The Latvian Lutheran Women Theologians Association (LLSTA) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year!
In honor of the anniversary, on September 12, 2015, a festive worship service and the conference “Women’s Ordination in the Context of the 21st Century” will take place at the Riga Luther Congregation.
August 23, 2015, also marks 40 years since women were ordained for the first time in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.
A brief look at history
On August 23, 1975, Archbishop J. Matulis, at St. John’s Church, for the first time in the history of Latvia ordained women to the first degree of pastor – the Theological Seminary students V. Bitēna, B. Stroža and H. Valpētere. It was a historic day in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.
Almost 20 years after women were ordained in Latvia, on January 26, 1993, an extraordinary Synod of the ELCL took place, at which Pastor Jānis Vanags, who while running for office expressed his conviction not to ordain women, was elected Archbishop of the ELCL.
J. Vanags’s position of not ordaining women most directly affects the twenty women pastors of the ELCL on the register of clergy and the students of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia. Many of them emigrate in order to fulfill God’s calling to serve in the office of pastor.
On July 17, 1995, the Latvian Lutheran Women Theologians Association was founded, which advocates for the restoration of women’s ordination.
In the photograph:
Surnames (before marriage), from the right: Ilze Druviņa, Aiva Rozenberga, Kristīne Sūna, Dace Magone, next to Kristīne Sūna is Kristīne (my classmate, whose surname I do not remember), then Ieva Kļaviņa, Pastor Berta Stroža, Pastor Vaira Bitēna, Indra Skuja, Ilze Ezerniece, Ieva Geidane, Ieva Vintere smile emoticon, standing up is Māra Zviedre, it seems Pastor Augusts Ālers, next to him a pastor I don’t know (must ask Vaira), Pastor Sarmīte Fišere, behind Sarmīte is Ivanda Ceiere, Pastor Vilis Varsbergs, Dace, Archbishop Rozītis, deaconess Vija Klīve, Pastor Dace Rubļevska, behind, it seems, Ilmārs Zvirgzds, pastor (N/A), Pastor Aida Prēdele, Pastor Austra Reine.