ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 12, 2007
Richard Magnus, Head of ELCA Outreach, Congregational Mission, to Retire
07-126-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive
director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA)
Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission program unit,
will retire Dec. 31, 2007.
"Pastor Dick Magnus' passion for the gospel, his vision for
a church growing in evangelical outreach and stewardship, his
desire to develop systems of support for missional leaders and
his desire that the ELCA become a more diverse and inclusive
church have been consistent marks of his leadership. It is
fitting that his most recent call has been to lead a program unit
that has responsibility for many of those areas," said the Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA.
"I'm excited about how staff of EOCM has come together
around the work of starting new and renewing congregations. The
unit brings Christian Education, Evangelism, Stewardship, and
Lutheran Men in Mission programmatic expertise directly into
starting new and renewing congregations. It makes for a much
more holistic development and renewal process," said Magnus.
"I'm grateful for the progress in working with the
(church's) five ethnic communities," he said. "Leaders from each
of the communities now give leadership to the work, helping to
identify areas for new congregations, assisting with evaluation
and support of the ministries, and helping to recruit leaders,"
said Magnus. "Great progress has been made in working with
(ELCA) seminaries to strengthen the training for new and renewal.
We look forward to more leaders graduating, ready to start a new
congregation or renew an existing congregation."
"These past 10 years have been rich. The staff is a
wonderful, creative group very deeply committed to God's mission.
We all have had the privilege of working with persons wanting to
reach out and invite people to community in Jesus Christ. It
doesn't get any better than being able to work with these groups
as they grow into their roles in God's mission," he said.
The 149-member EOCM staff works to foster and enhance "a
culture of discipleship" in the ELCA, equip leaders and build
capacity to start and renew congregations in a diverse and
multicultural context.
Born in Foley, Minn., Magnus, 63, graduated from St. Cloud
University, St. Cloud, Minn., in 1966 and from Luther
Northwestern Theological (now Luther) Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.,
in 1970. Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
In November 2005 the ELCA Church Council -- the ELCA's board
of directors -- elected Magnus to serve a four-year term as
executive director of EOCM. Hanson nominated Magnus to the
position. Magnus was director of the former ELCA Division for
Outreach from 1997 to 2005. He had been a mission director for
the division and assistant to the bishop of the ELCA Rocky
Mountain Synod, Denver, from 1988 to 1997.
Magnus served as assistant to the bishop of the Rocky
Mountain Synod in the former Lutheran Church in America from 1981
to 1988. He was campus pastor at the University of Colorado,
Boulder, and the Auraria Higher Education Center, Denver, from
1975 to 1981. Magnus was community pastor of St. Paul Lutheran
Church, Denver, from 1970 to 1975; part-time instructor,
Metropolitan State College, Denver, from 1977-1980; and
coordinator for Lutheran Campus Ministry of Colorado from 1977 to
1981.
Magnus served in a variety of leadership positions including
president of Lutheran Family Services of Colorado; board chair,
Colorado Coalition for Full Employment; and president, Colorado
Council of Churches.
Magnus is married to Kathy J. Magnus, who is regional
officer, Lutheran World Federation in North America. She will
also retire Dec. 31, 2007. They have two adult children and
three grandchildren.
- - -
Information about Evangelical Outreach and Congregational
Mission is available at http://www.ELCA.org/eocm on the ELCA's
Web site.
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
