The privilege—and challenge—of Adventist Review’s mission entails far-reaching and diver- sified goals. We strive to provide inspiration, education, and information relevant to all Adventists—from the young (who read our KidsView publication) to the not-so-young; those in academia to those involved in so many other areas of business and expertise; church employees and laypersons; and people of all cultures, races, and ethnicities. An impossible task? Maybe—but all of us on the Adventist Review Ministries team prayerfully take up our duties each morning and work hard, by God’s grace, to accomplish that mission.
To do that, however, we must keep in mind our wide-ranging reading audience and provide something of relevance and interest to as many as possible in every issue of the magazine. That means a variety of diverse, distinct, and even eclectic material.
From when I joined the Adventist Review staff in 2004, I’ve helped to coordinate several sections of the journal. I first came on board as the news editor, helping to provide vital information on happenings of interest throughout our world church, as well as major events such as GC Sessions, Spring Meetings, Annual Councils, and so forth. I later transitioned to writing and editing articles for the other sections of the Review, such as features; Adventist Life; Adventist Service;
health-related articles, including House Call (previously called Ask the Doctors); special themed issues; book reviews; and a former regular column called Reflections. I also was part of the copy editing/proofreading process.
The adage “the only constant is change” certainly describes the Adventist Review throughout the years. Staying true to our mission means keeping current with changing times and continuing to meet the evolving needs of our readers—yet not straying from our God-given responsibility to remain faithful to our biblical beliefs, specifically as they relate to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I’ve been blessed to play at least a small role in these many areas, and I feel privileged to have been able to do so.
I now work remotely and only half-time for Adventist Review Ministries, and my responsibilities are fewer. My focus continues to be in the areas of features and Adventist life and service, but now also includes working with our maga- zine’s creative team of print and online colum- nists, who provide unique and inspirational perspectives on relevant topics of interest.
Diversity, variety, relevance, change—all these depict the church’s long-serving magazine, the Adventist Review. I’m grateful to be a part of it.
Sandra Blackmer, an assistant editor for Adventist Review, now works part-time for the magazine and therefore is able to become increasingly active in her community. This includes serving on the auxiliary board of a local hospital and as chair of its scholarship committee, as well as coordinating and participating in numerous dog therapy visits at regional hospitals and other medical facilities.
