ELCA NEWS SERVICE November 15, 2005 Magnus to Lead ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission 05-221-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on Nov. 11 elected the Rev. Richard A. Magnus to serve a four-year term as executive director of ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission, effective immediately. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, nominated Magnus. The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council met here Nov. 11-13. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is here Aug. 6-12, 2007. "Pastor Magnus brings to this call a passion for evangelism and outreach. His desire is that we grow as an evangelizing church, equipping all the baptized to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed," said Hanson. Magnus "believes that we must seek new ways for congregations to be engaged in starting congregations and for the church to grow in its commitment to becoming a more multicultural church. He has a strong commitment to congregations being vital centers in ministry and mission," he said. Since 1997 Magnus, 61, has served as director of the former ELCA Division for Outreach. Magnus had been a mission director for the division and an assistant to the bishop of the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod, Denver. Magnus joined the staff of the Rocky Mountain Synod in the former Lutheran Church in America in 1981. He has been community pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver; campus pastor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Auraria Higher Education Center, Denver; a part-time instructor, Metropolitan State College, Denver; and coordinator for Lutheran Campus Ministry of Colorado. Born in Foley, Minn., Magnus graduated from St. Cloud University, St. Cloud, Minn., and from Luther Northwestern Theological (now Luther) Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries. Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission is a new unit of the ELCA churchwide organization. It assists congregations, synods, institutions and agencies of the church to grow in evangelical outreach. Among its responsibilities are support of discipleship and lifelong learning, increasing awareness about the centrality of prayer, starting and renewing congregations, and implementing the ELCA evangelism strategy and portions of all ethnic-specific ministry strategies in the life of church. - - - Information about ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission is available at http://www.ELCA.org/congregations.html on the Internet. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news