Columnist to Leave 'The Lutheran'; Editor Listening to Concerns

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Walter M. Wangerin Jr., longtime columnist for The Lutheran, the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will cease writing his column by the end of 2000, the magazine's advisory committee was told at its April 14 meeting here.
The committee consists of 10 elected members and two advisory members. It meets twice a year and advises the magazine's staff on a variety of issues. Herb Strentz, Des Moines, is chair.
Wangerin, a faculty member at Valparaiso (Ind.) University, writes the column "Between Us" for the magazine. He informed the magazine of his decision recently, saying he wants to concentrate on writing books, said the Rev. David L. Miller, editor. A decision has not been made on a possible replacement, Miller added.
In his report to the committee, Miller said he is meeting with a variety of synod and congregational groups to talk about the magazine. "The magazine's credibility" is one of the concerns, Miller said. Some people want to discuss how the magazine covered a proposed full communion agreement with The Episcopal Church before the ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted to approve it last August, he said.
The conversations have gone well, said Miller, who was elected by the churchwide assembly last August and became editor Nov. 1, replacing the Rev. Edgar R. Trexler, who retired. "I'm not going to say we're going to please everyone," he said, "but we're getting a hearing."
There has been "a great deal of affirmation" for the magazine, including its recent emphasis on prayer and spiritual themes, Miller said. The magazine received eight awards last month from the Associated Church Press, he added.
The Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, executive director of the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries (CMM), told the committee the unit's relationship with the magazine is positive. Two years ago, CMM asked the magazine to be more attentive to people of color in the church.
"The magazine has heard our cries, and there are very beautiful results," he said.
Advisory committee members praised the magazine's emphasis on spirituality, the quality of its artwork, the diversity of people in its pages and the content of its April 2000 issue.
The advisory committee for The Lutheran discussed several other issues:
+ The magazine revamped its mission statement in a series of team-building sessions with the staff, said Sonia C. Solomonson, managing editor. She also described the statement as "a work in progress."
+ Two committee members, Lori L. Brocker, Portland, Ore. and the Rev. Kenneth E. Roberts, Columbus, Ohio, presented suggestions to the committee and staff on possible strategies for faith-oriented coverage of issues related to the national election this fall.
+ About 4,700 of the ELCA's 11,000 congregations provide the magazine to their members though congregational plans, said James Huber, publishing director of The Lutheran, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis. Another 1,100 provide the magazine to members through other plans, he said. A recent marketing effort with congregations resulted in significant initial response, he said.
There are more than 595,000 subscribers to The Lutheran, though subscriptions have continued to decline throughout the ELCA's 12-year existence. Many of the reductions occur when congregations decide to drop members' subscriptions, Huber said. Congregations often report the reason for dropping subscriptions is "financial," he said, but the magazine does gain subscriptions as well as lose some. "It is frustrating," Huber said. "This not where we want to be."
Subscriptions to The Lutheran are as low as $6.95 annually. "This is the best deal going," said the Rev. Paul A. Wee, committee member, Alexandria, Va. "I can't imagine a congregation that wants to grow in mission to be without it. It just comes with the territory."
+ Augsburg Fortress shelved for at least one year a project to launch a new Christian magazine for women, Huber reported. Tentatively titled "Sunday/Monday Woman," the possibility of the magazine became a concern for The Lutheran and Lutheran Woman Today, the magazine of the church's women's organization, Women of the ELCA. Miller said there was inadequate conversation between the publisher and the churchwide publications before plans for the possible new magazine became known. "It was unfortunate conversation didn't occur," he said.
"I think somebody just missed something here," said Wee, who is also a member of the Augsburg Fortress board of trustees. He said the board "questioned" the communication that took place before the decision was made. It appeared "depth and breadth" of conversation about the new magazine "was not there," Wee said.
+ A readership survey of The Lutheran, conducted by Blue Dolphin Group, Wayland, Mass., is under way, Huber said. Blue Dolphin provides consulting services to a variety of periodicals.
+ The Lutheran will divert $100,000, half of its annual subsidy from the churchwide budget, into a restricted endowment to be maintained by the ELCA Foundation, Huber said. Funds from the endowment will be used to replace some or all of the subsidy, should the endowment grow to sufficient size, he said.
+ Beginning with the April issue, the magazine began using a different type of paper. The paper allows for improved photo and color reproduction, said Michael D. Watson, art director for the magazine.

Editor's note: The Web site for The Lutheran is www.thelutheran.org.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html