Memories, sorrows and
new beginnings
(2010-2015)
The five years between 2010 and 2015 held many mile-
stones for the Record, including the change of its name
from Record to Adventist Record in 2014. The first milestone
that marked this period was the transition from Warburton
to Wahroonga. The editorial team had been working from
Warburton in Victoria for years, but it was decided in 2009
that the Communication Department, the Adventist Media
Centre and the Record editorial team would all be brought
under one roof in Wahroonga. Designed to streamline
communication, Warburton was nevertheless faced with the
pain that accompanies such a move, including redundancies
and job relocation issues.
Adventist Record also underwent stylistic changes during
this period. In 2010, Record changed from black and white
to full colour print, the size of each issue increased from 16
pages to 24 pages, and publications reduced from once a
week to once a fortnight. Record also moved into the digital
space, with the creation of a website, Facebook page and
Twitter account. This all occurred under the editorial leader-
ship of Pablo Lillo, who resigned in 2012 to pursue his calling
in church ministry.
In 2012, James Standish took on the role of editor for the
Record. Under the editorial leadership of James Standish, the
Record focused on "honesty, spiritual integrity and relevance
for its readers”?
It is in this context which the following events unfolded and
were covered by the Record.
Adventist Church turns (50!
On May 21, 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist Church
became an official church organisation. 150 years later, this
remarkable event was celebrated by the worldwide Adventist
Church. World Church leaders met on April 12, 2013, to
commemorate the Church's 150th birthday at Battle Creek,
the birthplace of the Adventist Church (Record, May 18, 2013).
At its conception, the Adventist Church had 3500 members,
but 150 years on there were more than 18 million Adventists
worldwide. Today that number has exceeded 22 million.
Svdney Adventist College closure
At the end of 2012, Sydney Adventist College (Strathfield,
NSW) closed its doors for the last time. Teachers and students
alike said farewell to their much beloved school in a closing
16 Adventist Record | December 2, 2023
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down ceremony on Sabbath, December 1 (Record, September
15, 2012).
It was with great reluctance that the Greater Sydney
Conference decided to close Sydney Adventist College (SAC)
after a significant and continuous decline in enrolments. At
its peak in the 1980s, SAC had roughly 550 students enrolled
each year, but by 2012 there were only 146 secondary students
enrolled. This decision also came as a result of the significant
costs involved in keeping the school operational, costing the
Conference SA4.2 million in the last 10 years of its operation
(Record, November 17, 2012).
During its 93 years of operation, SAC provided a rich envi-
ronment for nurturing and educating young minds to prepare
them for the future.