from the Christian Science Board of Directors and the Trustees of The Christian Science Publishing Society:

New election at The Christian Science Monitor

As Monitor Editor Richard Bergenheim moves into his new assignment as President of The Mother Church, we're happy to announce the election of John Yemma as Editor of the Monitor. He will rejoin the Monitor in mid-July, after 20 years at the Boston Globe, most recently serving as Deputy Managing Editor for Multimedia. Richard, we're pleased to say, will continue with the Monitor as Editor-at-large.

"The Monitor has been a beacon of smart, thoughtful journalism for the past 100 years," new Editor John Yemma commented to us. "I am honored to have been chosen as the Editor who will take it into its second century. Mary Baker Eddy founded the Monitor during the era of 'yellow journalism,' when objectivity, accuracy, and fairness were in short supply. Now, at a time when news organizations are struggling to establish a sustainable economic base, the Monitor's role is more crucial than ever in providing careful reporting, compassionate analysis, and a clear-eyed view of the world."

Senior staffers in the newsroom will remember John warmly from his early Monitor days--as a Washington reporter, international correspondent, and Business Editor. In addition to the Monitor and the Globe, he has worked for the Dallas Morning News, United Press International, and the San Antonio Express-News. During his years at the Globe, John coordinated national political coverage during the 2004 presidential campaign, edited several award-winning series, and served in a variety of posts, including Sunday Editor and Foreign Editor. For the past two and a half years, he's directed the editorial operation of Boston.com (the Boston Globe's website) and has led efforts to transform the newsroom from print to multimedia.

We deeply appreciate Richard Bergenheim's gracious willingness to continue as Editor in the next few weeks, as John transitions from his career at the Globe."I applaud the selection of John Yemma as Editor," Richard said. "He's an accomplished journalist who believes deeply in the Monitor's ideals--and in its future."

It would be hard to overestimate Richard's contribution as Editor over the past three years. He led the staff with spiritual poise and tireless vigilance through the period in 2005 when Monitor correspondent Jill Carroll was kidnapped in Baghdad and held as a hostage until her remarkable release some 82 days later. He managed the installation of a vastly improved technology and workflow system in the newsroom. He championed the development of the Monitor's website, csmonitor.com, as it continues to introduce new functionality and serve a broader readership.

As announced last week at the Church's Annual Meeting, Richard will devote his term as President to meeting with Christian Science teachers, practitioners, and church members in several countries, to encourage greater support of the Monitor, as well as the other Church periodicals. And, as Editor-at-large, he'll report occasionally on what he is hearing from Monitor readers.

We thank both John and Richard, from our hearts, for their ongoing commitment to Christian Science Monitor journalism. And we invite all of you to join us in saying to John and his wife, Robin, "Welcome home!"

Employee bulletin June 9, 2008 sent to church members by the Clerk, Nathan Talbot.

For more details, visit www.csmonitor.com.

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