Opening the 2025 Evangelical Press Association (EPA) annual convention with a heartfelt keynote, author and literary agent Mary DeMuth called Christian journalists and writers to embrace their divine calling—even through obscurity, disappointment, and loss.

Addressing some two hundred participants at the Hilton Branson Convention Center on Sunday, DeMuth drew from three decades of writing and mentoring experience to encourage attendees to see their creative work as a spiritual act of obedience. 

“Faithfully writing and proclaiming the truth is its own reward,” she said. “Stay the course. Don’t give up. Keep writing the truth. Keep being a light in the dark places.”

The EPA convention, which runs May 4–6 in Branson, Missouri, brings together editors, reporters, publishers and communicators from across the evangelical publishing landscape.

Writing in obscurity—and faith

DeMuth shared openly about the first decade of her career, which was marked not by success but by perseverance in the shadows. “I spent 10 years writing in obscurity,” she said. “Millions of unpublished words. But that hidden work was part of my calling.”

From church potlucks in rural Texas to unexpected encouragement from strangers who became mentors, she reminded the audience how often God uses small moments and faithful relationships to build long-term fruit.

One such turning point came when an older woman asked DeMuth what she wanted to be when she grew up. Though hesitant, she answered, “I want to be a writer.” The woman turned out to be Sandra Glahn - today the President of EPA's Board of Directors - who went on to mentor DeMuth and helped launch her into publishing.

“I didn’t know how to write a query letter. I didn’t know anything,” DeMuth said. “But her willingness to mentor me changed everything. You can change the trajectory of the Kingdom of God by looking around and mentoring someone behind you.”

From parenting books to pain-fueled prose

Though DeMuth first gained attention through magazine work, her literary career took off in unexpected ways—beginning with a reluctant pivot to parenting books. When her agent suggested she write about raising children, she resisted. “I said, ‘You’re crazy. I cried all the time as a parent. I can’t write a parenting book,’” she recalled.

But the resulting book, aimed at those who didn’t want to repeat the dysfunction of their own childhoods, resonated deeply with readers and marked a turning point in her publishing journey.

Later, a cross-cultural move to France as a church planter brought fresh trials. DeMuth thought her publishing dreams were over. “But everything I’ve written since then came from the seedbed of death,” she said. “The place where dreams die is where God often does his most beautiful work.”

Lament as a tool for writers

DeMuth introduced lament not only as a biblical practice, but as a critical spiritual habit for writers facing burnout, rejection, or invisibility. Quoting from Psalm 13, she walked through the structure of lament: expressing pain, asking for help, declaring trust, and choosing praise.

Many Christian writers, she said, carry “publishing grief”—unmet expectations, dashed dreams, low sales, or harsh reviews. Naming those losses through lament is necessary. “You can’t progress past what you haven’t grieved,” she said. 

She shared her own “Psalm of Lament for Publishing,” voicing exhaustion with platform pressures, confusion over poorly written bestsellers, and frustration at the rise of AI-generated content. But she ended in trust: “Instead of living for an audience of gatekeepers, I choose to live for Your applause. But oh, it’s hard.”

Writing that may never be published 

In a deeply personal moment, DeMuth shared how some of her most important words were never published. She recounted writing a brief note of gratitude to her in-laws—who had once opposed her marriage—that later became a cherished family treasure, displayed prominently in their home.

“My most significant piece of writing may have been that little card,” she said. “Don’t discount the unction of the Holy Spirit when He tells you to write something small.”

DeMuth encouraged writers to remember that their earthly impact may not be visible, referencing the documentary Searching for Sugar Man and the story of Sixto Rodriguez, a little-known musician who became a cultural icon in South Africa—without even knowing it.

“Your work is not in vain in the Lord,” she told the audience. “Aim for the upside-down kingdom. Be faithful out of the limelight.”

Perseverance redefined

DeMuth challenged conventional notions of perseverance, sharing wisdom from a friend: “God is persevering me.” Rather than relying on sheer willpower, Christian creatives are called to lean into the Spirit’s sustaining presence.

She also urged attendees to settle their sense of worth and calling before diving deeper into the writing world. “Publishing doesn’t validate your life. Jesus validates your life,” she said. “And if you haven’t settled your calling, you’ll collapse under the weight of rejection.”

A charge to the truth-tellers

DeMuth ended with a sober but hopeful reminder of the role Christian communicators must play in today’s world. Citing Isaiah 59:14 — “Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed” — she described the call to truth-telling as spiritual warfare.

“We are not peddlers of truth,” she said. “We are purveyors of truth. Writers of truth. Proclaimers of truth. And it is a risk to tell the truth in a world like this. But it is worth it.”

DeMuth concluded with a prayer for those who pursue their calling as writers: “Lord, thank you for every story in this room. May we be faithful, even when no one sees. May we write in obedience, not for acclaim. And may we hear those words one day: Well done, good and faithful word servant.”