“Where Have All the Heroes Gone?” was the title of an article that recently crossed my desk. These days Christian organizations have quit looking for heroes. Even a moderately effective leader would satisfy them and they settle for mediocrity, grateful for a minimum of brilliance and a maximum of security. Leith Anderson has recently completed the arduous task of locating a president for a major evangelical institution. Now, with the agony behind him and laurels resting lightly on his brow, he shares with other evangelicals the secret of his success, via this issue’s Minister’s Workshop, as they search desperately for individuals with that elusive quality we call leadership.
In this issue we look at television and its influence on our American culture. We also introduce a new, occasional feature that explores the potential of educational media for communicating the Christian message. We review some films, filmstrips, and other audio-visual aids from the plethora of materials now available. This growing area is both encouraging and disheartening: encouraging because it places an extensive, powerful tool in the hands of church leaders; disheartening because the very abundance is represented by extremes in quality and poses a nearly insurmountable range of choices for the discriminating education director. We want to continue or expand this feature if readers find these reviews helpful.
Finally, Robert Johnston addresses a theme of perennial importance: How may we evangelicals seek unity in the midst of our diversity? With every passing day the scandal of evangelical diversity becomes more and more threatening. And accordingly, a measure of biblical and rational unity becomes increasingly necessary for the health of the church.
