Here I am! 64 (corrected to 66) Latvian women pastors in Latvia and around the world (a chronology1 )
The article was first published on 22 December 2018. The information was updated on 17 June and 27 December 2019. Supplemented on 29 August 2020 and 26 June 2025.
Abbreviations used in the article:LELBĀL – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Abroad, (now LELBP – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Worldwide) LELBA – Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LELB – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, ELCA – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LU TF – Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia.
Agnese Pone (15.05.1898.–18.04.1977. †), graduate of LU TF, 1928. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 18 May 1974 in Germany. The ordination was performed by Archbishop Arnolds Lūsis, assisted by provosts J. Teriņš and E. E. Rozītis.
Brigita Vēvere, graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as a pastor on 27 May 1974 in the Church of Sweden. Also serves LELBĀL.
Helēna Valpētere (25.12.1911.–[1987?] †), graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as an assistant pastor on 23 August 1975, and as a pastor in 1979.
Berta Stroža (25.11.1914.–14.10.2005. †), graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as an assistant pastor on 23 August 1975, and as a pastor in 1979. Served in Latvia.
Vaira Bitēna, graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Serves in Latvia. Ordained as an assistant pastor on 23 August 1975, and as a pastor in 1979.
Aleksandra Dombure (01.06.1922.–? †) graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as a pastor on 31 August 1976.
Vera Fricsone (née Akmeņkalēja; 27.03.1916.–03.07.1989. †), graduate of LU TF, 1936. Having gone into refuge in the USA, ordained as a pastor in 1977. Ordained by Archbishop Arnolds Lūsis.
Lauma Zušēvica (née Lazdiņa), Archbishop of LELBĀL. Ordained as a pastor on 4 June 1978 in the USA. Consecrated as Archbishop of LELBĀL in 2015. Elvīra Siliņa (née Blumenfelde; 22.09.1907.[8.]–1991.†), graduate of LU TF, 1937. Having gone into refuge in England. Ordained to the office of pastor on 22 January 1978. Served in Great Britain.
Irma Kalēja (née Pērkons; 1903.–1995. †), graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as a pastor on 15 July 1981.
Milda Vainovska (née France; 16.04.1925.–23.04.2015. †), graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as an assistant pastor on 15 July 1981 in Latvia. Ordained by Archbishop Jānis Matulis. Later served as a pastor in the Methodist church.
Velta Zante-Šime (1915.–11.03.2002. †), USA. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL by LELBĀL in 1982 in the Latvian congregation in Philadelphia.
Ilze Kuplēna-Ewart, Ordained on 3 December 1983. Serves in Canada.
Valda Krūmāja (31.10.1931.–2002. †), graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained to the office of pastor on 27 January 1985. Served in Latvia.
Aina Pūliņa (09.03.1935. – 23.03.2020.†) Ordained as a pastor on 8 May 1986. Served in the USA.
Sarma Eglīte Ordained by LELBA on 20 June 1986. Serves in the USA.
Silvija Zalts-Sīpoliņa, born in Argentina. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL in Argentina and Uruguay on 3 July 1988. Currently serves in Canada.
Ieva Graufelde Ordained on 11 June 1989 in the Church of Sweden. Also serves LELBĀL.
Sarmīte Fišere, graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as a pastor on 9 September 1989. Ordained by Archbishop Kārlis Gailītis.
Railvija Rozīte, graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained to the rank of assistant pastor on 13 December 1989.
Raita J. Neely Ordained as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1989.
Ida Ņina Rautenšilde (b. 24.04.1926.), pastor emerita. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 2 September 1990. Served in the USA. Austra Reine Ordained as a pastor of ELCA on 14 April 1990. Works in the USA.
Aida Prēdele (29.11.1950.–19.07.2015. †), graduate of LU TF, served in Latvia. Ordained to the office of pastor on 17 March 1991. Ordained by Kārlis Gailītis.
Ilze O’Hara (née Grenze), graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained to the office of pastor of LELBĀL on 18 June 1991.
Dace Rubļevska, graduate of LU TF. Ordained to the office of pastor on 21 July 1991 in Latvia.
Ruta Ziedone Ordained as a pastor on 18 April 1993. Serves in the USA.
Rasma Caune Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 11 June 1993. Serves in Canada.
Daina Reinerte-Salnīte Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 22 August 1993. Serves in the USA.
Inese Radziņa Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL in the USA on 29 August 1993. Serves in the USA.
Anita Vārsberga-Pāža, graduate of LU TF/graduate of the LELB Theological Seminary. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL in the USA on 12 September 1993. Serves in the USA.
Zane Blaumane Ordained as a pastor for service in LELBĀL on 22 January 1995. Serves in Great Britain.
