The Adventist Review was a weekly magazine consisting of four individual titles targeting four different audiences. In addition, KidsView, a monthly magazine for children, was also published. As this might suggest, the office was busy with weekly deadlines. Four editors were assigned each of the four weekly editions, with general oversight by editor in chief Bill Johnsson. One can imagine the staff’s reaction in 2004 when Johnsson told the staff of a burden on the heart of then General Conference (GC) president Jan Paulsen.
“We need a magazine, a common vehicle, to help keep Adventists united throughout the world church,” Paulsen said. “And I would like the Adventist Review staff to explore ways to do that.”1 While it took two short sentences to say, it was an enormous project he had suggested.
We need a magazine, a common vehicle, to help keep Adventists united throughout the world church.
Jan Paulsen
Creating a new magazine
I remember the day Bill Johnsson shared the request with the staff. To say that the staff was less than enthusiastic is an understatement. The weeks were already full of planning, editing, and publishing, so adding another publication, one that needed development from the ground up, was overwhelming. “We were already putting through four editions of Adventist Review each month,” said Roy Adams, associate editor. “And lurking in the background of the relentless deadlines those editions entailed was the fact that a General Conference Session was coming,2 an event that entailed months and months of exhaustive preparation, not to mention the ‘rat race’ to cover the event itself.”3
Adams’ views were shared by many around the table that morning. But the Review staff was a team that was close, responsible, and committed, which is why we accomplished the work already required. These same traits led us to support Bill Johnsson in attempting such a difficult project. “It was a breathtaking assignment, comprehensive, global in its dimensions,” wrote Johnsson.4 It included not only editorial planning and design, but financial support as well as distribution.
There were two “Bills” on the staff, referenced by the staff as “Bill J.” and “Bill K.” Bill Knott was an associate editor. Bill J., an early riser who walked or ran each morning, seemed to do some of his best thinking at that time. The staff were often recipients of his early-morning ideas or concerns. On one particular day a few months into this project, he sat uncharacteristically gloomy at the end of the table. The data, the meetings, the “red tape,” had simply overwhelmed him that morning. I met him in the hall afterward and offered to help. Maybe if he had an assistant it would make a difference. He took me up on the offer.
It wasn’t just planning that was needed; a number of meetings were required with GC and North American Division leadership. That’s when Bill K. stepped into the project. It wasn’t that I couldn’t meet with these leaders. I frequently did, but Bill K. knew how to navigate church leadership better than I, so was a welcomed partner. While the two of us supported Bill J., the other staff not only contributed to the project but also kept the Review moving forward.
There is much more that can be told of the Adventist World story, including its name, miraculous financing, as well as the partnership with the Korean Publishing House, but this is a story of Adventist Review, not its sister publication.5 Adventist World was first published in October 2005. Bill J., always concerned with circulation, made it a life goal to reach 100,000 Review subscribers. Before he retired in 2007, Adventist World’s reach exceeded his wildest expectations. While not subscribers, there are now 1.3 million copies distributed monthly worldwide, in 21 languages in print and online free to all members.
I began to see this as an extension of what I felt called to do.
Bill Knott
A change in leadership
Bill Knott joined the staff in 1997. He admitted that the decision was a struggle. “I had been called to pastoral ministry—I am called,” he said in an early interview. “It was a difficult time to think through what that transition might mean to that core calling in my life.”6 He later resolved that inner conflict: “It was when I began to understand not only the history but the continuing pastoral ministry of this magazine in the lives of tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands—of readers that I began to see this as an extension of what I felt called to do.”7
He was appointed editor-elect in October 2006, and became the senior editor in January 2007. The editors that had preceded him may have had different methods, but there was one thing on which they agreed—the Review was the great pastor of the church. In Knott’s first editorial he acknowledged the 10 editors who had preceded him, mentioning six qualities that must continue in the Review: it should be timely, clear, welcoming, informative, inspiring, and faithful. “You’ll be glad you’re an Adventist—a clear-eyed, informed, grace-filled believer—each time you finish reading an issue,” he assured readers.8
A new look (again)
Maintaining this course did not preclude Knott from redesigning the product. Hours were spent in studying, planning, dreaming, inquiring, surveying, and more. Knott felt the publication needed to relate to the readers of that day; not an easy task with a publication approaching its 160th birthday. “The experience of Adventism is quite different today for many people than it was even 50 years ago,” said Knott.9 Aiming to reach younger readers, the new design was remarkably different. On October 9, 2008, a magazine with an entirely new and contemporary look arrived in mailboxes. In his typical poetic way Knott wrote: “Now the thing is done, the fledgling is launched, the melody begun, and only time and faithful readers will let us know if we’ve done it well.”10
The “reimagined” Review front-loaded an expanded news section, included fresh explorations of key Bible teachings; an emphasis on wellness and preventative medicine; opinion and commentary; stories; a focus on the Second Coming; and, as expected, a special focus on attracting young adults.11 Feedback overall was positive. One reader was direct and to the point: “It was my intention not to renew my subscription this time, as I believed my money could be better utilized elsewhere. This situation has altered during the past several months, and I’m pleased that it has. . . . I am renewing the subscription for a year.”12 Other accolades poured in. It seemed the right chord had been struck. To flip through subsequent issues reveals articles on the cutting edge of Adventism, chosen specifically to meet readers in the pew. Topics such as entitlement, abuse in the church, and living authentically, as well as such provocative titles as “Is God the Silent Candidate?” during an election year.
