Andrew Picard

EDITORIAL: A TRIBUTE TO MYK HABETS

Andrew Picard

Carey Baptist College

In 2012, Myk Habets picked up the reins as Senior Editor of the Pacific Journal of Baptist Research (PJBR) from Martin Sutherland, having worked as Book Reviews Editor from 2007-2011. At the time, the journal was in hiatus and in need of new leadership to renew the journal and provide impetus for the future. Undaunted by the task, Myk embraced this as an opportunity to not only re-establish the journal but also strengthen and extend its work. Equipped with his renowned fecundity, he set about renewing PJBR and establishing it as an international vehicle for theological scholarship, research, and debate in the context of the Pacific. Renewing the journal began with rebuilding its base. Myk secured the Australasian Baptist colleges as Contributing Institutions, renewed the Editorial Board with established international theologians, and broadened the editorial team to include John Tucker, Sarah Harris, and Andrew Picard. The Baptist and Pacific locators identified the context of the journal, but not its contributors or audience. As Doctor Serviens Ecclesiae, Myk sought to extend the international readership and reach of the journal in the academy whilst also ensuring the fruits of scholarship served the church. Serving the church was not a blithe rider added for theological correctness before moving on to the real work of improving academic rankings. In a publishing world marked by paywalls, Myk sought to remove as many barriers to readership as possible. PJBR was relaunched in 2013 as an open-access online journal with a new website and database. We write, Myk believed, to be read. Whilst Myk is rightly famed for his prolific productivity, his relational skills have been equally vital to the re-establishment of PJBR. As his own academic career progressed, Myk utilised his growing networks to invite an array of scholars from Australasia and beyond to contribute to the journal. This resulted in a range of international Baptist and non-Baptist scholars publishing in the journal, and widening the conversation in and beyond the Pacific. Various themed editions were published from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom that showcased Australian scholarship on the 500th anniversary of Luther, outputs from symposiums held on Steve Harmon’s work, Curtis Freeman’s work, and Darrin Belousek’s work, a themed edition on Baptism from Australian scholars, as well as outputs from the British Baptists’ Theology Live. Myk also took the opportunity to honour scholars who have shaped theology in the Pacific. This resulted in was festschrifts for Laurie Guy and Tim Meadowcroft to mark their retirements, as well as a festschrift for Paul Fiddes on his 65th birthday. Myk used his editorship to highlight not only the work of established scholars, but also establish the work of emerging scholars. Theology “down under” can suffer from a timidity when the traditional centre of theological scholarship is up and over. Myk emboldened a range of emerging scholars and church leaders to contribute to international conversations alongside leading

voices in the field. He further utilised his role to mentor junior academics in the work of academic editing and leadership, welcoming Andrew Picard as Co-Editor in 2019. Theological scholarship, for Myk, is holy work. For all the labour Myk put into the journal, and he most certainly laboured, theological scholarship remained a joy. Editing a journal has its frustrations, but in Myk’s mind if theology is not joyous then we have missed something central. Scholarship is mission, a participation in the triune God’s mission to redeem and perfect the created world. Under Myk’s leadership, PJBR sought to serve God’s mission in and towards creation. Scholarship is also worship, a prayerful participation not only in God’s action but God’s very being—theotic even. Myk’s editing of the journal was an expression of his love for God, and his desire to serve God and God’s church in the world. In 2019, the journal undertook a third iteration from The Pacific Journal of Baptist Research to The Pacific Journal of Theological Research (PJTR) to better represent the widening and deepening contributions from and for all ecclesial communities. With Myk’s move from Director of Carey Graduate School at Carey Baptist College to Head of Theology at Laidlaw College, other work has pressed upon him, and he now needs to relinquish his role as Editor. On behalf of the Editorial Board of PJTR and New Zealand Baptist Research, I would like to take this opportunity to record our profound gratitude to Myk for his academic vision, skilled leadership, indefatigable labour, and scholarly acumen over the past fifteen years, including nine as editor. As Editor, Myk has renewed the journal and established it as a lively vehicle for theological scholarship in the Pacific and beyond. We remain extremely grateful to Myk for his excellent leadership, and we thank him for gifting us a legacy to continue. As we thank Myk and wish him well in his ongoing work, we also welcome a new co-editorial team. Andrew Picard will be joined by Christa McKirland as Co-Editor of PJTR to lead the journal into the next phase of its development. Carrying on the long-established tradition of the journal, we will seek to bring together emerging and established voices in theological scholarship. In particular, our future concern is to widen the breadth of contributors, knowledges, and perspectives so that the journal provides a platform for under-represented voices to enlarge and refresh our scholarly conversations. We look forward to the next season of the journal in anticipation of it generating and informing theological scholarship in the Pacific and beyond.

Andrew Picard

Co-Editor of The Pacific Journal of Theological Research.