ENGLISH
CEC Estonia summer camp 2005 photos
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Welcome to the website for The Charismatic Episcopal Church of Estonia, which belongs to the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. We are adding news and information regularly, so we hope you will stop by often. Most of the information is in Estonian (sorry….).
Established on June 23, 1996, The Charismatic Episcopal Church of Estonia is one of the smallest denominations in Estonia. There are currently 3 parishes (St Stephen the Martyr in Tallinn, St Barnabas the Apostle in Pärnu and Church of the Holy Cross in Tartu), which are served by 2 priests: The Very Rev Dr Heigo Ritsbek and The Rev Fr Thomas Eriste. Tartu Church is served currently by a lay vicar (Mrs Rutti Proosa), while Fr Eriste has the pristly oversight of this parish. The Very Rev Dr Heigo Ritsbek serves also as the Vicar General (Dean) for The CEC of Estonia.
The CEC of Estonia has very good relations with all Christian denominations in Estonia. Fr Heigo Ritsbek serves also as the Secretary General of The Estonian Evangelical Alliance. The CEC of Estonia is a member of the Estonian Council of Churches.
Monday January 2, 2006 went into the annals of the CEC of Estonia, because of a Mass which was celebrated at the St Stephen the Martyr Charismatic Episcopal Church in Tallinn, Estonia. The Roman Catholic Bishop for Estonia, The Most Rev Philippe Jourdan, the last bishop appointed by the late Pope John Paul II, preached at the Alliance Mass in the presence of hundreds of people and many standing in the church building. Bishop Jourdan preached a very good sermon about being a Christian, blessed the Gospel reading, gave the blessing after the the confession of sin, and gave the benediction after the Eucharist. The bishop said regretfully that we are not yet able to celebrate the Eucharist together, but his presence at the service was a wonderful experience.
When we look back on all that has taken place since we have begun we can only say, Non Nobis Domine…”Not to us, O Lord, but to thy Name be Glory.” (Ps. 115:1)
The Very Rev Dr Heigo Ritsbek+
Vicar General of The CEC of Estonia
From Sursum Corda’s Archives: The CEC in Estonia in 1995, 1998
As reported in our cover story, St. Stephen the Martyr CEC in Tallinn, Estonia, celebrated its fifth anniversary in December 2001, but the CEC’s history in that country goes back more than a year earlier than the 1996 founding date. Many of our readers, who have come into the CEC since that time, will not recall the excitement with which the then-four-year-old CEC approached her first entree into Europe, nor will they have had benefit of the valuable historical perspective Deacon Tom Abbott’s article offers.
1995: The CEC at an International Crossroads
Bishops move to establish a sister church in the former Soviet Union.
by The Rev. Tom Abbott
Our founding vision is to make visible the kingdom of God to the nations of the world.
— Declaration of the First Synod of the CEC, June 26, 1992
At the recent House of Bishops meeting (October 16–20, 1995) on Long Island, New York, the bishops were presented with a proposal to accept a historic challenge. The proposal, which includes a commitment to purchase a brand new church building in Tallinn, Estonia, and to provide support for our first Estonian priest and his family, marked the first time that the CEC has been called upon to start a new work in a nation without the presence and assistance of an established parish or group of local churches.
Recognizing that God was presenting our communion with a unique combination of opportunities, abilities and resources, and keeping in mind the goals of the CEC as stated in our founding declaration and canons, the bishops decided to accept the challenge. By a unanimous decision, the House of Bishops set as a priority goal for 1996 the establishment of a Charismatic Episcopal Church of Estonia.
This decision signaled the official beginning of the first national CEC church in the former Soviet Union, and marked a crossroads for the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC).
A “window” to other nations
But the significance of this decision extends beyond the borders of Estonia. The combination of ethnic and geographic factors makes this nation a natural “window” to Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union—nearly one-fifth of the world.
The potential for Christian missionary outreach from Estonia to these other nations is tremendous.
Estonia is located in north central Europe along the Baltic Sea. It is about the same size as Denmark (or the states of New Hampshire and Vermont combined) and has a population of about 1.6 million. Ethnically, one-third of the population is either Russian (30 percent) or Ukrainian (3 percent), but most of the rest are Estonian—a Nordic people, with a language which is closer to Finnish than anything else.
Prior to World War II, Estonia was an independent nation, but at the beginning of the war, it was invaded by the Soviet Army. At the war’s end the country was forced into membership in the Soviet Union. The fall of Communism gave Estonia the opportunity to reassert its independence on August 20, 1991, but the people are still struggling with the effects of 50 years of Communist occupation.