Wanted: More young adults
If circulation motivated Bill Johnsson, it was seeking younger members that seemed to motivate Bill Knott. Not only was this evident in articles, but it was also in the exploration of technology. In his time as editor Knott sought to reach these “readers” through various platforms. The website was continually updated. Adventist Review TV began in 2016 providing a thousand videos on a variety of topics informing Adventists around the world. Knott began a podcast platform in 2018 where articles would be available for those who wanted to listen instead of read. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (now X) accounts were opened to share news and articles. GraceNotes, a personal project of Bill Knott’s, grew through text messaging, social media, and apps. Soon thousands of people enjoyed Knott’s 200-word meditations on grace each Friday that still continues today (moregracenotes.com).
Knott felt the publication needed to relate to the readers of that day; not an easy task with a publication approaching its 160th birthday.
It was that reach for a younger generation that led to a complete redesign of the Review again in 2015. Again, through a series of surveys and focus groups, a bold decision was made. The Review would no longer arrive weekly but monthly. “Many have told us that they’d like to receive a more substantial magazine less often. As a result, we’ve engaged in a process of planning and designing a completely new magazine format for Adventist Review,” an announcement alerted readers.13 Creative advertising addressed what was anticipated to be one of the biggest complaints—no longer receiving the magazine weekly. One depicted an older woman saying, “I love to sit down with my Review every Friday night and read it cover to cover. I certainly hope you’re not planning to change my routine.” The response was “It’s so packed full of inspiring stories, thought-provoking commentary, and faith-building devotionals that one Friday night would never be enough.”14
This redesign was significant. The size of the publication grew smaller, small enough to fit into a backpack or purse making it portable. The paper was more substantial, as was the cover. Page count increased from 32 to 72, divided into four sections: News and Commentary, Discover, Connect, and Engage. The reader could choose how to read the magazine. For those who wanted a “weekly,” these four sections were robust enough to keep any Friday night reader occupied. The hope was not only to reach those desired younger readers but to retain legacy readers as well. Clearly the redesigned Review caught some attention, receiving the 2018 Best in Class Award for a denominational magazine from the Associated Church Press—a first for the Review.
The vision continues
Beginning in June 2018 the four sections were dropped, followed by a seven-part Digging Deeper series featuring such key Adventist ideas as the mark of the beast, the Trinity, and deception. From then until today the Review has offered themed content each issue—one topic with a variety of authors.
Knott’s vision of the Review as a pastor was reflected in a 15-month series between 2019 and 2020. Each month The Church I Want to Belong to is . . . explored a value as it related to the church with words such as healthy, courageous, safe, prophetic, selfless, among others.
Another goal, to have the staff more reflect the internationality of the church, was achieved with the hiring of staff members whose origins were from different parts of the globe other than the United States, adding not only new perspectives but several languages other than English.
A significant event that impacted the reach of the Review was the COVID pandemic that hit the world in March 2020. For the first time the Review staff, isolated from each other, worked remotely through online meetings. Touching base each day, the staff discovered COVID caused a major pivot toward increasing our digital presence. In addition to continuing to produce multiple print products, the staff posted 10-plus online features each week all while continuing a robust news presence.
[Adventist Review] remains, but its appearance and intentionality will become more distinct as new methods are found to connect, unite, and strengthen the church.
In late 2022, after 15 years as editor, Knott accepted a position in the GC Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department as the General Conference representative to the United States government, major international organizations, and embassies. Interviewed at the end of his tenure, Knott said, “I would say a highlight for me has been the transformation, from historic journaling of the life of the church, to a multimedia platform. The irony is that it happens to be someone who is deeply in love with books and paper who demanded that transition! . . . It’s been a dynamic time and required all of us to embrace more risk and more change than we probably ever thought necessary.”15
Justin Kim was appointed editor at the 2022 Annual Council, beginning his editorship January 1, 2023. Kim is making some fairly significant changes to the Review as he works toward balancing the digital product with the print. As the world moves toward more digital and social media platforms, deals with a progressive decrease in attention span, as well as the secularization of society, the Adventist Review that we’ve known for 175 years may continue to look increasingly different. The brand remains, but its appearance and intentionality will become more distinct as new methods are found to connect, unite, and strengthen the church.
1 Sandra Blackmer, “To the Whole World,” Adventist World, May 2023, p. 11.
2 The meeting referenced is the 2005 General Conference Session, which met that year in St. Louis, Missouri. Preparations for sessions in the Review office begin almost a full year in advance.
3 Blackmer, p. 12.
4 William Johnsson, Embracing the Impossible (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 2008).
5 The Adventist World story can be read in the May 2023 issue (adventistreview.org/world-magazine/may-2023).
6 Bonita Shields, “The Good ‘New’ Review” (interview with Kenneth Wood, Bill Johnsson, and Bill Knott), Adventist Review, Mar. 15, 2007, p. 14.
7 Ibid.
8 Bill Knott, “New—And Old—Directions,” Adventist Review,
Jan. 11, 2007, p. 5.
9 Shields, p. 15.
10 Bill Knott, “Drumroll, Please,” Adventist Review, Oct. 9, 2008, p. 6.
11 Ibid.
12 Adventist Review, Dec. 11, 2008, pp. 4, 5.
13 Adventist Review, Mar. 26, 2015, p. 5.
14 Ibid., p. 2.
15 Interview by David Neal and Vanesa Pizzuto, Trans-European Division, Oct. 26, 2022, accessed online.