August 15 1994

ARTICLE TOOLS

Find similar articles E-mail this page

Peggy Wehmeyer Pioneers Religion on ABC's World News Tonight.

(Despite the fact that significant numbers of Americans attend church or read the Bible, a recent study reveals that only 1 percent of news programming reflects religion's importance in Americans' lives.

ABC News has taken steps to correct the bias. Early this year, at the prompting of anchor Peter Jennings, ABC hired Peggy Wehmeyer to become the first religion correspondent on any major network news team.

The opportunity came without warning, but Wehmeyer is a woman accustomed to surprises. She is a Christian by faith, who discovered in her late teens that she is also Jewish by heritage. Wehmeyer took time to talk with CT executive editor David Neff about her spiritual journey—and her new role in the world of television journalism.)

CHRISTIANITY TODAY:

Your spiritual development makes a unique story. How did you become a Christian, and when did you discover your Jewish heritage?

PEGGY WEHMEYER:

When I was 12, I had a salvation experience at a Youth for Christ summer camp. But I had nowhere to follow up on it; I never went to church. I remember praying and trying to find God after that, but not knowing how.

Then, in college, I began going to Bible studies sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ. The more I learned and studied, the more I realized Christianity was true. Also, I discovered that it required a radical commitment—so I was pretty radical. I decided to do a missionary beach project with Campus Crusade one summer, and happened to be talking to my German grandmother about it. When I told her I was going to be a missionary, she said, "How can you be a missionary? You're a Jew!"

I thought she was joking. But then it all dawned on me: "My mother is from ...