EXCERPTS FROM THE DECISIONS OF THE ELCIR SYNODAL COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 18, 2020
– Affirm the following composition of the Northern Deanery by reassigning the following congregations of the Karelian Deanery:
1. Kandalaksha
2. Kem
3. Kostomuksha
4. Lovozero
5. Muyezerski
6. Murmansk
7. Revda
8. Segezha
9. Tiksha
– Form a Southern Deanery of The Church of Ingria. Congregations and religious groups that will comprise the Southern Deanery will be determined later.
– Include the religious group of Kaliningrad in the St. Petersburg Deanery.
– Include the religious group of Kirov in the Uralic Deanery.
– Register a religious group in Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast.
– Affirm the following ELCIR deans for a 6-year term of office till December 17, 2026 except the dean of the Northern Deanery:
– Karelian Deanery: Pastor Aleksei Kronholm
– Volga Deanery: Pastor Olav Panchu
– St. Petersburg Deanery: Pastor Ivan Hutter
– Siberian Deanery: Pastor Ville Jalmari Melanen
– Uralic Deanery: Pastor Konstantin Subbotin
– Northern Deanery: postpone dean affirmation till the next meeting of the Synodal Council on January 29, 2021.
– Southern Deanery: Pastor Valeri Antipov
– Moscow Deanery: Pastor Yaroslav Boichenko
Extend the term of office for West Ingrian Dean Pastor Pavel Krylov till the next meeting of the Synodal Council on January 29, 2021.
– Appoint Deacon Igor Kuznetsov senior minister of St. John the Baptist Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Syktyvkar, Komi, for a term of one year till December 17, 2021.
– Extend the term of office for Rev. Vladimir Nikiforov, senior pastor of Grace of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, for 2021-2022.
– Bless Andrei Bratchenko to serve as Catechist in St. Anne’s Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of St. Petersburg.
– Permit Deacon Yevgeni Kostenko (Rzhev), Aleksandr Dyshenov (Ulan-Ude), and Igor Pavlov (St. Anne’s, St. Petersburg) to administer Holy Communion in 2021.
– Start the process toward returning the church in Sovetsky to ownership of The Church of Ingria.
Start the process toward turning over the Parish House at 5 Dimitrova Street in Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, to ownership of The Church of Ingria.
Initiate the process toward turning over the Parish House at 21 Vyborgskaya Street, Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, to ownership of The Church of Ingria.
Start the process toward turning over the Lutheran church building in Lavry, Pskov Oblast, to ownership of The Church of Ingria on condition that the said church building is not an architectural heritage item.
– Affirm the following composition of the Board of Trustees of the Social-Diaconal Community Service Center of Koltushi for 2021-2022:
1. Natalia Glinina, church member, Lutheran Congregation of Koltushi
2. Elvira Kozlova, church member, Lutheran Congregation of Koltushi
3. Boris Kozlenko, church member, Lutheran Congregation of Koltushi
4. Ivan Laptev, Bishop of The Church of Ingria
5. Aleksandr Smirnov, church member, St. Mary’s Lutheran Congregation of St. Petersburg
6. Sergei Sokolov, church member, Lutheran Congregation of Koltushi
7. Natalia Khabarova, church member, Lutheran Congregation of Koltushi
Appoint Sergei Sokolov chairman of the new Board of Trustees.
– Affirm the 2021 list of preachers and Sunday school and children’s activities leaders from Firstborn Society, Finland:
Preachers:
Juso Ahonen
Aulis Ansaharju
Jorma Halme
Lauri Halme
Erkki Hartikka
Petri Honkala
Matti Ihalainen
Aarno Konttinen
Seppo Kulju
Pekka Lahtinen
Timo Laine
Timo Marttinen
Eero Nieminen
Heikki Purtanen
Pekka Riitamo
Atso Santanen
Juha Siltala
Sakari Siltala
Lasse Tamsi
Kari Toivonen
Veikko Vuohijoki
Sunday school & children’s activities leaders:
Antti Halme
Sanna Halme
Katja Eveliina Ihalainen
Milla Ihalainen-Leivo
Esa Kantoluoto
Iiris Laine
Sampo Nieminen
Lasse Rantanen
Marketta Suontama
Pasi Suontama
Johanna Syrjä
Harri Toivonen
Marjatta Tuominen
Jouni Vallinen
Tapani Vuohieki
Marko Wickholm
– Entitle The New Covenant Church of Evangelical Faith Christians of St. Petersburg to conduct mission activities at 1 Leningradskaya Street, Kronstadt, based on an agreement signed for 11 months.
– Affirm the following 2021 Calendar of Offerings:
March 28 – Collection of offerings for children & youth activities
April 4 – Collection of offerings for diaconal activities
June 13 – Collection of offerings for holding a Synodal Convention
October 31 – Collection of offerings for the work of the ELCIR Theological Institute
November 14 – Collection of offerings for mission work.