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Influence for Christians in Europe
Lisa Stauter '06
"Bethel is a very special place for foreign students. I can't believe I had the opportunity to study at Bethel!" exclaimed Anita Jakobsone, who now applies her education to roles of great influence in her native Latvia. Jakobsone is head of the Commission of Foreign Affairs for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (ELCL) and secretary of foreign affairs for the ELCL archbishop of Latvia, Janis Vanags. She spent two years at Bethel studying political science and international relations. John Lawyer, professor of political science, taught some of Jakobsone's classes and was impressed with her desire to put her studies to work in the service of the kingdom. "She was bright and motivated. It was very interesting to have her in class," he said.
Jakobsone had been impressed with Bethel because of its specific Christian perspective. "I chose Bethel for its Christian approach," she explained. "In Latvia we don't have Christian colleges that integrate academic knowledge in business and politics and a Christian worldview." Jakobsone also was excited about the many disciplines that Bethel students could choose to study. "Most Christians seem to be expected to study things like theology or social work only, but that's not how it should be," she said. For example, Jakobsone thought it was important to study international relations with a global Christian perspective.
Jakobsone has put her international relations studies to work by leading international affairs for ELCL and coordinating all international events and projects for the church in Latvia. "My job is not only to represent the Latvian Lutheran church internationally, but also to bring political and strategic input and messages from the perspective of Christians in Latvia, the Baltic States, and all of Eastern Europe. [At Bethel], God gave me knowledge and showed me how to apply it in a very practical way in secular and Christian areas."
Jakobsone's position quite literally started with prayer. "When I went back to Latvia in 2002 after my years at Bethel, I worshipped at the Archbishop's Cathedral in Riga [the capital of Latvia]. I went to the priest and asked to join a prayer group and he told me that there were none. The main church in Latvia didn't have a prayer group!"
Jakobsone explained that, as part of the Soviet Union, most lay Bible study groups in Latvia disappeared under persecution. After the country gained independence again in 1991, the main goal of Latvian Christians was to build up the church and establish good education for pastors. "Bible study for laypeople has not been established in the church system due to lack of human resources and finances," she said.
So Jakobsone asked the Lord to guide her and to give her wisdom and boldness to start a prayer group herself. "I had learned about prayer, prayer groups, and the Holy Spirit at Bethel," she said. "No one else had this experience and knowledge, so I was able to use what I had learned at Bethel to teach people about prayer and studying the Bible."
Jakobsone met friends through her prayer group who asked her to work as a secretary for the Lutheran church board. She accepted and found that her global knowledge was useful in the issues she encountered at work. "I had gained a lot of knowledge through my studies at Bethel. When I saw different problems arising, I expressed my opinion."
The Archbishop noticed Jakobsone's insight and expertise and asked her to lead foreign affairs for the Lutheran church. One of her first assignments was to attend a meeting of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in Brussels. CEC is a fellowship of 126 Orthodox, Protestant, and Old Catholic Churches along with 43 associated organizations from all countries on the European continent. Jakobsone is now the Lutheran church's contact person for the CEC. "Last summer [2003], I was also elected to the Central Committee, which is a board for the leading body at international assemblies. The Central Committee works for things like human rights, religious freedom, social justice, refugees, and maintaining Christian heritage," she explained.
Jakobsone is also an executive on the CEC's Church and Society Commission, which works with European Union (EU) institutions, such as the United Nations, to monitor EU legislation and activities and influence regional and global issues from a Christian perspective. EU is an organization of 25 European countries that cooperate on foreign, security, internal, and judicial policies. On May 1, 2004, Latvia was one of 10 countries admitted into EU.
Jakobsone was not able to finish her studies at Bethel because of health and property issues in Latvia. "God allowed things to happen because [otherwise] I would never go back [to Latvia] without graduating," she said. "It wouldn't make sense to me, but it made sense to God. I'm sure He was planning it and He wanted me to go back home [to work for the church]."
Even though Jakobsone hasn't yet graduated, the things she learned at Bethel have proven invaluable in her daily job responsibilities.
Lawyer observes, "Anita has a great sense of how the world works internationally, what the major issues on the world stage are, and how to function as a Christian in a very complex area. It is always rewarding for professors to see students take what they learn and put it directly to work." Jakobsone would still love to finish her education at Bethel, and said, "I know that God will work it all out."
Jakobsone is grateful for her Bethel experience and her time in the United States. "I can't believe the mission that has been given to me, but I also know that the mission is not just mine," she reflected. "Bethel is part of the mission, too, and so is everyone who has loved, supported, and prayed for me. At Bethel, I found that Americans are great people who love the Lord and share love and blessings with other nations. I learned a lot from them; I hope they learned something from me."