A spiritual vacuum
Estonia has a long history of Christianity, but a generation has been raised under the shadow of official atheism. The average Estonian would profess to be a Christian, but official figures show that eighty-five percent of the people are not affiliated with any church. For a brief period after independence, there was a tremendous increase in interest in Christianity. For instance, one of the traditional churches was reporting hundreds of baptisms each week. However, the people’s interest in spiritual things soon waned, and church attendance eventually fell off dramatically.
In an attempt to discover what the people are searching for, one of the traditional churches recently conducted a survey. The results showed that most Estonians want a church that is traditional in its form and symbolism, but also “lively” and able to “help them in their daily lives.” Currently, there is no denomination in Estonia that meets that criteria. It is, however, a very good description of the CEC and the convergence movement: liturgical/sacramental, charismatic and evangelical. In short, there is a CEC-shaped vacuum in Estonia, and it seems that God is offering the CEC a chance to fill it.
In addition to the opportunity, God has provided us with a man to lead the work, with the favor of those in powerful or influential positions in Estonia, and with a church building to serve as the CEC cathedral.
The man
The Rev. Heigo Ritsbek, a well-known Estonian Methodist minister, was for many years a thorn in the side of the former Communist government. He was harassed and interrogated by the KGB literally hundreds of times. Six years ago, he and his family were permitted to leave the USSR at the personal request of President Ronald Reagan to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, he has lived in the U.S. where he has pastored Methodist churches while earning a Master of Divinity degree at Asbury Theological Seminary.
He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in theology at Boston University and will be ordained as a CEC priest next summer just prior to returning to Estonia with his family to begin the work of establishing a CEC national church.
Favor
In Estonia, as in many nations around the world, religious activities must meet certain government requirements. In late June, the International Development Agency (IDA) had filed an application with the government of Estonia to operate a “fellowship” as a precursor to the establishment of a CEC of Estonia. That application immediately ran into trouble as the responsible bureaucracies began to erect roadblocks. “It will take at least six months—if it’s approved at all,” said knowledgeable individuals in Estonia. During a two-week visit in September, however, Rev. Ritsbek and Rev. Tom Abbott, the IDA director, met twice with the appropriate individuals in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and emerged with an agreed format. Within three weeks, the government approved the establishment of a “religious society” with the founding goal of introducing “into Estonia the principles and activities of the CEC.”
Additionally, the CEC’s initial activity in Estonia has met with favorable reactions among existing church and parachurch organizations. Rev. Ritsbek is respected in Christian circles throughout the nation, and his participation in the CEC effort guarantees at least a fair hearing among the other churches. During their recent visit, he and Dcn. Abbott were interviewed by a Christian radio ministry that broadcasts over the Estonian National Radio Network. Initial reports indicate that these interviews were very well received. The country’s fifth largest denomination, the Estonian Christian Pentecostal Church (ECPC), has held extensive discussions with CEC representatives about the opportunities and pitfalls of evangelism in the nation. The ECPC has extended the hand of Christian fellowship to us, and we have agreed in principle to cooperate on numerous projects.
Deacon Tom Abbott was the first director of the International Development Agency (IDA), the CEC’s arm for overseas missionary work.
1998:
International Development Agency Takes New land for the Kingdom
by Canon Gary Heniser
By January, 1998, some three years after Deacon Abbott’s article was written, the CEC had seen tremendous growth on several continents, including Europe. Canon Gary Heniser reported the following in Sursum Corda’s first issue for that year.
There has not been any grass growing under the feet of Archbishop Dale Howard, shepherd of the International Development Agency, or Canon James Nicholas, chief coordinator, over the past several months. With many works beginning in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Kenya and Uganda, the IDA continues to spearhead efforts to firmly establish the Charismatic Episcopal Church throughout the world.
Our CEC Church of Saint Stephen the Martyr in Harkujarve, Tallinn, is the most beautiful church in the Baltic States, according to our Patriarch, Archbishop Randolph Adler, and a sure sign that God is continuing to bless the ICCEC. During the past summer the CEC received registration as an official denomination from the Bureau of Religious Affairs, and the activities there continue to demonstrate the power of God’s presence in Estonia. The first National Convocation of the CEC in Estonia was held at a church in South Estonia in September under the direction of the Patriarch. Our prayers for Estonia must include the provision of our two year financial commitment to the work in that nation.