Title: Stelling and Edison-Swift Announce They Will Leave 'Lutheran Woman Today'
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 30, 2000

STELLING AND EDISON-SWIFT ANNOUNCE THEY WILL LEAVE
'LUTHERAN WOMAN TODAY'
00-206-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- After more than 40 years of service in the
Lutheran church Nancy J. Stelling, Raleigh, N.C., announced she will
retire Dec. 1.  Stelling is editor for Lutheran Woman Today, a magazine
of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the
women's organization of the church.  Susan Edison-Swift, the magazine's
managing editor, will resign effective Sept. 8.
     In 1987, the ELCA was formed at its Constituting Convention on
April 30.  That year, Women of the ELCA was born at its Constituting
Convention June 11-14.  Stelling
joined Women of the ELCA on Sept. 1, 1987.
     "I lived out of a suitcase in Minneapolis to get the magazine
started with Augsburg Fortress, and then moved to Chicago in November
1987.  In 1991, I moved to Raleigh and continued my work as the
magazine's editor," Stelling said.  The magazine's first issue was
published on Jan. 1, 1988.  Lutheran Woman Today is published by
Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA, Minneapolis.
     "It is a kairos moment for me to move into a new phase of my life.
I am confident that the magazine will continue to serve its readers well
and reach out to new readers," Stelling said.
     Stelling earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and Latin at
Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., in 1959.  She earned a master's
degree in media communication at Webster University, Webster Groves, Mo.

     From 1959 to 1964 Stelling taught English and Latin at Lutheran
High School South, Affton, Mo.  From 1964 to 1965 she wrote for The
Layman, a newspaper of the International Lutheran Laymen's League based
in St. Louis, and Junior Broadcaster, a children's magazine there.  She
also worked on staff of the Lutheran Witness Reporter newspaper from
1965 to 1966, and edited Interaction, a church school teacher's magazine
from 1967 to 1973.
     In the former Lutheran Church in America, Stelling worked on staff
of World Encounter magazine from 1974 to 1979, and then as a staff
member of Lutheran Church Women from 1980 to 1987.  She developed
program resources and Bible studies for women there.  She resigned her
position there in August 1987 to begin work for Women of the ELCA.
     "I am a teacher at heart and Women of the ELCA is really doing
adult education as it seeks to affirm and empower women.   Lutheran
Woman Today offers opportunities for writers to share their insights and
faith in an attempt to touch other people," Stelling said.
     "The stories in the magazine help people connect with other
people, and the readers gain strength from hearing about other people's
faith lives," Stelling said.  "The writers willing to share their
stories are such faith-filled people.  I am always amazed at the things
articles can do," she said.
     Lutheran Woman Today is published 10 times a year, monthly except
for bi-monthly issues in January/February and July/August.  The magazine
brings its readers inspiration and information, comfort and challenge,
Stelling said.  It offers readers IdeaNet -- organizational "tips"
carried in each issue -- and information about Women of the ELCA
programs, activities and events.  The magazine is available in three
forms -- a digest format, a big-print format and audiotape.
     Each issue carries and supports Women of the ELCA's Bible study,
"the most widely used Bible study in the ELCA," said Edison-Swift.
     "I've known for a long time that I needed to move on
professionally and personally," Edison-Swift said about her decision to
resign next month.  "When Nancy [Stelling] announced her plans to
retire, I realized it wasn't fair to allow staff of Women of the ELCA to
engage in transition planning without knowing my intentions" to search
for new professional opportunities, she said.
     "I love the people I work with," Edison-Swift said.  "The
magazine's staff models the best kind of teamwork.  We have this awesome
blessing to connect people to stories.  Time after time we have
witnessed the personal connection people make to stories they read and
how they respond to them."
      "I am most proud of the magazine's voice," Edison-Swift said.
"We've developed content that is theologically smart and approachable.
It reaches people where they are," she said.
     Edison-Swift served as managing editor for Lutheran Woman Today
since 1988.  In addition to her role as managing editor, she served as
interim associate executive director for Women of the ELCA's resource
development and management group from January to May 2000.
     From 1979 to 1988, Edison-Swift was a freelance writer and
instructional designer.  She earned a bachelor of science degree from
the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1976 and earned a master of
science degree in education from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh,
in 1978.
     "Both Nancy [Stelling] and Sue [Edison-Swift] are committed Women
of the ELCA whose love of Christ and care for their sisters have shown
through every page of Lutheran Woman Today and in all the other ways
they have represented the women's organization of the ELCA," said
Catherine I.H. Braasch, executive director for Women of the ELCA.
     "The 200,000 subscribers of our magazine are grateful for the
strong foundation provided from these two remarkable women.  While
recruitment efforts are under way, our readers will continue to enjoy
this award-winning magazine's growth as the women's organization
expands," Braasch said.
     Women of the ELCA is active in 7,832 "congregational units" in 64
of the 65 ELCA's synods.

EDITORS: Lutheran Woman Today can be found on the ELCA's Web site at
www.elca.org/wo/lwt/index.html.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html