Abstract
The very first issue of Missiology: An International Review (1(1)) is dated January 1973. That means January 2013 (41(1)) is our fortieth anniversary issue! Milestone anniversaries often are times of reflection not only on the past, but also on the present and future. As the latest editor of ASM’s flagship journal, I offer the following reflections.
In June of 1972, a committee met at Scarritt College in Nashville, Tennessee to found the American Society of Missiology (ASM), whose constitutional meeting was held the following June at Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri (Anderson, 1973: 5). Desirous of founding a scholarly society acknowledged by the scholarly community at large, committee members deemed a refereed academic journal essential to the existence of the Society and to the recognition of missiology as a legitimate academic discipline. The history of the journal parallels that of the society. In fact, Gerald Anderson, then president of Scarritt College, wasted no time in getting a cover design for the journal. On the heels of the meeting at Scarritt, he popped across the street to Vanderbilt University where he arranged with the graphics design person at Vanderbilt Press to create an original cover for the new journal.
Alan Tippett, a prominent missiologist from Australia and faculty member at Fuller Seminary’s School of World Mission, became the journal’s first editor. The other members of the first editorial board included Eugene Hillman, Louis Luzbetak, Wi Jo Kang, James Scherer, Katharine Hockin, Pierce Beaver, Gerald Anderson, Jack Shepherd, George Peters, Cal Guy, William Smalley, and Charles Forman. Fuller Seminary “agreed to give some practical support … to help the new venture” (Anderson, personal communication, 2012). Thus began the ongoing practice of an academic institution “hosting” the journal as the editorial office moved from Fuller to Denver Seminary to Asbury to Covenant Seminary and, most recently, to Biola University.
It was Ralph Winter who recruited Alan Tippett as the journal’s first editor. Ralph and Alan negotiated the absorption of Practical Anthropology (PA) into the new, official journal of the American Society of Missiology. At the time, PA was in transition and lacking adequate financial resources (Taber, 1973). Its editorial committee decided to approach Fuller Seminary “to see if this institution would be interested in taking over PA” (1973: 9). At the same time, ASM was in the process of launching Missiology with Tippett of Fuller as its editor. So, when the editorial board of PA approached Fuller, “it was immediately suggested that PA be absorbed into Missiology” (1973: 9). This transition resulted in the rather abrupt discontinuation of Practical Anthropology because Missiology was to be launched in just a few months.
“For 19 years, Practical Anthropology appeared six times a year without interruption” as a small, white-covered journal (1973: 7). Taber, PA’s editor in 1972, paid tribute to those who had contributed to that journal’s legacy, including past editors (Robert Taylor and William Smalley) and associate editor Eugene Nida. Also mentioned were James Buswell, Marie Reyburn, and Dwight Baker. Anderson commented that Larraine Pellon, “who took care of subscription fulfillment notices and payments for PA, continued to do it for Missiology … I think she kept all the journals in the basement of her house!” (personal communication, 2012).
From the outset Missiology carried the subtitle An International Review because its founders recognized that mission was “world-wide with Christians in every country in every continent participating in the same mission of the One Triune God” (Anderson, 1973: 3). “The term ‘International’ was deliberately included in the sub-title of the journal to emphasize that while the publication is North-American based, it is to be worldwide in scope and participation” (Anderson, 1973: 4).
Since 1973, Missiology has had seven general editors based at five different academic institutions: Alan Tippett at Fuller Seminary (1973–75), Arthur Glasser also at Fuller Seminary (1976–82), Ralph Covell at Denver Seminary (1983–88), Darrell Whiteman at Asbury Seminary (1989–2002), Terry Muck also at Asbury Seminary (2002–07), J. Nelson Jennings at Covenant Seminary (2008–11), and Rich Starcher at Biola University (2011–present). With the help of an editorial team, these editors have overseen every aspect of the production of Missiology. A recent decision on the part of ASM’s Board of Publications and Board of Directors has streamlined the editor’s role.
In early September 2012, ASM’s leaders voted to accept an offer from SAGE Publications to produce Missiology. The Board of Publications and the Board of Directors carefully explored the potential advantages and disadvantages of partnering with SAGE and unanimously decided in favor of SAGE publishing ASM’S flagship journal. “SAGE is the world’s 5th largest journals publisher” with a portfolio including “more than 680 journals spanning the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, and Medicine” of which “more than 290 are published on behalf of learned societies and institutions” (http://www.sagepub.com/journals.nav). We believe SAGE’s experience, platform, and expertise will enhance Missiology’s accessibility via the Internet and enlarge its global presence, particularly in institutions of higher learning. At the same time, ASM’s friends and members will continue to receive their print copies of the journal at about the same reasonable price they do now. One especially exciting part of ASM’s agreement with SAGE is the digitization not only of the 40 past years of Missiology but also of the 19 years of Practical Anthropology. This initiative should render accessible and searchable material that today might be very hard to find. Hence, starting with this 40th Anniversary issue, SAGE will manage copyediting, typesetting, subscription services, advertising, printing, and distribution.
I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to John Eagleson, our typesetter, and to John Smith of Evangel Press, Missiology’s printer and distributor, for their years of faithful service. I also want to assure our readership that ASM retains full ownership of Missiology, including appointment of the editor and the editorial team. The editorial team retains full control of journal’s content and direction.
Speaking of the editorial team, I am pleased to introduce two new team members. First, David Fenrick of Northwestern College in Saint Paul, Minnesota is now Book Review Editor, replacing Charles Farhadian, who gave us numerous years of excellent service in that role. Second, William (Bill) Gregory, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa, has been added to our team of associate editors charged with reviewing articles before they are approved for publication. Bill carefully edited all four of the colloquium articles mentioned below.
Missiology continues its legacy as a peer-reviewed, international, academic journal. It continues to publish contributions from scholars around the globe and address issues of international missiological significance. As is our tradition in recent years, Missiology’s January issue is devoted to papers presented at the previous June’s annual meeting, which had prophetic dialogue as its theme.
This issue of Missiology contains a new feature stemming from a recent augmentation at ASM’s annual meeting. For the past two years, ASM has sponsored a colloquium that takes place before the regular meetings begin. This colloquium provides an opportunity for interested (often younger) scholars to explore a theme parallel to that of the main meetings. This colloquium provides an opportunity for interested (often younger) scholars to explore a theme parallel to that of the main meetings. To encourage colloquium presenters, we decided to publish four of their papers this year. The June 2012 colloquium theme was Youth in Mission. In this issue you will find: 1) “Mergers and Possibilities: The Intersection of Missiology and Youth Ministry” by
Unfortunately, this issue of Missiology also is missing a standard feature of our journal: Book Reviews. Due to a communication glitch in moving the journal to SAGE, the book reviews were not submitted in time for publication this January. We apologize for this oversight. In exchange, we are printing two more articles than usual and will print extra book reviews in the next few issues to catch up on the ones we missed.
Finally, ASM was pleased to present a lifetime achievement award to one of its most longstanding and distinguished members, Dr. James Scherer. I already mentioned James Scherer as a member of Missiology’s first editorial board. In this issue,
Missiology: An International Review has a distinguished past and a promising future. We pray you find this present issue pertinent, practical, and thought-provoking.