Kostroma
On April 9th a delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church visits Kostroma. Included in the delegation were Bishop of Daugavpils Einars Alpe (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latvia), Dean Elena Bondarenko, Lay Minister Artis Petersons, and the Church Council Chairman of the Kostroma Lutheran congregation Evgeny Fleiman. In Kostroma they met with the head of the Kostroma and Galich Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Bishop Ferapont. The meeting was friendly, and they discussed important questions for both sides regarding the defense of traditional values and questions of further cooperation. Later the Rector of the Kostroma Theological Seminary Father Georgi Andrianov showed the guests around the campus.
The Evangelical Lutheran congregation in Kostroma has a rich history; historically it was made up mostly of Latvians, though there were also Russian Germans, Swedes, Estonians and Dutch members. Not long ago Artis Petersons was appointed lay ministry of the congregation; he was born in Daugavpils.In this sense the visit of Bishop Alpe from the same city keeps the historic connection alive.
The visit of Bishop Alpe was a sign of the rebirth of the Evangelical Lutheran congregation in Kostroma insofar as it shows that the congregation is alive, that international connections can be made and it is taking on an active role in the city and the oblast (state). For example the church council president is a Professor of the Kostroma State Univerity, Evgeny Fleiman.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kostroma is part of the Central Deanery of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in European Russia, based in Moscow. The Moscow congregation is involved in caring for the needs of Kostroma Lutherans, including organizing events and trips. The historical tie between the congregation and the congregation in Yaroslavl is also maintained by the Pastor in Yaroslavl, Ivan Shirokov; together with Petersons and Bondarenko he makes frequent visits to the Kostroma congregation.
The visit of Bishop Alpe was a sign of the rebirth of the Evangelical Lutheran congregation in Kostroma insofar as it shows that the congregation is alive, that international connections can be made and it is taking on an active role in the city and the oblast (state). For example the church council president is a Professor of the Kostroma State Univerity, Evgeny Fleiman.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kostroma is part of the Central Deanery of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in European Russia, based in Moscow. The Moscow congregation is involved in caring for the needs of Kostroma Lutherans, including organizing events and trips. The historical tie between the congregation and the congregation in Yaroslavl is also maintained by the Pastor in Yaroslavl, Ivan Shirokov; together with Petersons and Bondarenko he makes frequent visits to the Kostroma congregation.
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