Over the past year, We have announced various developments in our evolving editorial team approach (an approach we’ve found unusually effective). The senior editors have given consistently significant help. And the CT Institute has been given clear leadership in the teamwork of executive director Terry Muck and institute dean Kenneth Kantzer. (The institute’s January section on trends was one of six planned for this year).
Now you will notice on this issue’s masthead that we have continued this team approach by appointing Terry and George Brushaber as executive editors. George, from his role as president of Bethel College and Seminary, will interact with Terry, who will carry the hands-on responsibility. Both will work in close concert with the senior editors. Terry will coordinate the work of the magazine and institute as well as continue to give broad directional guidance to LEADERSHIP journal.
To achieve all this, Terry can count on two strong editors to ably carry day-to-day responsibility for CHRISTIANITY TODAY and LEADERSHIP. Harold Smith will continue his role as CT managing editor, directing a very capable staff; and Marshall Shelley has just been appointed managing editor of LEADERSHIP and has already built a fine team of editors.
I am personally very pleased with this somewhat unorthodox but effective means of blending the varied strengths of many into the production of effectual publications for church leaders. From these three related but unique entities—CHRISTIANITY TODAY, the CT Institute, and LEADERSHIP journal—come magazines, books, and other publications that require a careful mixture of individual distinctiveness and blending. Each can strengthen the other, but each must fulfill its own unique purpose.
Another announcement: At a recent board meeting, we elected Jill Briscoe and Rebecca Pippert as directors of Christianity Today, Inc. Both Jill and Becky have broad and varied ministries. Their books have found deservedly large audiences. Our CTi board members view them as persons of strong character and wisdom who will ably contribute.
This move is especially appropriate in light of our two newest publications, which are directed to women readers. PARTNERSHIP, the magazine for ministry wives, is edited by Ruth Senter. TODAY’S CHRISTIAN WOMAN, acquired by CTi this past summer, is edited by Dale Hanson Bourke.
CHRISTIANITY TODAY traditionally has, for the most part, been edited and read by men. This has been slowly—very slowly—changing over the years. In the future, we hope to include more women scholars in the institute and more women writers and editors. We recognize the strong gifts for ministry that women have, and we are thoroughly enthused about the significant ministries of PARTNERSHIP and TODAY’S CHRISTIAN WOMAN, as well as the increasing role women will have throughout CTi.
In fact, each of the following women carry large responsibilities for CT magazine. Art director Joan Nickerson designs CHRISTIANITY TODAY (she also designs PARTNERSHIP, and was, until a few months ago, art director of LEADERSHIP); administrative editor Carol Thiessen edits various columns and articles and copy edits all of CT; Washington editor Beth Spring writes many of our key national stories; and vice-president of production Carolyn Barry gets CT printed (as well as all the other publications) and directs the CTi production budget and staff.
We find working with all of these thoroughly capable women a genuine delight and a challenge to our professional and spiritual standards. May many more women find opportunities to fully develop their abilities and enormous potential!
At this point, to end the page, I was going to say something very important and spiritual. But—maybe I just did!
God bless.
