Since this issue of the magazine looks hack, I thought I’d do some reminiscing. My “history” with the magazine is a mere 15 years, which seems like a moment compared to the 73 years of the Witness’ existence (and well over 100 years if you count its predecessor). Lynne’s editorial connection to the Witness goes hack just a hit farther, as she spent a summer interning at the magazine in 1982. Don McCrory. the editor at the time, let her plan and produce much of the August issue, an experience that proved quite valuable.

Even for me, the 15 years as editor seems like a brief time. In 1986 the Education & Publication Office was in the Reformed Presbyterian Seminary building, on the third floor. The editors had one office, and the director anti a secretary had another office. Our stockroom was in the basement, a fact that assured we got our exercise each day.

In 1986, desktop publishing was brand new. The Covenanter Witness was typeset at a print shop but layout was done by hand. We would actually take a copy of the printed columns and cut and paste (and re-cut and re-paste) the columns until the layout looked right. Then the pasteup artist at the printer would lay out the real pages. By the next year, all the typesetting and layout was done on a Macintosh II computer in our office.

Being an editor of a denominational publication seemed like an enormous responsibility, and still does. I must say, though, as a journalist I expected to have to deal with a lot of malcontents. Journalists are warned in school that irate people, while in the minority, are the ones most likely to respond with letters to the editor, phone calls, etc. But we found Witness readers to be of such a character that the feedback we received was primarily encouraging or constructive, and even the angry people usually managed to speak in Christian love. Our contact with other editors has reminded us that not all journalists are blessed with such readers, even Christian journalists.

The first themes we assigned 15 years ago were on the problem of empty pulpits, on RP chaplains ministering to the armed forces, on church renewal, anti on the blessings of summer camps in the RPCNA.

If I had to edit my own time here at the Covenanter Witness, I could pick out some articles I’d like to take back, some technical errors I’d avoid, some additional changes I’d make to the magazine and others I wouldn’t bother making. But I am so thankful to God for this vocation anti for the privilege of ministering in this precise way. I still enjoy coming to work every day, anti I even look forward to challenges that remain.