Obituary of Andres Taul

ANDRES TAUL

Archbishop Emeritus, Dr. Divinity

Peacefully in the arms of his wife and eldest daughter, Andres Taul passed away at his beloved lakeside home in the Haliburtons at midnight on Monday, April 23, 2018 after a long illness.

Andres was born in Tartu, Estonia, August 11, 1936.  He was eight years old when his family joined multitudes of people in flight from the invading Russian armies in 1944 during World War II, which locked Estonia behind the Iron Curtain of Communism.  Andres’s mother Helene died during that flight.  His father, Rev. Jaak Taul, a respected Lutheran pastor, had previous affiliations with the Church of England and after three years of refugee status in Germany, in 1947 took Andres with his sister Virge and their grandmother to London to serve the Estonian Ev. Lutheran Congregation there.  Later his sister Tiina was born after his father remarried.

Andres finished his early education in Enniskillen, North Ireland already having felt the call to follow his father to serve our Lord.  In 1954 he entered the Augustana Divinity School in Neuendettelsau, Germany.  From 1956 - 1957 he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Erlangen in Germany.  From 1957 - 1960 he completed his Bachelor’s degree then followed by his Master’s degree in 1964 at the Honour School of Theology at Mansfield College, University of Oxford, UK.  He was ordained in Stockholm, Sweden by Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC) Archbishop Kopp, July 30, 1961.  Andres dedicated his life to serving various congregations of dispersed and expatriate Estonians beginning in 1961 in Bradford, Northern England.  From there he accepted a call to New York City, as associate minister for the Lexington Ave.  Estonian Lutheran Congregation where he also married Eneri, a practicing architect.  This June they would have celebrated their 47^th anniversary.

Accepting a call to become the pastor for the St. Andrews EELC Congregation in Toronto, Andres and Eneri relocated to Canada in 1972.  Ten years later he became the pastor for the St. Peter’s EELC Congregation where he served until retiring in 2016. Concurrently for 20 years he also served at St. Paul’s EELC in St. Catharines.  He earned his Doctor of Divinity degree from Concordia Lutheran Seminary at Fort Wayne Indiana in 1996.  His dissertation was on the impact of fifty years of atheistic indoctrination of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Earlier, in 1988 Andres had participated with Keston College’s visit to Russia to demand human rights for imprisoned Estonians and other freedom seeking political dissidents, and to get permission to distribute Bibles throughout the Soviet Union.

Dr. Andres Taul was known to most of his congregants and friends, as simply Andres.  Our family called him “papi”.  He was always a joyful, jovial, romantic, and a gentle man, with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes of some mischief or teasing ready to share.  He was a keen reader of anything theological, philosophical, of world events, scientific, or about the universe, and later in retirement enjoyed mystery novels.  His sermons were inspirational and his voice carried easily, clear as a bell, whether speaking in English, Estonian or German.  He respected independent thinkers and believers of other faiths, enjoying discussions with a remarkable depth of knowledge about those histories.

Andres was an active and influential public figure who was widely recognized by both expatriate Estonians and many ecclesiastical, educational and cultural institutions in his birthland Estonia.  He was called to lecture on many significant celebrative occasions.  When in 1991 Estonia celebrated its regained independence from the Soviet Union, Andres was the guest speaker at the historic ceremony in Tallinn.  He was the first guest lecturer when the Faculty of Theology at Tartu University re-opened after 50 years of soviet rule.  There he re-established the University Congregation in 1995 and was named Chaplain, keeping that position during his lifetime.

Andres is known for many affiliations and achievements.  He was one of the founding members and served on the board of the National Estonian Foundation of Canada; he chaired the work with the joint committee here and in Estonia to revise and print in 1991 a new Song and Prayer Book now used by all EELC churches worldwide.  From 1980 - 1990 he organized the programs and was a lecturer at the EELC Institute of Theology in Toronto; in 1982 - 1986 he served as provost of the Provostry of Canada of the EELC; he was a founding member of the Estonian Hymnology Society; a member of the Estonian Students’ Society since 1956; he supported the Estonian Girl Guides and Boy Scouts of Canada, earning the Gilwell Badge in 1972 and becoming a Scout master in 1975.

In recognition of his eminent standing within the church, the EELC congregations of expatriate Estonians worldwide, elected in 2007, Dr. Andres Taul to be their archbishop.

Perhaps his dearest vision was to help restore the unity of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church abroad with the historically ruling Archbishopry in Estonia which the Iron Curtain of World War II had separated in 1944.  This significant unification was celebrated in November of 2010. Initially offering to lower his title from “archbishop” to “bishop”, he was honored with the title of Archbishop Emeritus upon his retirement.

In recognition of his many contributions, he received in 2009, the Degree of Honorary Doctor of the University of Tartu.  He has been honoured with the EELC First Order of Achievement Medal; the Estonian President’ s IV Order, Red Cross Medal; EELC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Frolicking with his children as they grew, teaching them to love water, saunas and angels in the snow; rubbing noses, hide and share chocolates; regular afternoon naps together, charming them to sleep with his imaginative stories and evening prayers.  These memories are only a few we shall always cherish.  We shall miss his constant hugs, his spontaneous laughter, and unrelenting cheerfulness; his compassion and time spent with those who were in pain or alone.

Service will be held Saturday, May 26 at 11:00 a.m. in the St. Peters Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, 817 Mount Pleasant Road, with reception to follow at the Latvian Canadian Cultural Center, 4 Credit Union Drive and Eglinton East.  If desired, in lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Department of Neurology Research at Sunnybrook Foundation Hospital in Toronto.  Condolences, photographs and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com.

Dear Andres, dear Papi, you have inspired, lifted up our spirits, encouraged us to be our own masters, and loved us unconditionally.  Your touch was always a loving and gentle one; you blessed us with your favorite verse: I Cor.13.13.  “And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love”.

In loving gratitude, you will always live in our hearts.

Your Eneri, son Rein Taul, daughters Vaiki Taul and Kairi Hemingway with our grandson Jaak Hemingway,

your sisters Dr. Virge James and Tiina Sanfourche with their families in England.