Renowned Quaker Author Phillip Gulley to Speak on ‘Hope in Difficult Times’
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WILMINGTON, Ohio (March 5, 2026)—Quaker pastor, writer, and speaker Phillip Gulley will spend the day at Wilmington College on March 25, the centerpiece of which will be the Office of Campus Ministry’s Quaker Lecture, a community presentation on “Hope in Difficult Times” at 7 p.m. in the McCoy Room of Kelly Center. Gulley, who last visited the campus in 2019, will also discuss “Living Our Faith in Difficult Times” with students and area clergy in the afternoon.
He and his wife, Joan, reside in Danville, IN., his small, boyhood hometown from which Gulley pulls many of his story characters and recollections. He has published 22 books, including the acclaimed Harmony series, which chronicles life in the eccentric Quaker community of Harmony, IN. His latest fictional series continues the exploits of Sam Gardner, first introduced in the Harmony series. The new Hope series includes A Place Called Hope, A Lesson in Hope, and A Gathering of Hope, the latter of which is his most recent fictional release.
He was discovered as a prolific writer with a unique point of view by Paul Harvey, Jr., the son of the iconic broadcast commentator who once visited Gulley’s Quaker meeting in Indiana and subscribed to the congregation’s newsletter. He shared many of Gulley’s essays with his father, who once read one on the air. A publisher heard the broadcast and signed Gulley to a multi-book contract, beginning with his first book, Front Porch Tales, in the bestselling Porch Talk series of inspirational and humorous essays.
Gulley, who holds degrees from Marian University in Indianapolis and Christian Theological Seminary, has also written books on theology, including If the Church Were Christian and Evolution of Faith, the latter of which proposes a fresh direction for Christianity and articulates a Christianity that, while faithful to the priorities of Jesus, is designed to help its adherents live happily, peacefully and productively in our complex world. Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu said of that book, “In our ever-changing world, Gulley’s book is much needed,… an important book for any person of faith.”
His 22nd book, titled Unlearning God: How Unbelieving Helped Me Believe, explores the process of spiritual growth, especially the re-interpretation of the earliest principles we learned about God.
Gulley, a Quaker pastor for 39 years, hosted Porch Talk with Phil Gulley on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI and its flagship show, Across Indiana, for which he received two Emmy Awards. He is also a regular contributor to the Saturday Evening Post and writes for the popular “Home Again” column in Indiana Monthly.
Article Submitted by Wilmington College