CHICAGO (ELCA) The advisory committee for "The Lutheran," the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will meet July 12-13 to interview finalists for the editor's position and make a nomination to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA Church Council learned at its April 9-12 meeting here.
The council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its meetings of the Churchwide Assembly. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is August 16-22 in Denver.
The council took action to turn over its role as a consultant in the nomination process to its executive committee. The ELCA constitution specified a nomination process for the editor. It said the advisory committee shall nominate an editor "in consultation with the presiding bishop of this church and the Church Council."
The advisory committee includes 13 members. Two are advisors to the committee: the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary, and the Rev. Phillip L. Hougen, bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod. Donald G. Hayes, Winston-Salem, N.C. is the Church Council's representative on the committee.
The Rev. Edgar R. Trexler, editor of The Lutheran, announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election. He told the council of the process to select a new editor.
The advisory committee for The Lutheran is the search committee, Trexler said. As of March 12, the committee began accepting applications through the ELCA Department for Human Resources. The deadline to submit applications is June 1. A four-member subcommittee of the advisory committee will then review the applications and develop a list of three to five candidates who will be invited for a formal interview July 12-13, most likely in Chicago, he said.
The name of one nominee will be chosen and announced prior to the Churchwide Assembly. The Church Council will receive the nomination at its meeting in Denver August 15-16 and formally transmit the nomination=20 to the assembly. Assembly voting members will be asked to vote on the=20 nominee with a yes-or-no vote, Trexler said.
"This is the first time it has been used in this church," Trexler said of the nomination process, adding it may seem more like a "ratification than an election." The open part of the process is occurring now, he said.
The council's decision to turn over its role in the nomination process to its executive committee followed a discussion in which council member Dale V. Sandstrom, Bismarck, N.D., expressed=20 concerns that it appeared the council would not be consulted as the constitution specified. Some other council members agreed.
"What's at stake is full support of the next editor," said the Rev. Karen L. Soli, council member, Virginia, Minn.
The council's Legal and Constitutional Review Committee made the recommendation on the council's role. Noting the need to maintain confidentiality in the nomination process, the committee said the names of the candidates will not be widely distributed.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
