ELCA NEWS SERVICE May 11, 2004 Leonard Schulze to Leave ELCA Leadership Post with DHES 04-095-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dr. Leonard G. Schulze, executive director of the Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced May 7 he will leave the churchwide organization when his four-year term ends June 15. In an e-mail message to churchwide staff, Schulze, 57, said he will leave "to explore other opportunities for service in Lutheran higher education." "Serving with you in this work has been a treasured gift to me," Schulze said in his message. "I am immeasurably grateful for that gift and for you. My prayers will always include you, and I expect God's call will disclose adventures that will bring me and my family in direct contact with some of you in the coming years." Saying he was grateful for Schulze's leadership, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said in an e-mail message to the DHES board that he was "saddened by his (Schulze's) decision, but hopeful that Lutheran higher education will continue to benefit from his remarkable gifts and leadership." Hanson credited Schulze for articulating the church's deep commitment to "inspired education" and "informed faith," for building on "the strong Lutheran theological foundation," especially the understanding of vocation and the "dialectic of faith and reason," for developing a strategic plan that supports the ELCA Plan for Mission and for deepening the ELCA's relationship with colleges, universities, campus ministries and schools. "The accomplishments of the division would not have occurred without his vision and depth," Hanson said of Schulze. "The challenges of decreased mission support and strategic planning have placed added responsibilities on churchwide executives. Leonard has steadfastly sought to be collaborative in the midst of these." "On behalf of the (DHES) board, I want to express our heartfelt thanks for Leonard Schulze's outstanding leadership of this division during the past four years," said Rod Schofield, DHES board chair, Colorado Springs, Colo. "It obviously saddens us to know that he is leaving his position. However, we celebrate the gifts he has brought to this division and the legacy of accomplishments he is leaving that have strengthened education in the church and the church in education." "Leonard was viewed by our board as the finest leader we could possibly have had during these times of challenges and opportunities," Schofield continued. "He approached his calling within the church with the greatest integrity and commitment, and we know that he will continue to bless the church in his future callings." Schulze joined the churchwide organization as DHES executive director in June 2000. Previously he was director of international education, chair of the Department of English and Communication Studies, and professor of modern and classical languages at Texas Lutheran University (TLU), Seguin. He had also served as vice president for academic affairs and academic dean. Schulze had been at TLU, one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities, since 1986. In his message, Hanson said he and Schofield agreed to select a full-time interim executive director to serve for at least one year. A position description will be finalized, and the DHES board's executive committee will be involved in the interview and selection process, Hanson said. "Whatever the recommendations related to the interim executive director or the organizational design proposal, I remain committed to the work of the ELCA in education," Hanson said. "As I have said repeatedly on campuses and in conversations with academic leaders, campus ministry staff and students, we must strengthen our relationships, recognizing that budget and restructuring realities complicate the process." Schulze's future uncertain for months Last fall, a proposal for churchwide restructuring recommended DHES be dissolved as a churchwide division and its work redistributed to other and new churchwide units. Schulze's position was to have been eliminated. The DHES board, along with other boards, advisory committees and steering committees, was to be phased out. That restructuring proposal was eventually withdrawn by Hanson because of what he called "broad, often intense critique." A new process for restructuring was designed and initiated by the ELCA Church Council in November 2003. Because his current term will be completed June 15, Schulze's future was the main subject of the spring 2004 DHES board meeting here. The ELCA Constitution and Bylaws states that the executive director is elected by the board in consultation with and with the approval of the ELCA presiding bishop. Hanson declined to nominate Schulze for a new four-year term because of the current restructuring process within the ELCA. The same was true for four other department and commission directors whose elections were to be held this year, according to information provided to the church council. Hanson asked all of the directors, including Schulze, to remain with the churchwide organization in their roles until the restructuring is completed, the council information said. After that, elections would be held. While its members were aware of Hanson's position about a new term for Schulze, the DHES board adopted two actions March 27 regarding the DHES executive director. First, it "elected" Schulze to a second four-year term effective June 16. Many board members argued that the ELCA Constitution and Bylaws did not give them authority to do anything else with regard to the executive director's position. In a second action, the board said because the churchwide restructuring process does not guarantee "completion of a renewed four-year term" for Schulze, it asked that Schulze's employment continue through the end of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August 2005 or the end of the current restructuring process. It also asked that Schulze be given "the highest consideration" to direct any future structure for educational ministries of the church. Hanson asked the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary, if the board action to "elect" Schulze to a new term violated the ELCA Constitution and Bylaws. Almen said that it did because the ELCA presiding bishop would not agree to a new four-year term for Schulze. Therefore, the election was "null and void," Almen ruled. At its April 17-18 meeting, the council affirmed a recommendation of its legal and constitutional review committee that voided the DHES board's decision to elect Schulze to a new four-year term. The council, without comment, agreed with the ELCA secretary's interpretation that the board action violated the ELCA Constitution and Bylaws. The council acted in response to a written appeal from Schofield, who asked for a review of Almen's ruling. Following the council action, Hanson said he was committed to Schulze's "continued strong leadership" of DHES. --- The ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools maintains a site at http://www.elca.org/education on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news