Stelling and Edison-Swift Announce They Will Leave 'Lutheran

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- After more than 40 years of service in the Lutheran church Nancy J. Stelling, Raleigh, N.C., announced she will retire Dec. 1. Stelling is editor for Lutheran Woman Today, a magazine of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the women's organization of the church. Susan Edison-Swift, the magazine's managing editor, will resign effective Sept. 8.
In 1987, the ELCA was formed at its Constituting Convention on April 30. That year, Women of the ELCA was born at its Constituting Convention June 11-14. Stelling joined Women of the ELCA on Sept. 1, 1987.
"I lived out of a suitcase in Minneapolis to get the magazine started with Augsburg Fortress, and then moved to Chicago in November 1987. In 1991, I moved to Raleigh and continued my work as the magazine's editor," Stelling said. The magazine's first issue was published on Jan. 1, 1988. Lutheran Woman Today is published by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA, Minneapolis.
"It is a kairos moment for me to move into a new phase of my life. I am confident that the magazine will continue to serve its readers well and reach out to new readers," Stelling said.
Stelling earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and Latin at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., in 1959. She earned a master's degree in media communication at Webster University, Webster Groves, Mo.

From 1959 to 1964 Stelling taught English and Latin at Lutheran High School South, Affton, Mo. From 1964 to 1965 she wrote for The Layman, a newspaper of the International Lutheran Laymen's League based in St. Louis, and Junior Broadcaster, a children's magazine there. She also worked on staff of the Lutheran Witness Reporter newspaper from 1965 to 1966, and edited Interaction, a church school teacher's magazine from 1967 to 1973.
In the former Lutheran Church in America, Stelling worked on staff of World Encounter magazine from 1974 to 1979, and then as a staff member of Lutheran Church Women from 1980 to 1987. She developed program resources and Bible studies for women there. She resigned her position there in August 1987 to begin work for Women of the ELCA.
"I am a teacher at heart and Women of the ELCA is really doing adult education as it seeks to affirm and empower women. Lutheran Woman Today offers opportunities for writers to share their insights and faith in an attempt to touch other people," Stelling said.
"The stories in the magazine help people connect with other people, and the readers gain strength from hearing about other people's faith lives," Stelling said. "The writers willing to share their stories are such faith-filled people. I am always amazed at the things articles can do," she said.
Lutheran Woman Today is published 10 times a year, monthly except for bi-monthly issues in January/February and July/August. The magazine brings its readers inspiration and information, comfort and challenge, Stelling said. It offers readers IdeaNet -- organizational "tips" carried in each issue -- and information about Women of the ELCA programs, activities and events. The magazine is available in three forms -- a digest format, a big-print format and audiotape.
Each issue carries and supports Women of the ELCA's Bible study, "the most widely used Bible study in the ELCA," said Edison-Swift.
"I've known for a long time that I needed to move on professionally and personally," Edison-Swift said about her decision to resign next month. "When Nancy [Stelling] announced her plans to retire, I realized it wasn't fair to allow staff of Women of the ELCA to engage in transition planning without knowing my intentions" to search for new professional opportunities, she said.
"I love the people I work with," Edison-Swift said. "The magazine's staff models the best kind of teamwork. We have this awesome blessing to connect people to stories. Time after time we have witnessed the personal connection people make to stories they read and how they respond to them."
"I am most proud of the magazine's voice," Edison-Swift said. "We've developed content that is theologically smart and approachable. It reaches people where they are," she said.
Edison-Swift served as managing editor for Lutheran Woman Today since 1988. In addition to her role as managing editor, she served as interim associate executive director for Women of the ELCA's resource development and management group from January to May 2000.
From 1979 to 1988, Edison-Swift was a freelance writer and instructional designer. She earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1976 and earned a master of science degree in education from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, in 1978.
"Both Nancy [Stelling] and Sue [Edison-Swift] are committed Women of the ELCA whose love of Christ and care for their sisters have shown through every page of Lutheran Woman Today and in all the other ways they have represented the women's organization of the ELCA," said Catherine I.H. Braasch, executive director for Women of the ELCA.
"The 200,000 subscribers of our magazine are grateful for the strong foundation provided from these two remarkable women. While recruitment efforts are under way, our readers will continue to enjoy this award-winning magazine's growth as the women's organization expands," Braasch said.
Women of the ELCA is active in 7,832 "congregational units" in 64 of the 65 ELCA's synods.

EDITORS: Lutheran Woman Today can be found on the ELCA's Web site at
www.elca.org/wo/lwt/index.html.

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