6/29/2016 4:00:00 PM

CHICAGO – Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has adopted a new name: 1517 Media.

Beth A. Lewis, president and CEO of 1517 Media, said the new “doing business as” identity “expresses our rootedness in the Lutheran reforming movement – ignited by events in the year 1517 – and the gifts this tradition continues to offer to the whole church, society and the individual.” The Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther began in 1517.

1517 Media creates resources that communicate the gospel, enhance the faith and enrich the life of the Christian church and the communities it serves. The publishing house designs and develops innovative resources for congregations, higher education and the home – delivered in a wide range of media, including print and digital formats, videos, apps and online subscription services.

“When I first heard the new name for the ELCA’s publishing ministry, I smiled at the old and the new, the past, present and future all rolled into one,” said the Rev. Gerald L. Mansholt, bishop of the ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin and ELCA Conference of Bishops liaison to the 1517 Media board of trustees. “1517 Media connects us to our Reformation history and conveys the vision needed as together we communicate God’s liberating grace for the sake of the world.”

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