The Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK), Urmas Viilma, says that there is no schism in the church. He explains that the demands for the leadership to resign on social media are simply emotional. The church must keep up with the times.
Disagreements have arisen in the church. For example, Saaremaa clergyman Veiko Vihuri demanded on social media that the church leaders resign. There are people with different views in the church. The church leadership is trying to find a balance and space for everyone.
In recent years, the church has decided to discuss complex topics. For example, the interpretation of the Bible and Lutheran identity have been discussed. This year, the topics are gender, sexuality, and the sanctity of life. In the coming years, environmental issues and marriage will also be discussed.
Veiko Vihuri, for instance, does not want to discuss sexuality peacefully. He wants this discussion to end. At the Saarte Deanery Synod held on Thursday, he did not receive support. This angered him.
There are also disputes within the church about the order of worship. These disputes have been going on for over 20 years. The church uses two different orders: one is called the agenda order and the other the new manual order. About 20 years ago, it was decided that these orders would be used in parallel.
The church initiated a process to write a single unified order of worship. Last year, this plan for the order was approved at the clergy conference. The Episcopal Council decided to implement this order. Approximately 80% of congregations have adopted it.
Some clergy have not adopted this order. The Valga Deanery decided to use the old order, even though higher decision-making bodies had decided otherwise. This created tension. The church now needs to think about what to do next.
Veiko Vihuri wrote on social media that the church needs new leadership. He believes that the church should not internally discuss topics such as sexuality and gender. Viilma says that these people do not represent the majority.
The church plans to discuss topics such as sexuality, gender, and the sanctity of life this year. As a result, a document may be created that provides guidelines for church teachers. The church must keep up with the times and be with the people.