Associate Professor of Theology Jonathan Mumme returned from his first trip to Riga, Latvia, where he presented a paper on Aug. 28 in honor of the retirement of the Archbishop of the Latvian Lutheran Church. 

He was invited to present his paper entitled “The Presence of Jesus Christ in the Ministry: Continuity and Certainty from Luther’s Pulpit” at a conference hosted by Riga’s Luther Academy. The conference was in honor of the retirement of the Archbishop of Latvia’s Lutheran Church, Jānis Vanags. 

“I was invited sometime last year,” Mumme said. “I agreed to go, not least because the conference was meant to honor the outgoing or retiring Archbishop of Latvia, whom I had met on several occasions.”

Mumme and Vanags were both mentees of the same retired German bishop while Mumme was serving as a vicar in Germany in 2003. 

While in Riga, Mumme attended the final service that Vanags presided over on Aug. 29 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The next day, Mumme attended the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Latvia, Rinalds Grants. Vanags took office in 1993, when he was only 35 years old. 

“It’s not my job to review his career, but that church seems a pretty healthy place,” Mumme said. “The Gospel is being proclaimed in Latvia. The church is present, the ministry is going on, and that also helps shape the national consciousness of a very small state, right? Latvia is not a very big place. Half of its population lives around the capital city. Arguably, he’s the most visible Christian figure in his country. That’s a huge role.”

During his final service, Vanags relinquished his role as leader of the Latvian Lutheran church by laying the crosier, a staff carried by the archbishop, and his pectoral cross down on the altar. 

“All of the other bishops of Latvia gathered around him and prayed over him and blessed him,” Mumme said. “He doesn’t cease to be a bishop. He’s basically like an archbishop in retirement. Analogously, what was Benedict XVI when he stopped being pope? Well, Francis I was then the pope, but Benedict XVI was still alive for a while and was still honored as the old pope.”

Though Mumme said he was apprehensive about going on the trip right at the start of the semester, he eventually decided that it was an opportunity he could not pass on.

“I consulted with Dean Smith of the humanities division and said, ‘What do I do with this? It’s right at the beginning of the semester,’” Mumme said. “His sense was the same as mine, which is that it’s probably an invitation one should take if you can manage it.” 

Stephen Smith, professor of English and dean of the humanities division, said he was happy to help Mumme with the decision. 

“Dr. Mumme is an outstanding theology professor and teacher here,” Smith said. “I have admired his scholarship and been happy to support his ongoing research through trips and work like this.”

Associate Professor of History Korey Maas agreed. 

“Dr. Mumme is an accomplished theologian and churchman with valuable experience partnering with other Lutheran church bodies and in broader ecumenical endeavors,” Maas said in an email. “I’m thrilled that he could be present for this important event.”

Mumme said he wished he’d been able to bring his children to witness the beauty of the ceremonies. 

“I came and gave a paper for a conference, but, for me, what’s going to stick with me the most is what happened in the cathedral,” Mumme said. “It was frankly just beautiful. When church goes well, heaven and earth are coming together, right? That’s what it felt like.”