Statement in Support of Women S Ordination in Latvia

Statement in Support of Women’s Ordination in Latvia

Guided by ourreading of the Scripturesand interpretingthe Lutheran Confessionsin the spirit of the ongoing reformationwith women in the lead, we affirm theLutheran World Federation’ssharedcommitmenttowards women’s ordination in 100% of the global Lutheran churches.

In solidaritywithour sisters and brothers in the Latvian Lutheran Church, where women’s ordination has beenrescindedas of June3, 2016.

On behalf of the Global Lutheran Women’s Scholarship Network and many allies

Rev. Dr. KirsiStjerna, PhD

First Lutheran, Los Angeles/Southwest Synod Professor of Lutheran History and Theology, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary of California Lutheran University and Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, USA. Docent, University of Helsinki, Finland

Dr. Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen, PhD

Associate Professor of Theology, Department for Theology

Culture and Society Arts, Aarhus University, Denmark

Dr. Mary J. Streufert, PhD

Director for Justice for Women, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Dr. Christine Helmer, PhD

Arthur E. Andersen Teaching and Research Professor, Professor of Religious Studies and German, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

Rev. ÅsteDokka, PhD Candidate

Senior advisor, House of Bishops, Church of Norway

Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Gerle, PhD

Professor of Ethics, Centre of Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University, Sweden

Rev. Dr. ArnfríðurGuðmundsdóttir, PhD

Professor,Faculty of Theology and ReligiousStudies

University of Iceland, Iceland

Rev. Sini Mikkola, PhD Candidate

Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, Finland

Dr. Terra Schwerin Rowe, PhD

Adjunct faculty, Wartburg Seminary and Marist College, USA

Dr. JoneSalomonsen, Prof. dr. theol.

Faculty of Theology,University of Oslo, Norway

Dr. Deanna A. Thompson, PhD

Professor of Religion, Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Dr. Marit A. Trelstad, PhD

Professor of Lutheran and Constructive Theologies, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA. Senior Research Fellow the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany

Dr. Elina Vuola, PhD

Academy Professor, Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, Finland

Hildrun Kessler, PhD

Oberkirchenrätin, Department of Higher Education and theological training, Evangelical Church of Germany and Professor for religious education, University of Applied Sciences, Berlin

Monica Jyotsna Melanchthon, PhD
Associate Professor, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity

Dr. Eve-Marie Becker,

Professor of Biblical Studies, Department for Theology, Culture and Society,