wfn.org | Leonard Schulze to Leave ELCA Leadership Post with DHES

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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 news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news