(formerly Sabbath School Worker; 1885–1990; monthly; R&H ). A journal designed for Sabbath school teachers and officers. It contained lesson helps for the teachers of the seven divisions, also articles on teaching methods, and on special topics such as Rally Day, Visitors’ Day, branch Sabbath schools, Vacation Bible Schools, Sabbath school Investment, and child evangelism. From 1985 it contained material for all church ministries officers. It was replaced by Action in 1990.
In 1885 the Sabbath School Worker began as a 16-page quarterly printed in Battle Creek, Michigan (at 25 cents a year), providing no lesson helps, only articles on organization and teaching methods. In 1887 and 1888 in the interests of economy these articles were put into the Youth’s Instructor as a supplement, but thereafter the Worker appeared again, printed this time in Oakland, California, by the Pacific Press. In 1890 it was made a 24-page monthly, including lesson helps and missions stories (the latter transferred in 1912 to a separate Missions Quarterly ).
In 1901, when the International Sabbath School Association was reorganized as the Sabbath School Department of the General Conference, the Worker articles were combined with the Advocate of Christian Education; then from 1904 the Sabbath School Worker was resumed and published continuously by the Review and Herald.
At first brief lesson helps were given on only two levels; gradually they were expanded and subdivided. By 1923 lesson helps appeared for senior and youth divisions, and one section for the children’s divisions in three subsections for junior and primary, kindergarten, and cradle roll. Later the helps for all these divisions were separated, and one added for earliteens.
The period from 1961 to 1970 was a time of great increase in size of the Worker . In 1961 a Worker of 56 pages was published; in 1964, 64 pages; and in 1970, 112 pages every month. About 80 of these pages were lesson helps. The year of the big change was 1971. The lesson helps had expanded to a point where they were too bulky and could serve better as separate loose-leaf entities for each division. During 1971 the journal reverted to material of a more general nature and the name was changed to Worker, Journal of Sabbath School Action .
After 1971 the Worker was a 16-page monthly and contained only promotional, inspirational, statistical, and instructional material. The Program Helps and Teaching Aids had become separate publications.
In 1985, when the Sabbath School Department became part of the new Church Ministries Department, the name was changed to Church Ministries Worker and it became a 32-page magazine. In 1990 it became Action .
Editors: Publishing committee, first named was W. C. White, 1885–1887; publishing committee, first named, C. H. Jones, 1889–1890; Mrs. C. H. Jones, 1890–1891; F. M. Wilcox, 1891–1893; M. H. Brown, 1893–1900; L. Flora Plummer, January-October 1904; G. B. Thompson, November 1904–August 1905; L. Flora Plummer, August 1905–1936; J. A. Stevens, 1936–1950; L. L. Moffitt, 1950–1958; G. R. Nash, 1958–1970; Fernon Retzer, 1970–1975; H. F. Rampton, 1975–1985; Leo Van Dolson (acting), 1985–1986; Graham Bingham, 1986–1990.