On April 6, 2025, the first Lutheran bishop for Turkey, head of the Istanbul Lutheran Church, was consecrated in Adana, Turkey, near Tarsus of Cilicia, the native town of the Apostle Paul.
Bishops and pastors from Russia, Finland, Latvia, the USA, Sweden, Denmark, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey gathered in Adana to share the privilege of being witness to a historical event. Feymi Madjirov was called to bishop’s ministry after serving as a pastor in Lutheran congregations in Turkey and Bulgaria since 2005. Bishop of the Church of Ingria Ivan Laptev was the presiding bishop during the consecration, assisted by bishops Juhana Pohjola from Finland and Hans Jönsson from Latvia.
The Istanbul Lutheran Church is part of the world Lutheran community. The Church is a member of the International Lutheran Council.
The territory of modern Turkey has had an extremely rich Christian background since the 1st century AD. It was in the city of Antioch where the name “Christian” first emerged. The New Testament contains the Epistles to the Galatians, the Ephesians, and the Colossians. The seven churches from the Book of Revelation were located in this territory. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, died a martyr there around 155 AD. The first seven ecumenical councils were held there.
In 1709, Sweden sent the first Lutheran priest to Constantinople. In 1741, the Parliament of Sweden decided to collect money for the construction of a church in Istanbul. Funds for the plan were also raised in Germany and in Finland. The church was built in the garden of the Swedish Embassy in 1748. After 1884, the Swedish Government no longer covered the expenses of the chapel and the priest’s salary.
Finnish brothers and sisters have been supporting the local Lutheran community since the 1970’s and continue their ministry today. At the beginning of our century, the Istanbul Lutheran Church was registered by the Turkish government. After a while, several Turkish-speaking congregations in Bulgaria joined the Church.
In 2013, the Church of Ingria and the Istanbul Lutheran Church made a cooperation agreement. The Church of Ingria intended to support the Gospel preaching in Turkey and Bulgaria. Indeed, our Churches have much in common. As an example, the Church Statute of the ELCIR served as a basis for the Constitution of the Istanbul Lutheran Church. Isto Pihkala, former general secretary of the ELCIR, was the church official who played an important part in drafting the Constitution.
The Istanbul Lutheran Church continues to be a spiritual support for Lutherans in Turkey as well as an active participant of the international Lutheran community. The new bishop’s consecration was a significant milestone in the Church’s history. Under modern conditions in Turkey where Christians comprise a minority, spiritual leadership is needed as never before. Bishop Feymi Madjirov will contribute to interconfessional dialog and strengthen relations with other Christian denominations and state bodies in Turkey and Bulgaria.
Translated by Olga Rudaya
