Pastors’ Conference Decides to Propose Changes in the LELC Constitution

Vija Klive

This article by Ivars Kupcis was published in Svētdienas Rīts (“Sunday Morning,” the official LELC newspaper) on November 21, 2009. The article and this translation are used by permission. Translation by Vija Klive

[1] On 11 November, War Veterans’ Day, in the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church (LELC) Youth Center in Riga’s Old City, the LELC Pastors’ Conference took place. During the pastors’ conference several current issues concerning work in the Church were discussed, including proposals that had been submitted to the LELC Constitution Commission.

[2] Since the 25th LELC Synod in 2010 is expected to accept the final version of the LELC Constitution, so far there have come in proposals for the correction and collection of the text. In the first part of the conference, the pastors deliberated the submitted proposals for changes in the Constitution pertaining to the Preamble; following the remarks by pastor Aleksandrs Bite a specification was made. The LELC jurist Agris Eglītis acquainted the persons present with the draft of the rules of the Synod which with some corrections was accepted. In the continuation of the conference came up proposals submitted by the Valmiera and Cēsis deans’ districts to state the LELC position towards women’s ordination in the Constitution. Archbishop Jānis Vanags provided an insight into the history of this issue – the practice of women’s ordination in the LELC began in 1975 and with some interruptions continued, but the 1992 Synod concluded that the issue had not been discussed enough. In 1993 the practice of women’s ordination in the LELC was discontinued, and since then, based on understanding of Holy Scripture, no new ordinations of women have taken place in the LELC.

[3] Why the issue of women’s ordination should be regulated in the Constitution was argued by the pastors in the Cēsu and Valmiera deans’ districts Gints Polis and Magnuss Olsson [a Swedish pastor, who was refused ordination in Sweden because of his conservative views, but ordained by Vanags and serves in a local congregation in Latvia]. The head of the LELC Rights Division dean Arnis Bušs stressed that the pastors’ conference does not have to choose for or against women’s ordination, but it had to decide whether this issue should be regulated by the LELC Constitution and whether to entrust to the Rights Commission the task of working out proposals for changes in the Constitution that would be directed onward toward decision in the upcoming LELC Synod. Only the Synod, which consists of representatives from all LELC congregations and LELC clergy, has the right to make changes in the LELC Constitution.

[4] During the course of the discussion the pastors were addressed by evangelist Ieva Zeiferte, who presented the Lutheran World Federation’s position and recommendations to member churches concerning women’s ordination. In addition, pastor Uldis Jumejs invited the participants to be guided by the truths of the Holy Scriptures and not think about getting some possible benefit in the event of the triumph of one position over the other.

[5] With 39 pastors’ votes for, 32 against and 11 abstaining, the pastors’ conference decided to clarify the Constitution regulation concerning ordination of clergy to include as one of the requirements the candidate’s gender, as well as to request the LELC Rights Division to prepare the relevant changes in the Constitution to present to the next Synod. In addition to this, until the Synod next June the LELC has to carry out a broad discussion about the theological substantiation of women’s ordination.

[6] Artis Eglītis, Secretary of the LELC Executive Council, and Hans Jenson, head of the Financial Commission, informed the pastors about the implementation of the pastors’ salary system and its latest news and asked the congregations to honestly make their payments as they had agreed to do with the LELC Executive Council. Archbishop Jānis Vanags in the second part of the conference gave an overview of several vital current issues in serving in the Church. This concerned LELC’s ecumenical cooperation and relation with partner Churches, the recent meeting of Baltic States Lutheran bishops in Tallinn, as well as the continuing education of pastors. The archbishop asked the pastors to not get mired in routine, “carrying out the duties of a pastor,” but to always remember what is our main goal and duty – to bring people to Christ.

[7] The pastors’ conference was also introduced to the future bishop of Riga, who will be the archbishop’s assistant in charge of spiritual life in the Riga Diocese. In conformity with the LELC Constitution, the archbishop in his diocese can appoint an assistant bishop, who does his job under the archbishop’s leadership. After reviewing a survey of candidates done among the pastors and inviting those who received the most votes, it was decided that the most suitable candidate for bishop of Riga was Guntars Dimants, dean of the Jūrmala deanery. The consecration of the bishop of Riga will take place 9 January in the Dom Cathedral in Riga.

[8] The conference ended with all the participants joining in common song. Ilze Sprance, head of the LELC Music and Liturgy Division, acquainted the pastors with new songs for Advent and Christmas from the forthcoming new LELC Hymnal.