See also ALC 27 Administrative History.
Creation of the Lutheran Banner grew out of the perception that while the American Lutheran Church (ALC) weekly church paper, The Lutheran Standard, provided news about the church and its ministry, there was news about the life and ministry of the church to be shared with church members that could not be highlighted in a weekly magazine of the national church that had a large national focus. Workers and pastors involved with the Commission on Negro Missions advocated that the commission publish a monthly dispatch that would bring news related to the ministry to African Americans, carried on by the commission and the congregations that comprised African American members, to workers in the mission areas, interested members of the American Lutheran Church (ALC), and friends outside of the church. At the 1946 conference of workers for the CNM, those in attendance requested that the commission publish such a paper.
The first issue of the Lutheran Banner appeared April 1947. According to its first issue, the purpose of the publication was "the giving of information and news concerning churches, parish schools, and the workers. It will also provide Christian instruction, devotional and inspirational items." Issues would include a front page article either highlighting an event or a particular topic; new items from congregations and mission areas; publicity for upcoming events; news on pastors or workers; and a short devotional or mediation, or poem. The publication was a four-page newsletter printed in black ink with either a photograph or drawing featured on the first page with the feature article, and smaller photographs or drawings interspersed throughout the news briefs on each page. Occasionally the publication appeared with six pages, but most of the issues are four pages. Starting with the November-December 1948 issues, on occasion the newspaper would be published in a different color ink, usually green. It did not have a named editor. Its publishing information only noted that it was published by the CNM. It appears that is publication was funded partly by the ALC's Women's Missionary Federation and donations received by CNM.
The first year it was published, it appeared monthly, but with the first issue for 1948, frequency of publication changed to bimonthly. The last issue published under the auspices of the ALC was the November-December 1950. After that, while the publication continued to be produced, it was done so under the responsibility of the National Lutheran Council (NLC) took over CNM's work in 1951. It is not clear when the publication ended. It appears that beginning in 1955, the NLC moved work on issues involving African Americans into the NLC's Division of American Missions' Advisory Committee on Intercultural Outreach. There is no mention in NLC minutes as to what happened to the Lutheran Banner after the Winter 1954 issue where a survey was included that invited people to indicate whether or not they were interested in receiving future issues of the Lutheran Banner. The survey was a result of some questioning the promotional value of the publication as well as how it would be coordinated since primary funding came from the ALC and its WMF. According to the news item that accompanied the survey, "Its future will depend upon the interest of readers."
From the description of Lutheran Banner 1947-1950, 1952, 1954 (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Library). WorldCat record id: 225863753
