Īss ieskats Kurzemes un Vidzemes luterāņu konsistoriju ārmisijas domas attīstībā un Leipcigas misijas atbalstā

Following the Russian Empire’s 1832 legislation regarding Lutheran churches, new consistories, including those of Courland and Livland (Vidzeme), were created. This paper examines the development of thought regarding missions and the evolving theology in both consistories, as well as their ties with the Leipzig Mission in sending missionaries from the Baltics to other countries. It was concluded that consideration of foreign mission was present as early as 1837 in Courland and 1843 in Livland. Mission awareness, however, arose only when there was someone who had received a personal calling and for whom missions was important. Although every pastor could read the Bible, it was not self-evident that everyone would take foreign mission as their personal responsibility, but both consistories included some pastors who fostered mission interest among their peers. The Courland and Livland consistories primarily worked with and sent most mission offerings to Leipzig Mission, through which the majority of missionaries from the Baltics were sent during the 19 ^th and early 20 ^th century to carry out missionary work abroad. Foreign mission through Leipzig was also an area which provided women an opportunity to be involved in church ministry. Although foreign mission was not a main theological topic of Courland and Livland consistories’ work, it still played an important role and created the foundation for mission work that occurred later in the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church.