Title: ELCA Publishing House Leader Expresses Concern for Board's Action
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 1, 2001

ELCA PUBLISHING HOUSE LEADER EXPRESSES CONCERN FOR BOARD'S ACTION
01-40-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The president and chief executive officer of
Augsburg Fortress, publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA), said he is "deeply concerned" by actions
the board for the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM)
took when it met here last month.
     The Rev. Marvin L. Roloff made the comment in a public
statement following an ELCA News & Information release about the DCM
board actions that raised questions about the publisher's role with
the ELCA.
     "The publishing house looks forward to continuing dialog with
the Division for Congregational Ministries about the ways we might
work together to more effectively fulfill the mission of the ELCA,"
said Roloff in his response.
     During its Feb. 16-18 meeting, the DCM board authorized the
division's executive directors to "investigate alternative" means of
"publishing, producing and distributing resources" designed to assist
congregations in carrying out their ministries.
     In their discussion, some DCM board members expressed serious
concerns over the existing arrangement for "publishing, producing and
distributing resources" for congregations, which "has become
inefficient and ineffective," according to a board resolution.
     In a second, related, action the board requested that the
planning and evaluation committee of the ELCA Church Council "review
the relationship between Augsburg Fortress Publishers and the ELCA
churchwide offices, particularly evaluating the effectiveness of the
current partnership with the Division for Congregational Ministries."
     That request is directed at a provision in the ELCA
Constitution that says the publishing house "shall provide for
production and distribution services for materials that originate in
churchwide units."
     "As the publishing house of the ELCA, Augsburg Fortress is
responsible for the publishing, production and distribution of
publications to be sold to accomplish the mission of this church,"
Roloff said, using words from the ELCA Constitution. "We work in
close cooperation with congregations, synods and the churchwide
organization to provide a diversity of published resources, and are
committed to deepening and broadening our relationships with all
expressions of the ELCA."
     Augsburg Fortress is governed by a board of trustees elected by
the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The trustees will meet April 19-21 in
Phoenix.

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John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
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