William G. "Bill" Johnsson (1934—) is a Seventh-day Adventist

Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...

 editor and church leader.

Biography

Born in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, he earned a degree in chemical technology before attending Avondale College

Avondale College

Avondale College of Higher Education is an Australian tertiary education provider affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Avondale College has two campuses, Lake Macquarie being the primary campus situated in Cooranbong, New South Wales...

, where he met his wife Nolene Johnsson. Johnsson earned his Th.D. in theology from Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...

. His dissertation was entitled "Defilement and Purgation in the Book of Hebrews." He served as a missionary to India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 at Vincent Hill School and Spicer College. From 1975 to 1980 he taught at the Seventh-day Adventist

Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...

 theological seminary in New Testament classes.

In 1979 Johnsson was elected the first president of the Adventist Society for Religious Studies

Adventist Society for Religious Studies

The Adventist Society for Religious Studies is a Seventh-day Adventist scholarly community whose purpose is "to provide intellectual and social fellowship among its members and encourage scholarly pursuits in all religious studies disciplines, particularly with reference to the Seventh-day...

. From 1982 to 2006 he was editor of the Adventist Review. Johnsson is also a member of the Ellen G. White Estate

Ellen G. White Estate

The Ellen G. White Estate, Incorporated, or simply the White Estate, is the official organization created by Ellen G. White to act as the custodian of her writings, which are of importance to the Seventh-day Adventist Church...

 board of trustees. He has written over 20 books and 1,000 articles. He currently is the Assistant to the President for Interfaith Relations at the church's headquarters. On May 6, 2007, Johnsson was the graduate commencement speaker at Andrews University

Andrews University

Andrews University is a Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College in Battle Creek, Michigan, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists, and is the flagship university of the Seventh-day...

, where he received an honorary doctorate. In 2008, he was injured by a motorcycle when attending the church's Annual Council in Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

.

Books

• Embrace the Impossible (2009)
• A Heart Full of Grace (2007) Seventh-day Adventist adult devotional; publisher's page
• Mark: The Gospel of Jesus (2005)
• Glimpses of Grace (2001)
• The Fragmenting of Adventism (1995)
• Hebrews: Full Assurance for Christians Today (1994)
• Wising Up: How I Mastered the Rinse Cycle and Other Lessons of Life (1991)
• Behold His Glory (1989), a Seventh-day Adventist adult devotional
• I Chose Adventism (1988)
• Blessed Assurance (1985)
• In Absolute Confidence: The Book of Hebrews Speaks to Our Day (1979)
• Religion in Overalls (1977)
• The Great Physician (1975)

External links

• In His Own Words: An Interview with William Johnsson, Editor of the Adventist Review from Adventist Today
  Adventist Today
  Adventist Today is a bimonthly Christian magazine representing a progressive Seventh-day Adventist perspective. First published in 1993, it is currently edited by J. David Newman, the former editor of Ministry...
  
  
• "Scenes From My Journey" by Johnsson, three segments of his life