Jānis Šmits

Who is Jānis Šmits?

Jānis Šmits is an Lutheran pastor and an active Latvian politician. He was a member of the Latvia's First Party and a deputy of the 8th and 9th Saeima. He was a member of parliament from March 18, 2004 to January 15, 2009. Since 2009 he has been a member of the Rīga City Council. He is well known for his outspoken conservative stance regarding the defense of Christian values and criticism of homosexuality.

Šmits graduated from the University of Latvia Faculty of Theology in 1997 and subsequently served in a number of Latvian Evangelical Lutheran churches. From 1994 to 1996 he was one of the military chaplains of the renewed Republic of Latvia Defense Forces. From 1997 to 2004 he was President of the “Lutheran Heritage Foundation” publishing house. In 2002 he was one of the initiators in the creation of the LPP. Following the creation of the party he became one of the members of the executive board and advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister on Religious affairs. He was also Secretary to the Council of Religious Affairs and actively promoted the re-establishment of laws regulating church and state relations.