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In 1965, the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Historical Society® initiated the publication of Baptist History and Heritage. Davis C. Woolley, the second executive director of the Southern Baptist Historical Commission and the first editor of the journal, wrote in the first issue that the journal was “dedicated to the pursuit of historical information that will enable Baptists to understand themselves, to appreciate their past, and to discover historical perspective for the future. If an occasional article helps Baptists to avoid mistakes of the past and enunciate more positively the cherished truths that have made and sustained them across the years, the journal will have served a worthwhile purpose.” Davis Woolley’s goals for the journal have been adopted and pursued by each successive editor. The journal has had five editors: Davis C. Woolley (1965-71), Lynn E. May, Jr. (1971-95), Slayden A. Yarbrough (1995-99), Merrill M. Hawkins, Jr. (1999-2003), and Pamela R. Durso (2003-present). The Historical Commission’s cosponsorship of the journal ended in 1997 after the commission was closed. That year, the Southern Baptist Historical Society® became the sole publisher of the journal. In 2001, the SBHS changed its name to the Baptist History and Heritage Society, and the BH&HS now serves as the primary sponsor of the journal. The Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University has been a cosponsor for the journal since 2003.
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