Conflict over controversial concert brings churches together in Lithuania
KLAIPEDA, Lithuania – A February concert by controversial 2006 Eurovision winners, “Lordi” at LCC International University (previously known as Lithuania Christian College) sparked nationwide protests from the religious community and threatened to damage the hard-earned goodwill the college had gained since its founding in 1991.
“But it turned out to be a classic example of God bringing something good out of our mistakes,” said Sharon Brubaker, a worker with Eastern Mennonite Missions who found herself in the center of the storm.
As chaplain at LCCIU, Brubaker fielded angry calls like, “If you are a Christian college, why are you allowing such an evil group to perform on campus?” She explained that the Finnish singers are suspect by some locals because during their performances they don masks which are viewed as Satanic.
Christians of all stripes joined forces in a petition to stop the concert, though not all were in agreement. Newspapers in major cities ran articles covering the local reaction to the concert.
Realizing their mistake LCCIU attempted to find another venue for the concert, but nothing adequate could be found. They were obliged to keep their contract with the planners.
Concerned that this was becoming a negative spiritual experience, Brubaker wrote a letter to the campus community urging awareness of spiritual dynamics in the conflict. She joined an ecumenical prayer vigil planned over the same time as the concert in the Roman Catholic church next door to the college.
More than 100 gathered for the vigil led by a Franciscan brother and a Pentecostal worship team – clergy and laity from the Pentecostal, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Free Christian, Baptist, and Lutheran churches.
“We are all here to praise God and acknowledge that he is Lord of all,” the leader said. Other pastors and priests shared words of blessing and challenge. One mused, “Isn’t it interesting what God uses to bring all of us together?”
Born in the dawn of the post-communist era, LCCIU draws its 600 students from both religious and non-religious backgrounds. Five years ago when Brubaker came on a chaplain she began building relationships with local pastors hoping to facilitate ecumenical prayer and worship and to plan for a Christian youth convention.
“We made a little progress, but there were many fears and questions,” she said.
But since the prayer vigil sparked by the controversial concert, Brubaker has seen a new desire for unity in the small Lithuanian Christian community. She has offered LCCIU, a neutral site, for joint prayer, worship, and planning meetings.
“Many of our students come from secular, atheistic backgrounds, and they find the multi-denominational maze confusing. It helps students find Christianity attractive when they see all of us working together,” Brubaker said.
“Some leaders wish that LCCIU would take a more narrow evangelical Christian stance,” Brubaker said, “But when you work for Christian unity, you have to be broad. And our desire is to serve the whole region with quality Christian liberal arts education.”
Brubaker’s fluency in the Lithuanian language, something she developed while serving on a Youth Evangelism Service (YES) team in Lithuania, 1994-95, and as an intern until 1997, has made her something of an insider and has facilitated her work in the broader community and on campus.
Since 2002 Brubaker and her husband Gregg have served together in Lithuania. Gregg teaches math at LCCIU and assists the Šilutė Free Christian Church in preaching and youth work.
As Brubakers return to Lithuania for a third term of service, Sharon plans to move into the role of Church Relations Coordinator, building on opportunities which developed during the crisis.
--Jewel Showalter
-Jewel Showalter
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