wfn.org | ELCA Magazine Strives to Be Culturally Diverse

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 17, 1998

ELCA MAGAZINE STRIVES TO BE CULTURALLY DIVERSE
98-13-092-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
appears more culturally diverse in the pages of its publication than is
revealed in actual ELCA membership, according to the Rev. Edgar R. Trexler,
editor of "The Lutheran."
     In his report to The Lutheran's advisory committee Trexler said, "The
Lutheran magazine takes the multicultural goals of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America seriously."  The committee, which met here April 3,
approved a resolution dealing with concerns raised by the ELCA's Commission
for Multicultural Ministries (CMM).
     The CMM steering committee passed a resolution Feb. 27 calling for
The Lutheran to "intentionally expand its coverage of multicultural
ministries and events and assist the ELCA in implementing its multicultural
goals."  The resolution will be forwarded to the program and structure
committee of the ELCA's Church Council.
     The committee for The Lutheran "affirmed the continuing efforts by
The Lutheran staff in addressing the issues of concern raised by the
Commission for Multicultural Ministries."  It will also bring its
resolution to the Church Council's program and structure committee.
     The Rev. Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, CMM executive director, and the
Rev. W. Arthur Lewis, who chairs CMM's committee, took part in The
Lutheran's committee meeting.  A resolution was passed by The Lutheran's
committee to "establish a process for regular dialogue" between the staff
of The Lutheran and the staff of CMM.
     Trexler said, "The publication's staff strives to cover churches and
persons of a multicultural background.  We regularly illustrate stories
that are not specifically ethnic with drawings and photos that are
multicultural.  This deliberate effort is intended to lift up the vision of
a multicultural church and to support the church's multicultural goals."
     The CMM committee also expressed criticism of the make up of The
Lutheran's editorial staff, which consists only of white people, and passed
another resolution calling for the magazine "to recruit and hire a person
of color to its editorial staff."
     The Lutheran committee reaffirmed its 1997 commitment to work with
the editor of The Lutheran in "continuing efforts to include on the
magazine's executive staff people of color of whose primary langauge is
other than English."  The committee expressed support for a recent search
process used in securing a section editor, said Trexler.
     "We had a person of color as executive editorial staff from 1988 to
1995," said Trexler.  "The most recent staff vacancy we experienced was
from May to December 1997.  At that time we worked with the Commission for
Multicultural Ministries and with the African American Lutheran Association
of the ELCA to surface names."  Trexler said job offers were extended to
two African American journalists who turned the offers down.
     "We will use the same intentional process when we have another
executive position vacancy," said Trexler.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html