About Wendy Murray

Wendy is an editor, writer, journalist, and teacher whose career is marked by a rare combination of journalistic rigor, theological depth, literary craft, and a gift for guiding others in their own storytelling. With more than three decades of publishing experience across national magazines, book writing, editing clients, independent press work, speaking and sponsoring workshops, she brings a nuanced, integrative approach to every project. Whether shaping articles, developing a book manuscript, launching a magazine, or leading writers through the often vulnerable terrain of memoir and spiritual reflection, Wendy’s work is marked by excellence and grace.

Wendy writes from a place of lived pilgrimage—geographic, intellectual, and spiritual. Her work consistently invites others into deeper seeing, clearer expression, and more courageous engagement with faith and the human story.

She continues to write for her Substack newsletter Toward Home: Adventures of Heart and Spirit.

Magazines

As a regional reporter for Time magazine in Honduras (1992–1994) and columnist/feature writer for Honduras This Week, she honed her ability to tell complex human stories with clarity and cultural sensitivity. She then spent a decade at Christianity Today (1995–2005), first as associate editor and staff writer and later as senior writer, where she assigned, edited, and shepherded and also wrote cover stories, personality profiles, and columns that earned multiple awards.

In 2023 she launched and served as editor-in-chief of Ex Fonte, a thought magazine published by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, shaping its vision, content strategy, design, and production of three issues annually to create a thoughtful, culturally engaged theological publication that fostered dialogue.

Books

Wendy has authored thirteen nonfiction books and one novel. Her writing frequently explores the intersection of faith, spirituality, and lived experience. Standout titles include A Mended and a Broken Heart: The Life and Love of Francis of Assisi (Basic Books), Clare of Assisi: Gentle Warrior (Paraclete Press), and the recently published Inner Healing the Franciscan Way: A Holy Re-Ordering of the Soul (Paraclete Press, 2025). She is widely recognized as an expert in Franciscan spirituality, drawing on in-depth study, personal pilgrimage, and on-the-ground experience in Assisi, Italy. Her upcoming book about Fred “Mister” Rogers (InterVarsity Press Academic, due out next year) further highlights her gift for illuminating how ordinary life and divine imagination intersect.

In 2010 she founded Ecco Qua Press, an independent publishing house dedicated to championing high-quality but largely unknown authors, where over six years she single-handedly managed every stage of the publishing process—from acquisition and editing to design, production, and marketing—successfully releasing seven titles, including her own debut novel The Warrior King. For more than fifteen years she has designed and led writing workshops, including the long-running Assisi Workshops that combine literary craft with spiritual pilgrimage in Umbria, memoir courses at The Garden School in Beverly, Massachusetts, and programs at the historic Long Hill Gardens on the Sedgwick Estate.

Guide

She has taught feature writing, creative nonfiction, magazine journalism, digital storytelling, and screenwriting at the college level Gordon College (as Writer-in-Residence) using a rigorous yet compassionate coaching approach that helps writers discover their authentic voice while strengthening structure, clarity, and emotional resonance. She is available to help you. Do You Need Help?