Urzula Glienecke
(née Mediņa, born 1974 in Riga) – minister, activist, and artist
Urzula’s journey of faith began in childhood – through nature came her first unconscious encounter with the Creator of all. This was followed by experiences accompanying her grandmother, an organist, to various churches in Vidzeme. Urzula also learned the language of art, another way of speaking about faith, the world, pain, and joy.
She studied theology at the University of Latvia and later earned a doctorate in theology at the Milltown Institute in Dublin. The central question of her research has been: how do churches, relying on the same scriptures, arrive at completely different understandings and practices?
After many years of wandering that took her away from Latvia in order to pursue her calling to become a minister – something not possible in Latvia at the time – Urzula was ordained in the Church of Scotland in 2022. She now serves as a chaplain at the University of Edinburgh.
Urzula is active in the fields of social and environmental justice and participates in various ecumenical movements. She feels most at home in the Iona Community, whose members live both on the island of Iona in Scotland and around the world. In her ministry, Urzula emphasizes an inclusive and creative approach, including support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Amber from the Baltic Sea, gifted to Urzula Glīneke in Latvia, in the early 1990s
In the early 1990s, I traveled across Latvia with Norwegian missionaries – singing and sharing the Good News of God. We distributed humanitarian aid wherever we could. When visiting a congregation in Kurzeme, the local people gave me a piece of amber, asking me: ‘Could you be our minister?’
More than thirty years had to pass, and I had to move to another country before that calling was fulfilled. I had the amber in my pocket when I was finally ordained in the Church of Scotland.
The power of the sun, the salt of the sea.
The defiance of the northern wind, the endurance of heather. The constancy of the heavens, the joy of pines growing tall. All of this is within me. All of this is within us.
Just as amber is formed under heavy pressure in the depths of the sea over thousands of years and is brought into the light for the joy of all, so we too will grow, endure, and bear within us the light of God for the joy and strength of ourselves and others. Just as amber is found after a storm, so we are here – in the midst of the storms of life, the world, and the church.
To me, the core of everything is this: God loves all creation. Far, far deeper and wider than we can imagine. But it is not a passive love. It is a love that inspires change, that inspires us to stand up against injustice. If I am loved in this way, then my task is to go and fight for equal rights and opportunities for all. That is active love.
Urzula Glienecke
(née Mediņa, born 1974 in Riga) – minister, activist, and artist
Urzula’s journey of faith began in childhood – through nature came her first unconscious encounter with the Creator of all. This was followed by experiences accompanying her grandmother, an organist, to various churches in Vidzeme. Urzula also learned the language of art, another way of speaking about faith, the world, pain, and joy.
She studied theology at the University of Latvia and later earned a doctorate in theology at the Milltown Institute in Dublin. The central question of her research has been: how do churches, relying on the same scriptures, arrive at completely different understandings and practices?
After many years of wandering that took her away from Latvia in order to pursue her calling to become a minister – something not possible in Latvia at the time – Urzula was ordained in the Church of Scotland in 2022. She now serves as a chaplain at the University of Edinburgh.
Urzula is active in the fields of social and environmental justice and participates in various ecumenical movements. She feels most at home in the Iona Community, whose members live both on the island of Iona in Scotland and around the world. In her ministry, Urzula emphasizes an inclusive and creative approach, including support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Amber from the Baltic Sea, gifted to Urzula Glīneke in Latvia, in the early 1990s
“In the early 1990s, I traveled across Latvia with Norwegian missionaries – singing and sharing the Good News of God. We distributed humanitarian aid wherever we could. When visiting a congregation in Kurzeme, the local people gave me a piece of amber, asking me: ‘Could you be our minister?’
More than thirty years had to pass, and I had to move to another country before that calling was fulfilled. I had the amber in my pocket when I was finally ordained in the Church of Scotland.
The power of the sun, the salt of the sea.
The defiance of the northern wind, the endurance of heather. The constancy of the heavens, the joy of pines growing tall. All of this is within me. All of this is within us.
Just as amber is formed under heavy pressure in the depths of the sea over thousands of years and is brought into the light for the joy of all, so we too will grow, endure, and bear within us the light of God for the joy and strength of ourselves and others. Just as amber is found after a storm, so we are here – in the midst of the storms of life, the world, and the church.”
To me, the core of everything is this: God loves all creation. Far, far deeper and wider than we can imagine. But it is not a passive love. It is a love that inspires change, that inspires us to stand up against injustice. If I am loved in this way, then my task is to go and fight for equal rights and opportunities for all. That is active love.
