About Phil Whitaker, Author & Speaker
Phil spent twenty-three years as a church pastor in Roanoke, VA. Afterward, relocating to Richmond, VA, Phil served with a faith based non-profit group advocating for family and faith values in the Virginia General Assembly.
He later taught in public schools in Chesterfield County for over five years before being appointed to represent the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to churches throughout Virginia.
When the COVID pandemic dissolved that opportunity, Phil returned to part-time teaching, and policy advocacy at the Virginia General Assembly on behalf of Convention of States Action.
Phil holds a BA degree in music from Piedmont College in Winston Salem, NC, an MA in Church Growth and Management from Trinity Seminary, Newburg, IN, and an MA in Teaching from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
Meet Phil the Author
Why is it that talking about politics or religion is taboo these days?
The assumption behind this idea is that these topics stir passions too deep and too personal for civil conversation. But here’s the dilemma: in today’s culture, I believe religion has become political, and politics has become a religion. People often treat criticism of a political movement as blasphemy and condemn expressions of faith as political rhetoric.
The danger in avoiding these discussions is that crucial ideas—moral, civic, and spiritual—go unexplored. Labeling honest attempts at discussion as inflammatory or dangerous prevents us from examining what truly matters. Politics needs public accountability, and faith deserves a place beyond opinion, where it can meaningfully shape culture and conscience.