Latvians have noticed a photo on social networks where journalist Kārlis Streips can be seen after the service. We are used to seeing Streipa on TV24 screens, reading his comments in the media, but little is known about his work in the church. LA.LV contacted Streip, asking him to tell more about this part of his life, which may be a surprise to many.
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“I grew up in a not very religious family. My parents in America were more interested in Godliness, although they were both consecrated Lutherans as were our four children. Personally, I got involved in the church as an adult and in English. There is a church in America called the Metropolitan Community Church, which was started by a man who was kicked out of a Southern Baptist church because he was gay. Troy Perry, that’s what he was called, and MCC was and is specifically for people in the LGBT+ community.
When I arrived in Latvia, I initially attended a service in the Cathedral Church. It was difficult because it was about the time of revival in 1989/90. year. During the service, the words “God, bless Latvia” were often heard from the pastor, the cathedral’s huge organ sounded, and then people sang the Latvian national anthem. I do not. I cried because the awakening process touched me to the core,” says Streep.
When Jānis Vanags took over the leadership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, he immediately declared that he would no longer allow women to be ordained, Streips wrote a critical comment about this in Diena newspaper, and shortly after that the church announced that in the future gays would not be allowed to go to the communion table in LELB congregations.
“It is called excommunication, and I was relieved to read the news in the same newspaper sometime in the early 90s of the last century that a missionary from Minnesota was going to leave America for Latvia with the aim of restoring St. Saved the Anglican church in Riga,” the journalist explains.
Streips became one of the founders of the church in 1992. at the end and has worked there ever since.
“I’m not an ordained minister, but I’ve led services with prayers and a sermon and everything else, but not with communion, which is a sacrament,” Streep points out.
Much more often, he has worked as a pastor’s assistant in church services, and in the photo attached to this comment, he has just finished assisting at the April 21st church service. “Next to me is pastor Karlis Zhol, who was a guest pastor that day, because our pastor Eliza Zikman was at an event in London. Yes. Pastor Eliza. Before her, we had pastor Jana. In 30 years, Ardens, Juris, Jāna and Elīza. In no case does anyone get a piece because the process is led by a woman.
Jesus said love one another and I have not found a footnote in any translation that says “except if it is a woman (or gay)”.
In the Anglican church, services are in English and every Sunday at 11.00
The church is located on the waterfront, which makes for a peculiar Sunday when there is a marathon or something like that on Krasta Street. But if you are interested in a church that is open to diversity and rejects the prejudices and stereotypes that are unfortunately too typical among Christians, and if the account is in English – come and have a look. Maybe you will also find a home for your soul there!” Streep beckons.
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Tags: led services prayers sermon Streips tells founding church
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