Social criticism has a long and honored tradition as an expression of Christian faith. The biblical prophets measured the performance of society by the word of God; injustice and oppression had no sterner critic than Jesus himself. The Witness, a voice of Christian social conscience, draws its inspiration from these early witnessings for an earthly kingdom of justice, peace and freedom for all people. The Witness is the descendant of a fiery religious publication which played a crucial role in the life of the Episcopal Church for half a century following WW I, reminding its readers of their biblical heritage and social responsibilities. The Witness was the ministry of Bill Spofford, who wrote the news, set the type, and preached at the church in tones that sometimes thundered, sometimes cajoled. Some of his critiques on the evils of capitalism are as relevant now as when they were first written.   Bishop Bob DeWitt In the early 1970's Bob DeWitt, having been one of three bishops who ordained 11 women without the broader church's approval, followed Bill Spofford as editor of The Witness continuing the magazine's advocacy for racial, social and economic justice with the support of visionary board members John Hines, Coleman McGehee and John Burt, among others. During the 1980's Barbara Harris served as executive director until being elected the Anglican Communion's first woman bishop in 1988. The magazine championed many causes; tax resistance, solidarity actions in Central America, antinuclear activism, gay, lesbian, women's rights and environmental concerns. As the first woman and lay person to serve as editor, Mary Lou Suhor was the magazine's first woman editor. In 1991 the magazine moved to Detroit, Michigan, under editor Jeanie Wylie-Kellermann, a Detroit activist and journalist. In 1997 she and Julie Wortman (who had been managing editor) became co-editors, with Wortman working from her new home in the coastal village of Tenants Harbor, Maine. Together with assistant editor Marianne Arbogast, Wylie-Kellermann and Wortman have worked to remain true to the publication's core politics while maintaining an enquiring openness to the calling of the spirit in these millennial times.

Bill Spofford The 1917 Easter issue June 1928 An issue from 1974 December 1987 March 1995 March 2000