Praise the Lord for the three new church members who were confirmed during the festive divine service on Sunday, September 18, 2022 as St. George’s Lutheran Church of Koltushi, Leningrad Oblast, was celebrating the 30th anniversary of its dedication!Some of the other highlights of the day included the new stained glass window installed on the evening before, a copy of the original by Aleksandr Ikko.
After the divine service, Bishop Emeritus Arri Kugappi presented flowers to the congregation’s first cantor Marina Väisä who celebrates the 30th anniversary of her ministry as a cantor! Today Mrs. Väisä is the chief organist of St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg and chairperson of the ELCIR Church Music Committee.
Liliann Keskinen conveyed anniversary greetings from Leevi Reinaru, director of the Estonian Church Mission Center, the Finnish People’s Mission, and sister congregations in Luumäki, Valkeala, Joutjärvi, and Kangasniemi, Finland.
Rev. Roman Pavlov (Skvoritsy Lutheran Church) and Yakov Vazik (Petrozavodsk Lutheran Church) brought greetings from Ingrian church congregations. Greetings were also extended by local government officials.
A festive concert followed, with music by organists Marina Väisä, Maria Skipper, Maria Nikiforova and flutist Nadezhda Gorbach and a cantors’ choir directed by Marina Väisä.
Information and photos courtesy of Liliann Keskinen
