Updated. Episcopal Life media is seeking an editor for Episcopal Life monthly. A restructured job posting appeared on the Episcopal Church website today. Earlier past presidents of Episcopal Communicators wrote an appeal to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies president Bonnie Anderson addressing what they called “a crisis in confidence” regarding the Episcopal Church’s communications operations.
Six former presidents of the Episcopal Communicators issued an urgent appeal to
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Bonnie Anderson, president of the House
of Deputies, on Monday, March 3, requesting that an editor for Episcopal Life be sought
and that the two church leaders work with the Standing Commission on Episcopal
Church Communication and the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church to address
“a crisis in confidence” regarding the Episcopal Church’s communications operation.
In their letter to the leaders of the two houses of General Convention of the Episcopal
Church, the former presidents called for deeper collaboration with the principal networks of
Episcopal Church communications, including the Standing Commission and also the
Episcopal Communicators organization, the Episcopal Life Board of Governors and the
36 Episcopal Life printing partners.
“Episcopal Life requires an editor who can balance the differing needs of both the Episcopal Church Center management and the publication’s readers, and present news and information ‘without fear or favor’—which has been an historic quality of the newspaper since its founding 18 years ago,” the former presidents said in their request. The six former presidents of the Episcopal Communicators are: Laurie Wozniak (2004-2007) from the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York; Carol Barnwell (2001-2004) from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas; Herb Gunn (1998-2001) from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan; Sarah Moore (1995-98) presently living in the Diocese of Southwest Florida,; James Thrall (1992-95), presently living in the Diocese of North Carolina; and Mary Lee Simpson (1989-1992), presently living in the Diocese of North Carolina.
The Episcopal Communicators is an organization of communicators across the Episcopal Church that was founded 35 years ago as a way to promote and encourage broad-based communication, a clear distinction between church promotion and religious journalism, and a significant role for diocesan and church communicators to impact the communication strategy of the Episcopal Church.
Episcopal Life Online writes:
“The Board of Governors of Episcopal Life Media is both pleased and energized that the search for an ELM editor has been re-opened,” said board chairman Eugene Willard. “We look forward to continuing good cooperation and consultation in our church’s multi-layered communications system.”
“The restructured position will serve the Episcopal Church in a far more comprehensive way in developing and shaping content across print and electronic platforms,” said Robert Williams, Episcopal Church communication director. “We at ELM are grateful for the strong support of the Board of Governors and Church Center senior staff officers who have assisted in making this strengthened position possible.”
In this restructured role, the editor will produce the Episcopal Life Monthly newspaper and guide coverage and content integration supporting the Episcopal Life Online website, its daily email editions, and the Episcopal Life Weekly parish-leaflet inserts, working collaboratively with current online and print editorial staff.
Job posting for the Editor of Episcopal Life Monthly is found here.
ELD: Editor sought for Episcopal Life.
Scott Gunn, a member of the Board of Governors of Episcopal Life, has a blog post here.