by Herb Gunn

[Detroit: May 2009] This contemporary hymn, which embraces the ancient, stirring words attributed to St. Patrick of Ireland, opens our hearts anew to how Christ is working in us and among us, and echoes how necessary change is in our lives. Indeed, it’s not a far stretch to transpose “change” for the Lord’s name, for undoubtedly, we live in a time of “change beside us, change before us, change our way, our future be.”

The Record Editorial Board has been called to change (feel free to transpose in the other direction)—called to the challenge to communicate more effectively, more rapidly, more environmentally responsibly, and more inexpensively.

These challenges open new routes to live into our mission of proclamation and communication. Over the past two years, we have launched The Record Weekly, which offers the opportunity to communicate the news of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan every week rather than every month. Many of you already enjoy The Record Weekly each Monday morning, and the goal of the board is to double, then triple enrollment.

Delivering the news weekly through The Record Weekly and The Record Web pages has become the linchpin of our communication strategy in the diocese. No longer will readers wait four weeks for an account of important decisions.

So where does print and home delivery now fit in the communication strategy of the Diocese of Michigan? Will I still get The Record in the mail?

Unlike some city newspapers, and more than a few Episcopal Church publications, The Record does not plan to discontinue home delivery of a print version of the news. We have heard from many of you—our most faithful readers—that you want print news to continue. And your consistent financial support makes this possible.

But the decline in our production cycle (from 11 or 12 monthly issues to nine in 2008 and seven in 2009), a decrease driven by the need to reduce costs, leaves many readers wondering which months The Record and Episcopal Life will arrive.

Three members of The Record Editorial Board joined me in a Task Force on Communication during the early spring. The task force noted the long and strong history of The Record and the high level of reader support for the newspaper, but also concluded “most active Episcopalians [are shifting] into reliance on electronic media instead of newsprint.”

The task force recommended improvements in the diocesan Web and electronic communication and a quarterly magazine that will:

• reach those in the Diocese of Michigan who are not routinely reached through electronic media;

• provide a forum for information about the Episcopal Church for people who are casual Episcopalians in order to strengthen their Anglican and Episcopal Church identity and to encourage a deeper level of commitment to their church; and

• create a resource for information, education and evangelism that has a longer shelf life than a monthly newspaper.

In response to this task force report and through its own discernment The Record Editorial Board decided that, beginning in 2010, The Record will become a quarterly magazine.

By producing a quarterly magazine, The Record Editorial Board will bring news, information, and faith-based feature stories to every household in the diocese in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

The quarterly publication cycle will also enhance our focus on weekly online news coverage through The Record Weekly and The Record Web site, which has become the anchor of news and information.

We continue to believe that change—and effective communication—is “our strength and our unity.” We hope that you agree and will support this new direction.

DOWNLOAD a News Brief (pdf) of this Story HERE.