wfn.org | Augsburg Fortress Leader Readies for 'Directions' Tour

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 27, 2002

AUGSBURG FORTRESS LEADER READIES FOR 'DIRECTIONS' TOUR
02-231-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Beth A. Lewis, the newly elected president and
chief executive officer of Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will begin a 19-
day journey Sept. 29, in which she will travel by car to meet with
ELCA leaders, members and Augsburg Fortress employees.
     The "2002 Asking for Directions Tour" will give Lewis an
opportunity to demonstrate that Augsburg Fortress is committed to
listening to and communicating with customers, she said in an
interview.  Lewis also hopes to learn about issues confronting the
church, she said.
       Lewis' tour will begin in Boca Raton, Fla., her home before
she started in her new role Sept. 3, and will conclude Oct. 17 in
Minneapolis, the home of Augsburg Fortress.
     "The trip will allow me to hear concerns and ideas, and will
give us the opportunity to explore how we might reach out to help
customers with their ministries," Lewis said.  "I also hope to pick
up some sales ideas along the way."
     It's no secret that Augsburg Fortress has had financial
challenges, especially in the past few years, she said.  "I hear a
lot of stories about Augsburg Fortress.  As I dig into those stories,
I often find it's old news," Lewis said.  "I can't fix what happened
eight years ago.  I'm very sorry it happened, but I can only fix what
happens today and tomorrow."
     In conversations with people interested in the ELCA publisher's
work, Lewis said nearly everyone says they want Augsburg Fortress to
be successful.
     "We need to go more than halfway with our customers and extend
the right hand of friendship," she said.
     Lewis, who left as president of a computer teaching school to
head Augsburg Fortress, said she wants people to know that the
company will deliver more products through "new media," including
online delivery and compact discs as well as printed materials.  She
also wants to communicate that Augsburg Fortress is more than a
publisher.  For example, it operates an ecclesiastical arts studio
that provides worship materials and hand-crafted paraments and
vestments, she said.
     "The quality of our work is very good," Lewis said.  "I hope
our customers will give us a fair shake."
     Ultimately, Lewis hopes the company's customers will embrace
Augsburg Fortress as the publishing house of the ELCA, she said.
      "We're not just a vendor; we're a partner in ministry," Lewis
said.  Lewis will meet regularly with leaders at the ELCA churchwide
offices in Chicago to emphasize her commitment to partnership, she
said.
     During the Asking for Directions Tour, Lewis will write
reflections about and provide photos of the trip at
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/ceo on the Web.  The site will also
have details of her travel schedule.
     "One of my hopes has been to bring joy to Augsburg Fortress,"
Lewis said.  "Part of joy is laughter and having fun. The staff is
having fun with this."
     Lewis' schedule is as follows:
     + Sept. 29: Advent Lutheran Church, Boca Raton.
     + Sept. 30: ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, Tampa; Tampa Christian
Supply store, Tampa; LVS Church Supplies, Lakeland, Fla.
     + Oct. 1: ELCA South Carolina Synod, Columbia, S.C.
     + Oct. 2: Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and Augsburg
Fortress bookstore, Columbia.
     + Oct. 3: Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, West Columbia, S.C., and
Carolina Catholic Bookstore, Charlotte, N.C.
     + Oct. 4: St. John's Lutheran Church and Heilig Resource Center,
Salisbury, N.C.
     + Oct. 6: Faith Lutheran Church, Lexington, Ky.
     + Oct. 7: ELCA Resource Center, Dayton, Ohio.
     + Oct. 8: Augsburg Fortress Distribution Center, Grove City,
Ohio.
     + Oct. 9: David Lutheran Church, Canal Winchester, Ohio, and
Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio.
     + Oct. 10: Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus.
     + Oct. 11: ELCA Indiana-Kentucky Synod staff, Indianapolis.
     + Oct. 12: Augsburg Fortress bookstore and ELCA Division for
Congregational Ministries board meeting, Lutheran Center, Chicago.
     + Oct. 13: Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Naperville, Ill., and
advisory committee meeting for The Lutheran, the magazine of the
ELCA, Chicago.
     + Oct. 14-15: Media training session, Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans, and ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin, all
in Appleton, Wis.
     + Oct. 16: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, and
First Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, Wis.
     + Oct. 17: Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and Augsburg
Fortress, Minneapolis.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html