21 September 2026 | Riga, Latvia [Kayle de Waal and Patricija Oberte with tedNEWS]
On Sunday, 30 August 2026, nine students, three from Lithuania and six from Latvia, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Belgrade Theological Seminary (BTS). The graduation ceremony was held at the Baltic Union Conference (BAUC) headquarters, where students were able to pursue theological education while studying in the Baltic region.
The BAUC and South-East European Union Conference (SEEUC) developed the programme in response to a need for locally accessible ministerial education. At the planning stage, 21 of the BUC’s 48 ministerial roles were held by people without accredited ministerial education. The Union also estimated that it would need 25 newly trained ministerial employees over the following decade to meet the needs arising from retirements and other changes.
Previously, students seeking Adventist theological education had generally needed to travel outside the Baltic region. Options included Newbold College in the United Kingdom for English-language study, or institutions in Russia and Ukraine for Russian-language study. The war in Ukraine disrupted some of those options. Those developing the new programme therefore sought an approach that would reduce travel costs and provide teaching in both English and Russian.
The programme was approved by Adventist education bodies in September 2022 and began the following month. A memorandum of understanding was signed between BTS, the BAUC and the Trans-European Division (TED). Church organisations in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia also contributed to making the programme possible.
For one intensive week each month, students gathered at the St Gregory Education Centre in Saldus, Latvia. Classes were held in English and Russian across ten months of each year. Their studies covered Adventist history, fundamental beliefs, and areas of practical theology. In bringing students and lecturers together regularly over four years, it also gave them opportunities to build friendships and grow spiritually alongside their academic work.
At the graduation ceremony, Dragan Grujičić, SEEUC president and BTS dean, reflected on the partnership between the two Unions, as they brought together their educational and ministry resources to prepare students for service in their regions.
Pavle Runić, BTS academic dean, and David Nõmmik, the current president of the BAUC, also recognised the graduates’ commitment and development during the programme. Nõmmik expressed appreciation to those who had helped establish and deliver it.
Other guests included Kayle de Waal, TED education director, and Cedric Vine, associate professor of New Testament at Andrews University and director of its MA in Religion programme. Vine had also served as a guest lecturer during the programme. Käsk, now president of the Iceland Conference, and Šļakota, now coordinator for small groups and church planting in the Latvian Conference, attended the ceremony.
Family members and friends joined the graduates to offer congratulations, music, prayer, and the presentation of the diplomas. The students also sang their anthem together, marking the close of four years of shared study.
The Latvian graduates were Liene Logina-Kurpniece, Vitālijs Mačņevs, Alberts Trucis, Gustavs Latgalis, Edgars Marcinkevičs and Ilgonis Kangīzers. The Lithuanian graduates were Tadas Venčaitis, Vaidas Geležele and Darius Eičinas.
[Photos: Emīlija Punte]
