was decorated with oak garlands and white flowers. The church was full of worshippers. As the women’s choir sang, a procession approached the altar from the sacristy, led at its head by the chairman, in the first pair Archbishop Prof. Dr. J. Matulis with H. Valpētere, in the second the archbishop’s deputy Assoc. Prof. Viktors Ozoliņš with B. Stroža, in the third the rector of the Academic Theological Courses Prof. R. Priede with V. Bitēna. (Fišere, Go and Tell!, (Ogre: Ogre Evangelical Lutheran congregation, 1995), p. 5) The address to those being ordained was given by provost Viktors Ozoliņš, emphasising that this event was the first of its kind, but recalling that in other countries women’s ordination had already taken place, for example in Sweden, Estonia, and Germany. He also stressed the significant position of woman both in society and in the life of congregations, and wished them God’s help, that they might always remain faithful to the promise given. Afterwards the words of dedication were spoken by the rector Roberts Priede. All the new women pastors preached. They were ordained by the archbishop with his assistants.
Later, the said women were ordained to the full degree of pastor on 17 July 1979 in Riga, in St. Gertrude’s Church, being presented with the insignia of office, a silver cross on a chain. The ordination, in the order of the agenda, was performed by Archbishop Prof. Dr. J. Matulis with his assistants, provost V. Ozoliņš and senior pastor and rector Prof. R. Priede, who delivered the ordination address.
Later, other women were also ordained. Archbishop J. Matulis ordained Aleksandra Dombure (1976), Irma Kalēja, Milda Vainovska (1981), and Valda Krūmāja (1985).
Although Archbishop Ēriks Mesters did not ordain women to the pastoral office, he did not take a stand against women who had already been ordained. “They did a very great deal for the good of the churches and congregations, and for that I respect them too.” In our conversation he was reluctant to speak about ordination and did not seek to delve into the reasons for it. When it came time to vote, he voted “for”, but it was not out of conviction that it was necessary; it was more a show of respect for J. Matulis. Ē. Mesters regarded it as a necessity.
Recalling those years, Ē. Mesters observed that the attitude towards a woman pastor was not the same in all congregations. Many congregation members even expressed the following wish: “Give us the worst man pastor rather than the best woman pastor!” There were cases in which, for this reason, congregation members left and moved to another congregation. There was also an attitude expressed on the part of the men of the congregation: “We accept the woman pastor, but the women members do not want her.” Yet, despite all this, service in the congregations continued, and nowhere were there sharp conflicts between a congregation and a woman pastor; everything proceeded within the bounds of the life of that time.
Ž. Priede, bachelor’s thesis
Women’s Ordination in Latvia
in the Time of Archbishop Jānis Matulis”, University of Latvia Faculty of Theology, 2007.