Kuno Pajula


Kuno Pajula was an Estonian prelate who served as the Archbishop of Tallinn and Primate of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church between 1987 and 1994.

Early Life and Education

Pajula was born in Käru, Virumaa, the son of August Pajula and Amanda Alber. Between 1931 and 1942 he studied at Käru and Salla Primary School and Väike-Maarja Gymnasium. He studied at the Institute of Theology of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church) between 1949 and 1959. In 1960/61 he went for further training at the University of Göttingen in West Germany.

Ministry

He was ordained priest on May 24, 1950 by Archbishop Jaan Kiivit Sr. in St. Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn. Between 1949 and 1950 and again between 1954 and 1957, he served as pastor of the parishes of Illuka and Iisaku. In 1950 he transferred to Kursi, Jõgeva County to become pastor of the parish church. Between 1954 and 1956 he was also responsible for the Alexander's Cathedral and in 1957 he became pastor of St. John's Church, Tallinn, where he remained till 1987.

Archbishop

On June 11, 1987, the Church council elected Pajula Archbishop and Primate. He was consecrated on November 15, 1987 by John Vikström Archbishop of Turku and Finland and co-consecrated by Karl-Gunnar Grape Bishop of Skara; Olav Christian Lindegaard Bishop of Haderslev; Fredrik Grønningsæter Bishop of Sør-Hålogaland; Jan Michalko General Bishop of the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church; Dieter Knall Bishop of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria; and Gyula Nagy Bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary. He retired on June 29, 1994. He was the first President of the Estonian Council of Churches in 1989-1993 and member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches 1983–1992.