An Inspiring Journalist: Wendy Griffith

A host for The 700 Club, a Christian television show broadcasted worldwide, Wendy Griffith inspires viewers with her desire to spread Jesus’ love to people all around the globe. However, before her time with The 700 Club, she had to overcome a number of challenges as she climbed the broadcasting ladder to achieve her journalism dream. Despite it all, she firmly believes that God directed and inspired each of her steps. Wendy’s dream of becoming a journalist started as a young girl and later came to fruition by faithfully following God’s lead.

Her Pathway to Success 

Wendy was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1964. Her dream began when she was about ten years old and saw an anchorwoman reporting in a mall in Knoxville, Tennessee. From that moment on, she knew reporting was what she wanted to do with her life. This dream followed her all the way to high school, where she worked for the school newspaper, which allowed her to gain some experience.

After high school, she attended West Virginia University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1986. After graduating, Wendy needed more experience, but no one was hiring near her, so a friend helped her go to Arizona to pursue her dream.

In 1987 in Yuma, Arizona, Wendy started her career as a chyron and tape operator at KYEL-TV making just $4 dollars an hour, and she would report for free whenever she could. “It was not a glamorous job at all, and the pay was much less than I was making as a waitress in Phoenix, but I didn’t hesitate as I knew getting my foot in the door was a top priority,” she stated.

During these years, she was able to work in various small television markets, including South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Illinois. She climbed the ranks of broadcast journalism rising from reporter to weekend anchor to a main anchor for the nightly news at WCBD-TV in Rockford, Illinois and later WCHS-TV in Charleston, West Virginia.

Eventually, Wendy felt led by God to leave television, so she became the press secretary for the governor of West Virginia for two years (1997-1998). “It was while working in the Governor’s Office that I started watching a show called The 700 Club,” she recalled. “I watched it every night from eleven to midnight. Normally, I had been anchoring the news at eleven p.m., but now, I was home at night and fell in love with this show but never dreamed I would work there!”

In the summer of 1998, Wendy attended a singles conference in Virginia Beach where she felt God leading her to submit a tape to The 700 Club. She’d recently heard that they were accepting tapes and hiring, so Wendy submitted her tape and resume. A few months later, she was brought in for an interview and hired in January of 1999. She started as a Capitol Hill Reporter for CBN and later became a co-host on The 700 Club. On October 1, 2021, Pat Robertson stepped down as the main host of The 700 Club. Wendy now co-hosts with him once a month. When she isn’t co-hosting with Dr. Robertson, she serves as a news anchor and reporter on various other shows including Christian World News and The Prayer Link. 

Her Advice for Others

Wendy desires to share her story with others to provide hope that God has a plan for each and every one of us. One main encouragement from her is “don’t despise the day of small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10). This verse is close to her heart because of her long career journey. She encourages young people to “just get your foot in the door and let God do the rest.” Her beginning may have been small in Yuma, Arizona, but God did things in her life that she never would have thought possible. Wendy is now a successful television host and has written two books. One of her works is You Are a Prize to be Won! Don’t Settle for Less Than God’s Best which reminds women of their incredible value and not to settle when it comes to matters of the heart. Wendy strongly believes that dedication to your craft provides you with a better chance of achieving success, especially in the journalism world. However, she recognizes that even with experience and dedication, God is the main element that is in charge of it all. 

God has always had a hand in Wendy’s life, and His hand guided her to The Christian Broadcasting Network. She loves that this job allows her to openly share Christ with the world, and she considers it a privilege to say the words “Jesus loves you” on live television. When considering how God will grow others in their careers for His glory, Wendy says, “Get ready for the ride of your life!” She believes that when we let God take the wheel, He will take you places and on adventures that you never dreamed were possible.

She reminds young people who are still wavering in their career choices to seek God in prayer. “God has a unique and fulfilling plan for all of us,” she said. “Jeremiah 29:11 says, ‘I know the plans I have for you…’ A big key is asking what excites you. What are you good at? Follow your passion, and that will ultimately lead to a fulfilling career; it did for me,” she said. Wendy’s success story is inspiring and gives others a good example of how God can do amazing things, including even giving us our “dream jobs” – if we’re willing to step out in faith, let God lead and never give up.