Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 412
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 412

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

412 CHURCH LITERATURE AND PUBLICATIONS; PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Children’s Periodicals

23. Happy Times _- - — _ 85,175
24. God’s Children 70,464
25. Young Explorers - - — 47,866
26. His People 37,338
27. Young Church (new) 23,445
28. Spirit 27,017
Total 291,306
Devotional Booklets
29. Portals of Prayer © s«d2~ 90,207
30. Taegliche Andachten —._. WW. - 27,399
31. “Sight Saver” Portals of Prayer _.—__--. 10,239
32. My Devotions - 143.832
Total _ 1,271,677
General Periodicals
33. Lutheran Witness Reporter 541,922
34. Lutheran Witness 535.812
35. Lutheraner ee eee 5,390
36. This Day - 50,743
37. Concordia Theological Monthly —— 4,577
28. Lutheran Education - fe 3,184
39. Interaction _ _ a 34,655
40. Deaf Lutheran ___ 3,093
41. Advance eee 43,470
42. Strength for the Day _ a 24,913
43. Church Music _.. 3,730
Total _-. 1,251,489
TOTAL — all copies mailed (one issue only) ——-— 4,568,827
(10-03)

Report of Editorial Commission
for Official Periodicals

Since the New York City convention the Editorial
Commission for Official Periodicals met eight times, its
executive committee seven times. Two members have
served on the commission by interim appointment: Prof.
Robert Bertram of the St. Louis seminary to succeed
Prof. Vernon Koehler of the Seward teachers college,
who died in May 1967; Howard B. Woods, editor and
publisher of the St.Louis Sentinel, to replace Ray
Scherer, who became London correspondent for NBC
in February 1969.

At its meetings the editorial commission gave prime
attention to the objectives of the Synod’s official publi-
cations as set forth in reports and resolutions adopted by
the Synod in convention. Both the Lutheran Witness
and the Lutheran Witness Reporter were constantly
evaluated in the light of these objectives.

To teach, the pvblications employed a variety of de-
vices. To promote the Synod’s work program, both
periodicals worked closely with synodical agencies and
personnel. To inform, the magazine and the newspaper
carried regular and special features.

Because we live in a society that is heavily weighted
with youth, the Witness and the Reporter published
articles, features, and news stories designed to attract
readers also among the teens and young adults.

During 1968 members of the commission and the
staff visited most of the District conventions. Purpose
of the visits was: (1) to listen to members of the Synod,
(2) to speak about the official periodicals, and (3) to

take notes for reporting the conventions to the reader-
ship.

Major space was given to District convention stories
in the Reporter. Concerted effort was made to report
objectively the issues raised in such matters as fellow-
ship with The American Lutheran Church.

Delegates to all District conventions followed their
copy of “The Full Life’ as the President of the Synod
or his representative reported on the synodical work
program. Much of the material in the brochure was
reprinted from the Reporter.

Later in the year members of the commission and
staff conferred with representatives of eight Districts
in the interest of sensitizing members to the need for
subscribing to their church papers. Currently David
Westcott has been engaged to promote circulation of the
publications.

This year the Witness completed a series of illus-
trated articles on the distinctive aims and ministries of
the North American synodical Districts. In 1968 the
Witness exchanged articles with the Lutheran Standard,
official magazine of The American Lutheran Church,
as an extension of the ongoing dialog between the two
church bodies. The Witness also presented ‘Dialogue
on Fellowship,” in which two differing points of view
were expressed.

Similarly the Reporter published “Objections to Fel-
lowship” and “Reasons for Fellowship.” To round out
its coverage of the issues related to fellowship with
The ALC, the Reporter also carried a four-part dialog
on fellowship. These articles were written by two pro-
fessors, two authors, two parish pastors, and two laymen.

In 1968 Der Lutheraner, after 123 years of publica-
tion in German type, converted to Roman type. Reasons
for the conversion were maintenance and typesetting
problems. While some readers expressed displeasure
at the change, the new look of Der Lutheraner has won
general acceptance. Editor Otto E. Sohn, until his death
on April 15, 1969, enjoyed the assistance of columnist
Herman A. Mayer, former synodical mission executive,
who has temporarily assumed the editorial duties.

Members of the staff met with groups of Witness
District edition editors in a series of 2-day workshops
in 1967 and 1968. Editors of the District editions deserve
the gratitude and support of their constituencies. The
commission recognizes with thanks the contributions
made to the Synod’s official publication program by
several men who recently relinquished editorial posts
for various reasons: Mark Bergmann, Karl Ehlers, John
Ellwanger, Roger Fink, Dean Greunke, Martin Juengel,
Frank Machina, E!mer Maschoff, Ewald Otto, William
Reinhardt, and Earl Schmiesing.

The staff and commission met in a 2-day retreat
earlier this year to look at the publications in relation
to the ‘70s.

To stimulate use of the Witness and the Reporter
as teaching tools in the congregation, the staff developed
a monthly discussion starter. Available at the nominal
price of a dollar a year, the discussion guide is being