wfn.org | Magnus to Lead ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 15, 2005

Magnus to Lead ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission
05-221-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on Nov. 11 elected the Rev.
Richard A. Magnus to serve a four-year term as executive director
of ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission,
effective immediately.	The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop
of the ELCA, nominated Magnus.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and
serves as the legislative authority of the church between
churchwide assemblies.	The council met here Nov. 11-13.
Assemblies are held every other year; the next is here Aug. 6-12,
2007.
     "Pastor Magnus brings to this call a passion for evangelism
and outreach.  His desire is that we grow as an evangelizing
church, equipping all the baptized to share the Good News of
Jesus Christ in word and deed," said Hanson.
     Magnus "believes that we must seek new ways for
congregations to be engaged in starting congregations and for the
church to grow in its commitment to becoming a more multicultural
church.  He has a strong commitment to congregations being vital
centers in ministry and mission," he said.
     Since 1997 Magnus, 61, has served as director of the former
ELCA Division for Outreach.  Magnus had been a mission director
for the division and an assistant to the bishop of the ELCA Rocky
Mountain Synod, Denver.
     Magnus joined the staff of the Rocky Mountain Synod in the
former Lutheran Church in America in 1981.  He has been community
pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver; campus pastor at the
University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Auraria Higher Education
Center, Denver; a part-time instructor, Metropolitan State
College, Denver; and coordinator for Lutheran Campus Ministry of
Colorado.
     Born in Foley, Minn., Magnus graduated from St. Cloud
University, St. Cloud, Minn., and from Luther Northwestern
Theological (now Luther) Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.  Luther is one
of eight ELCA seminaries.
     Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission is a new
unit of the ELCA churchwide organization.  It assists
congregations, synods, institutions and agencies of the church to
grow in evangelical outreach.  Among its responsibilities are
support of discipleship and lifelong learning, increasing
awareness about the centrality of prayer, starting and renewing
congregations, and implementing the ELCA evangelism strategy and
portions of all ethnic-specific ministry strategies in the life
of church.
- - -
     Information about ELCA Evangelical Outreach and
Congregational Mission is available at
http://www.ELCA.org/congregations.html on the Internet.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news