2005 General Conference Session in St. Louis

Adventist Today Report 2

Long-serving Adventist Review Editor to Retire

By Ervin Taylor and John McLarty

The rumors turn out to be correct. Dr. William G. Johnsson, editor of the Adventist Review (AR), has indicated to representatives of Adventist Today that he intends to retire within a few months of the conclusion of this session of the General Conference.  For more than two decades, he has served with distinction as the editor of what was officially designated as the “general church paper for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”  The current description is “the flagship journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

Dr. Johnsson came to the Review with a strong academic background. Originally from Australia, he had an advanced degree in chemistry before earning an M. Div. from Andrews University and a Ph. D. in New Testament from Vanderbilt.  He has authored 16 volumes including four on the book of Hebrews in the New Testament.  He was teaching at the Adventist Seminary when he was tapped for the job of editor. 

Under his leadership, the AR has gone through major changes in format and content as Johnsson worked to make the journal more accessible to the diverse Adventist community in North America. It’s monthly North American Division (NAD) edition is now sent to all Adventist homes in North America. Under Johnsson’s leadership, the journal has developed new working relationships with Adventist papers around the world. It provides service and content to editors in other divisions while respecting the independence of those editors who create papers to serve the distinctive cultures of those divisions.

In an interview with AT several years ago, Johnsson insisted that as editor, he had real independence in determining the content of the AR. The editor is not a GC appointee. However, at least during the 20th century, no AR editor has been able to function effectively if he—the position has always been filled by a “he”—did not enjoy the confidence of the GC president. So while the editor is formally independent, in reality the AR has generally not published articles that questioned the policies and theological positions favored by the sitting General Conference president.  Under the editorship of Dr. Johnston, this tradition has been generally maintained with only occasional deviations.

Dr. Johnston’s coming retirement raises the question of who will succeed him. While we have heard the names of several individuals mentioned, there is no clear front-runner at this time.  In future reports, Adventist Today will detail the process for selecting the new editor.