Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC;

Estonian Evangelical
Estonian: Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik, abbreviated EELK) is
a Lutheran church in Estonia. EELC is member of the Lutheran Lutheran Church
World Federation and belongs to the Community of Protestant Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik
Churches in Europe. It is also a member of the Porvoo
Communion, putting it in full communion with the Church of
England and other Anglican churches in Europe.

History
The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church was constituted in Classification Protestant
1949, when the previous church hierarchy, Eesti Evangeeliumi
Orientation Lutheran
Luteriusu Kirik, which was formed in 1919 and headed by bishop
Johan Kõpp, had escaped to Sweden in 1944. When the Soviet Polity Episcopal-Synodal
Union invaded Estonia in 1940, most Christian organizations Primate Urmas Viilma
were dissolved, church property was confiscated, theologians
Associations Lutheran World
were exiled to Siberia, and religious education programs were
outlawed. World War II later brought devastation to many church Federation,
buildings. It was not until 1988 that church activities were World Council of
renewed when a movement for religious tolerance began in the Churches,
Soviet Union. Conference of
European
Although women had studied theology at Tartu University in the Churches,
1920s and some had sought ordination as priests, it was not until
Porvoo
1967 that the first woman, Laine Villenthal, was ordained. In
Communion
2014, the church reported that there were 169 men and 43
Community of
women serving as ministers.[2]
Protestant
While the EELC is not an established church, until 2023 it Churches in
enjoyed a preferential status not extended to other churches in Europe
Estonia. In May 2023, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said that
Region Estonia
the state cannot favour one church over others, adding that a
committee would be created involving the ecumenical Estonian Origin 28 April 1949
Council of Churches.[3] Congregations 164
Members 180,000 (2014)[1]
Leadership Official website http://www.eelk.ee/
(http://www.eelk.e
The Church of Estonia is episcopal in polity and is led by five e/)
bishops, including the archbishop who serves as the Primate.[4]
The archbishop has overall authority, and under his authority there are four jurisdictions, each with its own
bishop.
 Current
Diocese Cathedral See
bishop

St Mary's Urmas Viilma

Archdiocese of
Cathedral, Tallinn (Primate of
Tallinn
Tallinn Estonia)

Diocese of the St Nicholas

Western and Cathedral, Haapsalu Tiit Salumäe
Northern Region Haapsalu
Diocese of the
Tartu Joel Luhamets
Southern Region

Extra-Estonian
Canada Vacant
Diocese

Following the retirement of Andres Põder as archbishop, the

current archbishop is Urmas Viilma, was consecrated on 2
February 2015.[5]

During the Soviet occupation of Estonia, the Archbishop went into

exile, which resulted in the formation of a parallel church, the
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad. Until 2010, this
body was independent, with its own archbishop based in Canada.
In 2010 the two churches reunited, and the former overseas church
became a diocese of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church,
known as the Extra-Estonian Diocese (Estonian: Välis-Eesti
piiskopkond).[6] St Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn

Bishops and Archbishops of Tallinn and

Primates
Jaan Kiivit Sr. (1949–1967) (First Archbishop)
Alfred Tooming (1967–1977)
Edgar Hark (1978–1986)
Kuno Pajula (1987–1994)
Jaan Kiivit Jr. (1994–2005)
Andres Põder (2005–2014)
Urmas Viilma (2015–present)

Membership
As of February 2009, the EELC reported approximately 160,000
baptized members and the EELC Abroad (based in Canada) St. John's Church, Tartu
reported approximately 8,000 baptized members.[7] A previous
figure broke down the EELC Abroad into 3,508 members with 12
clergy in the USA and 5,536 members with 11 clergy in Canada.[8]
In 2014, the Lutheran World Federation reported the number of
registered members as being 180,000.[1] The church reported that it
had served 143,895 communicants.[2]

