ELCA NEWS SERVICE November 29, 2005 Fred Rajan to Conclude Service as Leader of ELCA Multicultural Ministries 05-232-MRC/JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, executive director for the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries (CMM), will leave his position effective Jan. 15, 2006, following 18 years of service with the ELCA churchwide organization. Rajan, 56, withdrew his candidacy from a search process for an executive director to serve the new ELCA Multicultural Ministries unit. The Rev. Sherman G. Hicks will become executive director of the new unit. Hicks was elected Nov. 11 to a four- year term by the ELCA Church Council after he was nominated by the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop. "I thank God for the incredible opportunity God gave me to serve on the Commission for Multicultural Ministries for the past 18 years. The multicultural ministries of our church will always be dear to my heart," said Rajan. "As executive director of the Commission for Multicultural Ministries, Fred Rajan has been a strong voice calling the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to be an increasingly multicultural and intentionally anti-racist church," Hanson said. "Pastor Rajan has called this church to accountability, not only for our broad commitments, but also in our policies and practices. He has been an advocate for building strong ethnic associations and has played a key role in the development of the ELCA's five ethnic-specific ministry strategies. While carrying out his work on behalf of the ELCA, he has always deepened connections with our ecumenical partners," he said. Since 1992 Rajan served as executive director for the commission. From 1989 to 1992, he served as director for the Multicultural Mission Strategy, CMM, and from 1988 to 1989 was associate director for advocacy, CMM. Rajan was pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Irving, Texas, from 1985 to 1987, and he was supervisor-in-training in clinical pastoral education at Hermann Hospital, Houston, from 1982 to 1985. Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Rajan earned a bachelor's degree in economics and statistics/political science from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, in 1971. He earned a master's degree in economics from Madras University, Chennai, India, in 1975; a master of divinity degree from Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, Tacoma, Wash., in 1980; and a master of theology degree from Faith Seminary in 1981. Rajan served on numerous multicultural ministry committees, co-wrote "Living Waters of Faith: Cultural Awareness" and edited a number of newsletters. Rajan and his wife, Sheila, are members of Lutheran Church of the Cross, Arlington Heights, Ill. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news