CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The president and chief executive officer of Augsburg Fortress, publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said he is "deeply concerned" by actions the board for the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) took when it met here last month.
The Rev. Marvin L. Roloff made the comment in a public statement following an ELCA News & Information release about the DCM board actions that raised questions about the publisher's role with the ELCA.
"The publishing house looks forward to continuing dialog with the Division for Congregational Ministries about the ways we might work together to more effectively fulfill the mission of the ELCA," said Roloff in his response.
During its Feb. 16-18 meeting, the DCM board authorized the division's executive directors to "investigate alternative" means of "publishing, producing and distributing resources" designed to assist congregations in carrying out their ministries.
In their discussion, some DCM board members expressed serious concerns over the existing arrangement for "publishing, producing and distributing resources" for congregations, which "has become inefficient and ineffective," according to a board resolution.
In a second, related, action the board requested that the planning and evaluation committee of the ELCA Church Council "review the relationship between Augsburg Fortress Publishers and the ELCA churchwide offices, particularly evaluating the effectiveness of the current partnership with the Division for Congregational Ministries."
That request is directed at a provision in the ELCA Constitution that says the publishing house "shall provide for production and distribution services for materials that originate in churchwide units."
"As the publishing house of the ELCA, Augsburg Fortress is responsible for the publishing, production and distribution of publications to be sold to accomplish the mission of this church," Roloff said, using words from the ELCA Constitution. "We work in close cooperation with congregations, synods and the churchwide organization to provide a diversity of published resources, and are committed to deepening and broadening our relationships with all expressions of the ELCA."
Augsburg Fortress is governed by a board of trustees elected by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The trustees will meet April 19-21 in Phoenix.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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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
