Who Writes the Articles on Encouraging.com?
Updated
Encouraging.com publishes short devotional articles written by named contributors, with Jan Burkhart and Susan Partida appearing most often in the recent archive. Each post carries a byline, a date, and one or more topic tags, and the writing consistently comes from a Christian faith perspective. If you want signed, personal reflections rather than anonymous or academic content, that is what you will find here.
Who the authors are
The site's recent article list shows individual bylines rather than a single house author:
| Author | Recent articles | Topic tags shown |
|---|---|---|
| Jan Burkhart | "Truths from Difficulty," "Two Are Better than One" | God's Character, Praise, Peace, Encouragement, Discipleship |
| Susan Partida | "THAT!", "Childlike Faith," "Confident Solutions," "Starting Out on the Right Foot" | Loved, Relationship with God, Faith/Trust, Joy, Obedience, Truth |
Both writers are identified only by name — no credentials, titles, or institutional affiliations are given in the article listings.
What kind of writing it is
The articles are first-person devotional reflections, not scholarly theology. Jan Burkhart's "Truths from Difficulty" opens with a personal account of walking through her daughter's stage three cancer diagnosis and her daughter being declared cancer-free, then draws out what she says she learned about God's character during that time.
Susan Partida's pieces follow a similar pattern: a personal observation or admission, followed by a scriptural point. In "Confident Solutions" she admits to being "on the edge of my seat waiting to give them all of your insight" instead of listening, and uses that as the starting point for reflection. "Childlike Faith" draws on a baptism service she attended.
The consistent markers across authors:
- A named individual writing from personal experience
- Scripture cited or alluded to as the basis for the point (for example, Titus 2:3-4 in "Two Are Better than One")
- A short, single-idea format rather than a long essay
- Topic tags that map to Christian living themes
Is the faith perspective consistent?
Yes, based on the available articles. Every listed post sits within a Christian framework — God's character, relationship with God, faith and trust, obedience, discipleship, and encouragement. Different authors cover different themes, but the underlying stance does not shift between them.
One thing worth noting: the writing is experiential and encouraging in tone rather than doctrinal or argumentative. "Two Are Better than One" frames mentoring as something ordinary women can do — "We don't have to be Bible scholars" — which signals the intended audience is general readers, not trained theologians.
What this means if you are deciding whether to read
- If you want signed devotional writing with a clear Christian perspective, the format matches that expectation.
- If you need author credentials, institutional backing, or citations for academic use, the listings do not provide them.
- If you want a single consistent voice, expect variety — at least two regular contributors with distinct styles and topic ranges.
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