wfn.org | Fred Rajan to Conclude Service as Leader of ELCA Multicultural

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