Few people read the staff listings on magazine mastheads, and almost no one puzzles over them. However, compare a few dozen, and you will find a strange, inconsistent mix. On one you might find an executive editor listed under the editor; on another, that order is reversed. One magazine will list the publisher at the top; on another, the publisher will appear in the fine print at the bottom. Mastheads list a bewildering array of titles, and each magazine interprets those titles differently. It all depends on the publications’ goals and priorities.
CHRISTIANITY TODAY has a dual mandate: to produce a thoughtful magazine of orthodox theology and one that reflects high-quality journalism. Historically, this mix has not always been easy to achieve.
Five years ago we tried an experiment. To combine the best of both theology and journalism, and to ensure expression of “the depth, breadth, and height” of our faith, we developed our current structure, which adds two executive editors and four senior editors, all academics, to our in-house staff.
There is an old sermon illustration about the bee. It was said that scientists had analyzed the honeybee and decided that theoretically it was impossible for it to fly. Aerodynamically, its shape and the position of its wings were wrong.
Purists might say similar things about the structure reflected by our masthead. It is unwieldy, oddly shaped, and the conglomeration should buzz around the floor of the editorial offices instead of rising aloft. But its flight belies purist theory.
As we celebrate five years of this structure, we are delighted with the results. Our research shows readers more involved than ever, and more appreciative of the magazine’s depth. Note the lively interchanges in our Letters section. Yes, this bee flies!
Terry Muck has been on the point these five years to make the arrangement work. Terry first joined us to edit LEADERSHIP journal ten years ago. Now, after a decade in journalism, he has decided to return to academia. His Ph.D. from Northwestern University is in the history of religion; that is what Terry will teach at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. He will also continue as a contributing editor of this magazine and a fellow of the Christianity Today Institute. We look forward to his future participation.
The structure Terry helped shape will continue with equal force. We are fortunate to have veterans on the masthead who can adjust their duties. George Brushaber and Kenneth Kantzer will team up as executive editors. George, president of Bethel College and Theological Seminary, needs no introduction to readers, nor does Ken, former editor of CHRISTIANITY TODAY.
Senior editors will include J. I. Packer, professor of theology at Regent College in Vancouver (B.C.), Richard Longenecker, professor of New Testament at Wycliffe College in Toronto, Dennis Kinlaw, president of Asbury College, and Robert Cooley, president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Each of these men has unusual breadth and depth.
A year and a half ago, we began another experiment. Instead of one managing editor, we divided the work between two senior associate editors. We had some concern about how it would work. However, when Terry made his decision to go to Texas and we began researching our options, everyone emphasized, “The arrangement with Lyn and David is working far beyond our hopes! Whatever you do, keep that going!” Their titles now catch up with their functions.
Managing editors Lyn Cryderman and David Neff are veteran journalists who are theologically savvy. We’re delighted with the job they have done in the past and look for great things in the future. They will draw from the insights of George and Ken, and from all the “wisdom persons” who meet with them regularly. With the additional help of contributing editors, Fellows of the CT Institute, and other staff members, we’re confident they will bring to bear the many resources necessary for our double mandate.
