Riitta Rönnqvist (born 1979) has ministered as a musician in various Christian contexts for 25 years. Together with her husband Anssi Rönnqvist, Riitta has composed worship songs since the early 2000s, which have spread beyond church boundaries. Riitta has served in various music roles at Verkosto Helsinki, Christian Center Helsinki, Freechurch Arkki Järvenpää, Majakka Church Espoo, and Vihti Lutheran Church. Improvised, spontaneously created music has been a lifesource for Riitta since her youth, helping her to recover from her early experiences in children’s home and bringing her in touch with God’s sustaining resources. Riitta’s main instruments are piano, vocals, and violin.
Riitta Rönnqvist completed her Master’s degree in Theology at the University of Helsinki in 2009. In her day job, Riitta has held various roles in organization development at Nokia Oyj. She is currently finalizing her doctoral thesis in the field of change management at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University. Riitta is a deputy member of the Vihdin church council.
Anssi Rönnqvist (born 1982) is an engineer of media technology, singer, and the audiobook narrator and voice of the Finnish Audio Bible and Hymnbook. Anssi’s passion is to develop, support, and educate the communal implementation of worship and prayer music using digital tools in the digital age. One of Anssi’s creations is a technical music concept that has enabled the online community centered around prayer and music using the Zoom video conferencing platform. Morning worship on Zoom gathers worship and prayer music enthusiasts from all around Finland every weekday morning to engage with the Bible, prayer, hymns, worship songs, and improvisation. Anssi has been involved in many digital technology and leadership roles, both corporate and non-profit.
Riitta and Anssi Rönnqvist are part of leadership team in Majakka Church Espoo. They have three daughters who are involved in the family’s shared ministry with their own instruments. The Rönnqvist family is currently in search of a new home and ministry base. They temporally logde in locations in Uusimaa and in South Ostrobothnia, Finland.