Harald Kalnins Lutheran Bishop Date of Birth: 20.07.1911 Country: Latvia

1. Birth and Ancestry
2. Theological Education and Early Ministry
3. World War II and Captivity
4. Ordination and Pastoral Work
5. Leadership in the Lutheran Church
6. Theological Orientation

Birth and Ancestry

Harald Kalnins was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to parents of mixed German and Latvian heritage. In 1919, his family repatriated to Latvia.

Theological Education and Early Ministry

From 1933 to 1937, Kalnins pursued theological studies in Switzerland. After graduating from seminary, he served as an assistant pastor in Alsace for a year. In 1938, he returned to Latvia.

World War II and Captivity

During World War II, Kalnins served as a sergeant-major in the Latvian Legion of the Waffen-SS from 1943 to 1945. After being captured, he returned to Latvia in 1947.

Ordination and Pastoral Work

In 1951, Kalnins was ordained as a pastor in Riga by Bishop Gustav Turs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELC). He began ministering to Russian-German communities in 1967.

Leadership in the Lutheran Church

In 1981, Kalnins became the superintendent of German communities in the Soviet Union. In 1988, he left the LELC to establish the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Russian Soviet Union (German: Deutschen Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in der Sowjetunion), which later became the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELKRAS).

Theological Orientation

According to Professor Arnis Barons, Kalnins was influenced by the Pietist movement within Lutheranism.