Ruhnu Parish

Ministers of Ruhnu Church
In office Name  
Until 1621 Hans Homodt d. 1621
  Arvidus Petri  
1645–... Johannis Ubboberus  
Until 1650 Ambernus Mauraeus d. 1650
1653–... Andreas Benedicti Yngerus  
Until 1688 Oluf Fontini  
1688–93 Peter Ottenius  
1694–1702 Gunnar Follenius  
1702–26 Jonas Drothenius  
1726–29 Alexander Holmqvist  
1729–38 Anton Kroll  
1739–56 Johann Nicolaus Reuter  
1756–66 Immanuel Reuter  
1767–95 Peter Johann Lindemann d. 1795
1795–1806 Nikolaus Malmgren 1772–1829
1807–19 Gustav Magnus Elephandt 1781–1819
1820–36 Gustaf Forsell 1791–1861
1838–41 Carl Johann Bröcker 1811–44
1841–42 Fredrik Joachim Ekman 1798–1872
1843–44 Erik Wilhelm Wladimir Danielsson 1815–82
1845–55 Carl Hellen 1806–74
1857–62 Johann Erik Immanuel Telenius 1806–63
1862–66 Axel Gabriel Ylander 1829–82
1871–92 Adolf Fredrik Dreijer 1817–92
1892–96 Kaarlo Julius Kalpa 1867–18
1897–1902 Oskar Ferdinand Sevelius 1873–1946
1907–15 August Zetterquist 1860–1929
1918–19 Nils Linderstam 1878–1930
1920–22 Ernst Vilhelm Gordon  
1923–30 Gunnar Schantz  
1930–37 Carl Gustav Grönberg  
1937–40 John Lindström 1909–85
1942–44 Alexander Samberg  
1988–89 Joel Luhamets 1952–
1989–92 Jaan Tammsalu 1960–
1996– Harry-Johannes Rein 1926–

Ruhnu Parish (German Kirchspiel Runö in Oesel, inseln Runö), used to belong to Saare County and included Ruhnu island. Before the construction of the church dedicated to Mary Magdalene (1644) there were several chapels on the island. A minister on Ruhnu was first mentioned in 1621, in 1645 Ruhnu got its own pastor. The oldest parish registry dates back to 1682 (it reviews years 1683–1762, the second parish registry years 1767–1835). 1683–1926 Ruhnu congregation belonged to the Swedish deanery.  Ruhnu became a separate parish in 1713. The church also owned Ruhnu Church Manor (Pastorat Runö). In 1875, a new parsonage was constructed; a school has operated there since. In 1912 the new church was finished, consecrated on 20 July (new calendar 2 August). Church assets were nationalized in 1940, the congregation stopped its activity when the Swedes left in 1944. 3. III 1988 the new Ruhnu church was re-consecrated, in 1999 the old wooden church was re-consecrated. In 2000 the former parsonage was returned to the congregation.

At present, there is one active congregation on the island – Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Ruhnu St. Magdalene congregation that belongs to the Saarte deanery.

EE 12, 2003; updated in 2013