ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 22, 2006
Former News Director, Lutheran Church in America, R. Marshall Stross Dies
06-043-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- R. Marshall Stross, director of news and
information for the former Lutheran Church in America (LCA), died
March 17 at his home in Manhasset, N.Y. He was 88.
"Marshall Stross was the consummate communicator," said
Kristi S. Bangert, executive director, ELCA Communication
Services. "While his expertise was news and editing, his passion
was to help the church communicate its mission using every
available medium, including television and video," she said.
Stross retired in 1985 after serving 21 years in the LCA's
Office for Communication. The LCA and two other Lutheran church
bodies merged in 1987 to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA).
From 1981 to 1985, Stross served as director of the
Department for News and Information, LCA Office for
Communication. From 1964 to 1981, he was director of the LCA's
Commission on Press, Radio and Television. During his tenure
Stross produced a 24-minute documentary film, "This Church
Lives," which highlights the history of Lutherans in North
America.
Stross was instrumental in the production and expansion of
the children's television program "Davey and Goliath," which
gained national and international popularity. The program was
translated into seven languages and distributed to six
continents. In 2004 Stross received the Wittenburg Award as a
founder of Davey and Goliath. The Luther Institute, Washington,
D.C., presented the award to Stross and other founders of the
children's program.
Stross produced the Lutheran series of the radio program
"The Protestant Hour" -- now known as "Day 1" -- and Church World
News, a weekly radio program. He wrote "Capitalize on Some
Overlooked Public Relations Opportunities," a chapter in the
"Religious Public Relations Handbook" and co-authored "RPRC: A
50 Year Reflection" -- a book about the history of the Religious
Public Relations Council (RPRC), now known as the Religion
Communicators Council.
A pioneer in placing VCRs and monitors in every synod office
of the LCA, Stross supported the "wrap-around approach" of videos
produced by the LCA, which allowed congregations to add their own
segments to videos. He provided slides, tapes, photographs and
scripts for audiovisual presentations following visits to
churches and mission fields in Africa, India, Japan and South
America.
Stross' first volunteer church experience took place in
1958, when he served as publicity chairperson for the biennial
convention of the former United Lutheran Church in America
(ULCA). From 1960 to 1962, he was a member of the ULCA Committee
on Church Papers and a member of the subcommittee of the Joint
Commission on Lutheran Unity, which merged the publications of
four Lutheran churches into "The Lutheran" -- the magazine of the
ELCA.
Born here Dec. 20, 1917, Stross graduated from Wabash
College, Crawfordsville, Ind., in 1939. Prior to joining the
staff of the LCA, Stross worked as a sports editor for the
Crawfordsville Journal Review from 1941 to 1942, and he served in
several editorial positions for the Dayton (Ohio) Herald and the
Dayton Journal from 1942 to 1964. During that time Stross taught
journalism at Sinclair College, Dayton, and the University of
Dayton. He was a member of Sigma Delta Chi, the Overseas Press
Club, the Newcomen Society and the RPRC. A racing sailboat
skipper, Stross was a commodore of the North Shore Yacht Club,
Manorhaven, N.Y.
Stross is survived by his wife Suzanne Heard, three sons,
four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in
death by his first wife, Christine Noland. Funeral services were
held March 21 at Christ Lutheran Church, Little Neck, N.Y.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
