The fire in St. John’s church in Pink, Latvia.
LATVIA – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) has pledged a small gift to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (ELCL) to assist with repairs following a fire September 25 at St. John’s church in the town of Pinki, just outside Riga.
News of the fire broke during the ILC’s World Conference in Belgium, at which two members of the ELCL are present as guests: Archbishop Janis Vanags and Rev. Andris Kraulins, who serves the ELCL in its international relations. Rev. Kraulins is pastor of the affected congregation, and had to depart the conference early to assess the situation.
The convention paused from its work as ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt led a prayer for the building and the people of the congregation.
“We are deeply moved to hear about the fire at this congregation,” said Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Executive Secretary of the International Lutheran Council. The ILC has offered a small gift in the amount of $5,000 to assist in repairing the damage.
Thanks to the work of firefighters, damage to the church was not as severe as it could have been.
The International Lutheran Council and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia enjoy a growing relationship, with Dr. Collver and the Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt recently visiting the Latvian church to address their General Pastors Conference on the work of the ILC.
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