BANNER ELK, N.C. (ABP) — A Christian ethics journal launched in 1995 by former Southern Baptist ethicist Foy Valentine began a new chapter with a Winter 2011 issue published from North Carolina.
Patrick Anderson, a past national moderator and state coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, took over as editor of Christian Ethics Today, a bimonthly publication formerly based in Texas. He succeeds Joe Trull, a former ethics professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary who inherited the job from his friend Valentine in 2000 and edited the journal in a part-time role until he stepped down last year.
Anderson, a criminology professor who taught most recently at Florida Southern College, was moderator, the top elected office of the national CBF, in 1995-1996. He was the first coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, one of 19 state and regional organizations that relate to the national movement.
He left the state CBF job to work as missions advocate for the national CBF. His name is still listed with the position title on the CBF website, but Anderson said he no longer has the job. CBF recently announced it was reducing its staff by 13 jobs, but which positions are being cut won't be revealed until they are reported to the CBF Coordinating Council Feb. 24-25.
Anderson was succeeded at Florida CBF by his wife, Carolyn. She retired as the group's second coordinator in 2006 and now works as a consultant for the CBF of Florida Foundation. In retirement the Andersons live between homes in Cedar Key, Fla., and Beech Mountain, N.C.
Christian Ethics Today was originally part of a larger vision of a Center for Christian Ethics by Valentine, who retired in 1987 as executive director of the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Valentine launched the journal "to offer readers a few cups of cold water in Jesus' name."
When the center was transferred to Baylor University in 2000, a new board continued Christian Ethics Today as a separate venture. From the start the goal was to provide the journal free of charge to anyone who wanted it, "as money and energy permit."
Last year 853 individuals gave $96,021 to the non-profit journal, surpassing a reduced budget of $90,000. With publication of the latest issue 81, more than 275,000 copies of the journal have been published, mailed and distributed since 1995.
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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.