Deborah “Sunny” Swilley is a pastor, author and vibrant speaker who has been leading, ministering, and loving her community for more than fifty years.
As a little girl, Sunny began to hear the voice of God. Her grandmother led her to the Lord when she was just 5 years old, and she received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At twelve years old she answered the call to teach and was appointed junior pastor in children’s church. Through her energetic approach, she welcomed a fun, spirit-filled environment for children to learn about God’s immeasurable love and grow in their faith. Thousands of children have been impacted by her childlike heart for Jesus and her special gift of meeting children right where they are.
This gift carries forward as Sunny mentors young women in the local church and community, where she shares her testimonies, and experience and encourages each of them to be their best and unique self. She believes that impacting our community begins at home (Acts 1:8). She desires to reach women with a heart for ministry. Encouraging them to recognize who God has called them to be, to identify what makes them different, and how that unique difference can impact their community.
Sunny has been married to her husband, Duane Swilley for 50 years, and they are proud grandparents to nine grandchildren. Together, they have traveled abroad from Latin America to Europe, empowering marriages and building strong families. Currently, they travel across North America, bringing a fresh prophetic voice to the church community, offering faith-based coaching aimed at fostering healthy communication and conflict resolution. They are founding pastors of A Place Called Hope church, now Hope United in Pembroke Pines, Florida, led by their son Joshua Swilley and daughter in love, Keren Swilley.