Lutheran publisher adopts new name

CHICAGO – Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has adopted a new name: 1517Media.
Beth A. Lewis, president and CEO of1517 Media, said the new “doing business as” identity “expresses our rootedness in theLutheran reforming movement – ignited by events in the year 1517 – and thegifts this tradition continues to offer to the whole church, society and theindividual.” The Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther began in 1517.
1517 Media creates resources thatcommunicate the gospel, enhance the faith and enrich the life of the Christianchurch and the communities it serves. The publishing house designs and developsinnovative resources for congregations, higher education and the home –delivered in a wide range of media, including print and digital formats,videos, apps and online subscription services.
“WhenI first heard the new name for the ELCA’s publishing ministry, I smiled at theold and the new, the past, present and future all rolled into one,” said theRev. Gerald L. Mansholt, bishop of the ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin andELCA Conference of Bishops liaison to the 1517 Media board of trustees. “1517 Mediaconnects us to our Reformation history and conveys the vision needed astogether we communicate God’s liberating grace for the sake of the world.”
1517 Media has three publishing units:

• AugsburgFortress, which serves Lutheran congregations in North America with resourcesto support worship, faith formation and the congregation’s life.

• FortressPress, which supports students and teachers across the ecumenical andinterreligious landscape with resources for the classroom and for individualstudy.

• Sparkhouse,which creates Christian faith formation resources for children and youth in congregations.Resources for the home are created through Sparkhouse Family.

“For200 years our publishing predecessors in North America have carried on aLutheran reforming perspective under a variety of imprints, along the wayreaching ever-wider audiences,” said Lewis. “And even as the reformers embraced theemerging media of their day, we will embrace a wide array of media to meet theneeds and support the ministries of the diverse audiences we serve. We think1517 Media captures both our rootedness and the innovative, forward-lookingcommitment of the organization.”
More information is available at http://1517.media.

- - -

About the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations inthe United States, with more than 3.7 million members in more than 9,300congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as thechurch of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the savinggrace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and servicein the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German churchreformer, Martin Luther.