Latvian Baptist Church Union (LBCU) in their annual congress this week once again elected Peteris Sprogis to be the Bishop for the next four years. This is his third term to be Bishop.

During his next term Bishop P. Sprogis wants to continue what he has already started, and will work in three main directions: new church planting, strengthening and renewal of present churches, and equipping the new pastors.
In 2008 the Bishop started Baltic Pastoral Institute (BPI) to equip new pastors and church leaders. During five years 32 students have been graduated from BPI, and 18 are still continuing their studies. 15 of them are new pastors who presently lead already existing churches, and 12 are new church planters. Since 2006 when Sprogis started his first term as a Bishop, a work was started to plant 20 new churches.

Bishop Sprogis reminded us that our responsibility is not to judge the world but to love it. In our faith we always have to maintain humility, and we should not be afraid to admit that there are many things we cannot explain. The Bishop emphasized that people are not convinced by loud slogans, but much more convincing is truth that has been experienced.
The congress took place in LBCU building in Riga. The motto of this congress was “GOING ON, NOT GROWING WEARY.” 224 delegates from 70 churches of Latvia participated in the congress.

Bishop Peteris Sprogis was born June 27, 1973 in Ventspils. He was baptized in May, 1989, and became a member of Ventspils Baptist Church. He graduated from LBCU Theological seminary in 1994, and continued his studies in Palmer Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, United States. He received his MA in Theology in 1996. Peteris Sprogis was ordained as a preacher in Riga’s Matejs Church in December of 1996, as a pastor in January of 2002. He married Marta Sproge in January of 2005.

About LBCU

Baptist ministry and testimony in the world has lasted already more than 400 years. Latvian Baptists belong to one of the biggest protestant denominations in the world that involves 110 million people.

Baptists are one of Latvia’s traditional Christian denominations, and September 2, 1860 is considered the founding date when the first 9 Latvian Baptists were baptized in the river Memele. This date is considered the birthday of Latvian Baptists. The first Baptist churches were started in Saka, Uzava and Ventspils in 1861.

Zanna Drunese
zanna.drunese@lbds.lv

Photo: Latvian Baptist Church Union