Social issues
The church has both theologically conservative and liberal
members.[2] The church does ordain women to the priesthood,
unlike the more conservative Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Latvia and Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania. In an
interview, Archbishop Urmas Viilma stated that the church allows
women ordination and "will continue to do so". The church
disapproves of homosexual unions, believing marriage is the sacred
union of a man and a woman. It only allows celibate gay ministers Alexander Cathedral, Narva
to be ordained. However, Archbishop Viilma did state that if same-
sex marriage is legalized in the country, "then the church will
clearly need to redefine itself", but he also stated that "we clearly interpret the Bible to say that practicing
homosexuality is sin...but we all are equal in God’s eyes and welcome in church." [9] Archbishop Viilma
announced his support for civil unions and agreed to be a part of a panel working in 2021 on a proposal to
pass a bill to define marriage as heterosexual and to strengthen the civil partnership registration with equal
rights for same-sex couples.[10][11] The Lutherans leaned toward opposing the death penalty, although they
took no official stance, and the church does not have a committee "dealing with social-political
questions".[12]

References
1. "Churches in Estonia" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160305170631/https://www.lutheranw
orld.org/country/estonia). lutheranworld.org. Lutheran World Federation. Archived from the
original (https://www.lutheranworld.org/country/estonia) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved
February 16, 2016.
2. "No obvious option for Lutheran archbishop - Local News - Estonian news in English" (http://
news.postimees.ee/3003191/no-obvious-option-for-lutheran-archbishop). Postimees.
Retrieved 2016-05-25.
3. ERR News. Estonian government ends long-standing agreement with Lutheran Church. (htt
ps://news.err.ee/1608990614/estonian-government-ends-long-standing-agreement-with-luth
eran-church) Retrieved 27 May 2023.
4. Bishops named here (http://www.eelk.ee/kirik/meie-vaimulikud/piiskopid/) (Estonian).
5. Consecration date stated here (http://www.eelk.ee/kirik/meie-vaimulikud/piiskopid/peapiisko
p-urmas-viilma/) (Estonian).
6. Details of reunion at World Council of Churches (https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-ch
urches/estonian-evangelical-lutheran-church) website.
7. LWF Statistics 2009 (http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Statistics-2009.pd
f) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20100821080424/http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF
_Documents/LWF-Statistics-2009.pdf) August 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
8. A Brief Study of the Lutheran Churches in America (http://clclutheran.org/atlanta/bibleclass/L
utheranchurches.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20101121161735/http://clcluther
an.org/atlanta/bibleclass/Lutheranchurches.pdf) 2010-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
 9. Koch, Tuuli. "All have sinned" (http://news.postimees.ee/3007237/all-have-sinned).
postimees.ee. Postimes. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
10. ERR, Imre Sooäär, independent MP (Center faction) | (2021-01-18). "Imre Sooäär: It is time
for a social contract on partnership" (https://news.err.ee/1608077005/imre-sooaar-it-is-time-f
or-a-social-contract-on-partnership). ERR. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
11. ERR (2017-11-30). "EELK head: Marriage should be defined in Constitution as between
man, woman" (https://news.err.ee/645909/eelk-head-marriage-should-be-defined-in-constitut
ion-as-between-man-woman). ERR. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
12. Bourdeaux, Michael (1995-01-01). The Politics of Religion in Russia and the New States of
Eurasia (https://books.google.com/books?id=WDrihdh-TiIC&q=Estonian%2520Lutherans%2
520on%2520social%2520issues&pg=PA214). M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9781563243561.

External links
Official website (https://eelk.ee/et/)
The History Files Churches of Estonia (http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/MainChurchesEurope.ht
m)
Map of Church in Tallinn (https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode
=&q=59.438065,24.745928&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.495706,93.076172&ie=UTF
8&ll=59.147769,26.312256&spn=3.454343,15.820312&z=7)
Map of Church in Tartu (https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=
&q=58.37181,26.715815&sll=58.370741,26.718332&sspn=1.765965,5.817261&doflg=ptk&i
e=UTF8&ll=57.715885,22.434082&spn=7.200081,23.269043&z=6)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Estonian_Evangelical_Lutheran_Church&oldid=1159598043"