wfn.org | Lutheran Agencies Moving to Baltimore

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE - NEWSBRIEF

February 11, 1997

LUTHERAN AGENCIES MOVING TO BALTIMORE

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and Lutheran Immigration and
Refugee Service (LIRS) will move their offices from New York to
Baltimore.  They currently share office space with the
Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA).  In late January and early February, the
boards of directors of both agencies decided to move their
offices to Baltimore no later than March 2000.  The decisions
came after a year-long study of office accommodations and
relocation options.  The LWR board met with Baltimore Mayor
Kurt Schmoke, U.S. Senators Paul Sarbanes and Barbara
Mikulski of Maryland, local Lutheran leaders, and representatives
of the local non-profit and business communities.  LWR
President Kathryn Wolford said, "Board members greatly
appreciated Baltimore's recognition of the importance of
non-profit organizations in their community."  LWR works
overseas in relief and development on behalf of the ELCA
and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  LIRS is a cooperative
agency of the ELCA, LCMS and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America; it is a leading U.S. refugee resettlement
agency, with programs of assistance for asylum seekers,
immigrants and unaccompanied refugee children.  LIRS
Executive Director Ralston Deffenbaugh said, "The board of
directors in their deliberations concluded that this move will
strengthen the LIRS ministry for the long term."

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