Staff Writer - UnfoldingWord

Job Description

Job Description

Staff Writer - UnfoldingWord

unfoldingWord exists to make the Bible available in every language and to see the global church resourced to take the gospel to every people group. We need writers who already understand what that means and why it matters. The Staff Writer works alongside the Managing Editor to produce and steward donor-facing communications, from raw story capture through final published copy, across print, digital, and appeal channels. This is field reporting in service of the global church. This role begins as part-time with the intention to grow into a full-time position as the relationship and the work develop.

Character

• Reporter at Heart —  Drawn to the human story behind the ministry data. Knows that a number becomes a story only when there is a person behind it.
• Mission-Driven —  Personal faith in Jesus Christ and alignment with unfoldingWord's Statement of Faith and Core Values. Writing is an act of service to the global church.
• Partner-Centric —  Sees the people in the field and the global church as the heroes of every story; not the organization, not the donor, not themselves.
• Collaborative & Deadline-Oriented —  Thrives in editorial workflows, holds deadlines, and supports the systems around them. Comfortable navigating the tension between marketing and development without compromising the story.
• Curious & Systematic —  Spots opportunities to improve how stories move from capture to publication. Grows as a storyteller without losing the data side.

Responsibilitie

• Write brief narrative feature stories (400-700 words) profiling the people, partnerships, and moments at the center of unfoldingWord's global work.
• Gather stories through interviews, field travel when needed, team reports, and all unfoldingWord communications channels.
• File, tag, and markup captured content by date, region, format, and readiness; re-categorize as needs evolve.
• Produce Brand Book-compliant copy for prayer calendars, thank-you letters, newsletters, appeals, infographics, annual reports, and website content on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Edit and proofread all the above per the unfoldingWord Style Guide, including AI-assisted copy editing and review of content from digital marketing contractors and colleagues.
• Move content through RACI editorial channels to meet publication deadlines.

Experience

• Active background in Christian journalism, evangelical ministry communications, or donor-facing narrative writing required. WJI training, World Magazine bylines, or equivalent faith-based journalism formation strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated portfolio of long-form narrative features — not news briefs, SEO articles, or academic writing.
• Proven track record writing donor communications: appeals, newsletters, and annual reports.
• Line editing, substantive editing, and proofreading; proficiency with the AP Style Manual. Able to match brand voice across multiple content formats.
• Experience with digital publishing, content management systems, or social media publishing a plus.
• Background in global missions, Bible translation, or cross-cultural ministry preferred.
• Experience writing for web with a working understanding of SEO a plus.
• Experience analyzing writing for ROI and return on audience (ROA) a plus.

Skills

• Proficiency with AI writing tools, including human-in-the-loop workflows; experience with Claude a plus.
• Able to manage multiple concurrent deadlines across a distributed, remote team.
• Strategic mindset: identifies gaps in content systems and proposes practical improvements.