Episcopal Press and News

Forward Movement Publications Appoints Laywoman to Chair Executive Committee

Episcopal News Service. March 6, 2002 [2002-058-10]

Margaret Graham Beers of Washington, DC, has been appointed to a five-year term as chair of the executive committee of Forward Movement Publications--the first layperson to serve in that capacity. She has been a member of the committee for the past five years and edited "Echoes of the Spirit," a book of prayers by women.

She and her husband David Booth Beers, chancellor to the presiding bishop, are members of St. Patrick's Church in Washington. She has been involved with the diocesan commission on peace and served as assistant to the president of the House of Deputies for the last three General Conventions.

Forward Movement was established by the 1934 General Convention "to help reinvigorate the life of the church" by producing materials that "support persons in their lives of prayer and faith. In addition to the daily devotional, "Forward Day by Day," it also produces over 400 tracts, pamphlets and books. "We are excited about the future of Forward Movement on many fronts," Mrs. Beers said. "In our efforts to reach a wider audience we have mounted a web page (www.forwardmovement.org) and increased our audio offerings and works in Spanish--and we are looking to move into trade bookstores with the publication of a new line of books."