Kristīne Sūna-Koro Ordained as a pastor for service in LELBĀL on 22 January 1995. Works in the USA.
Sandra Rozenberga-Saavedra, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor for service in LELBĀL on 22 January 1995.
Anita Gaide (née Rundāns) Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL (LELBA) on 7 May 1995. Serves in Canada.
Zilgme Eglīte, graduate of LU TF (photo). Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 21 August 1995. Serves in Sweden.
Indra Skuja-Grīslis Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 13 April 1997. Serves in Canada.
Jogita Mazur (née Mingina), graduate of LU TF. Ordained to the office of pastor of LELBĀL on 31 August 1997. Serves in the USA.
Jāna Jēruma-Grīnberga, bishop emerita. Ordained as a pastor on 28 September 1997. Ordained by LELBĀL Archbishop Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis. Consecrated as bishop in the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. After returning to Latvia, Jāna Jēruma-Grīnberga served as pastor of St. Saviour’s Anglican congregation in Riga (until September 2019).
Dace Jaunzeme, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 8 August 1999.
Gundega Puidza, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 18 June 2000. Serves in the USA.
Ilze Larsen (née Ezerniece), graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 18 June 2000. Serves in the USA.
Dace Skudiņa, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 18 June 2000. Serves in the USA.
Daira Cilne Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 3 December 2000. Serves in the USA.
Ieva Pušmacāne-Kineyko, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 2 September 2001. Serves in the USA.
Biruta Puiķe-Wilson, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 20 October 2001. Serves in the USA.
Maija Cepure-Zemmels (1942.–2015. †), went to the USA in the 1980s. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 13 April 2002.
Ilze Ķezbere-Härle, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 7 December 2003. Serves in Germany. Elīza Zikmane, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 23 May 2004. Pastor Elīza Zikmane served for several years in Great Britain. Since January 2020 she has been pastor of St. Saviour’s Anglican congregation in Riga, Latvia.
Dace Zušmane Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 19 November 2004. Serves in the USA.
Ilze Druviņa Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 6 February 2005. Serves in Germany.
Iveta Thamm Studied at LU TF, at Ghent University in Belgium, and at the University of Oslo in Norway. Ordained as a pastor in Germany in 2007.
Ieva Dzelzgalvis Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL in the USA on 23 April 2008. Serves in the USA.
Gita (Urdze) Putce, pastor emerita. Served in Great Britain. Currently lives in Germany. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 26 April 2008.
Aija Graham (née Kupuršmite). Graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 19 May 2010 in the USA.
Māra Saulīte ( 05.05.1932. – 20.02.2012. † in Australia). Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL in 2008 in Australia. Served in the 1st Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Melbourne.
Helēne Godiņa (currently has a different surname) Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 10 June 2012.
Gija Brokāne-Galiņa Ordained by LELBA in the USA on 24 February 2013. Serves in the USA.
Brigita Saiva, pastor emerita in Australia. Ordained as a pastor on 8 July 2013. Ordained by LELBĀL Archbishop Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis.
Ieva Puriņa (née Kļaviņa), graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor on 9 February 2014 for service in Latvia. Ordained by LELBĀL Archbishop Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis.
Zanda Ohff (née Mankusa), graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor on 22 February 2015 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany.
Daira Vāvere Ordained as a pastor of LELBĀL on 29 August 2016. Serves in Great Britain.
Sandra Gintere Ordained as a pastor in the Church in Germany on 18 October 2017. Serves in Germany.
Aiva Rozenberga-Dramonda Ordained as a pastor on 21 January 2018 by LELBA – for service in the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Dace Dišlere-Musta, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor in Austria on 10 June 2018.
Dace Balode, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor on 29 June 2018 by LELBĀL for service in Latvia. Ordained by LELBĀL Archbishop Lauma Zušēvica.
Rudīte Losāne, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor on 27 October 2019 by LELBĀL for service in Latvia (in Cīrava). Ordained by LELBĀL Archbishop Lauma Zušēvica.
Laura Brauna, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor on 26 May 2024 by LELBP. Ordained by LELBP Archbishop Lauma Zušēvica.
Arta Skuja, graduate of LU TF. Ordained as a pastor on 23 February 2025 by LELBP. Ordained by LELBP Archbishop Lauma Zušēvica and Archbishop emeritus Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis.
1 We would like to mention one more woman, who was known as an excellent preacher and a de facto pastor, but who was never ordained. This is Johanna Ose (03.10.1888.–?), graduate of LU TF, 1936. In the post-war years, the acting archbishop Kārlis Irbe offered her ordination, but she declined, so as not to be overcome by pride at becoming the first woman pastor. Ose would not have been the first woman pastor, since elsewhere in Europe women were already being ordained as pastors back in the 1920s.
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