As a trial lawyer turned standup comedian and Baptist minister, Susan Sparks is America’s only female comedian with a pulpit. A North Carolina native, Susan received her B.A. at the University of North Carolina where she was President of her Class and a law degree from Wake Forest University. After ten years as a lawyer moonlighting as a standup, she left her practice and spent two years on a solo trip around the world, including working with Mother Teresa’s mission in Calcutta, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and driving the Alaska Highway. Upon returning home, she entered Union Theological Seminary in New York City where she earned a Master of Divinity and wrote an honors thesis on humor and religion. In May 2007, Susan was installed as Madison Avenue Baptist Church’s 15th Senior Minister and the first woman in its 170-year history. She continues in that pulpit to this day. Susan is also a professional comedian touring nationally with a Rabbi and a Muslim Comic in the Laugh in Peace Tour. Her work with humor, healing, and spirituality has been featured in O (The Oprah) Magazine, the New York Times, and on such networks as ABC, CNN, and CBS. A nationally known preacher and speaker, Susan is the best-selling author of five books and the writer of an award-winning nationally syndicated column with the USA Today Network distributed to over 600 papers reaching 21 million people in 36 states. In 2018, Susan was presented with the 20th John L. Haber Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts given by the University of North Carolina. She also received the Intersections International Award for her interfaith work to promote justice and reconciliation among diverse communities. Most importantly, Susan and her husband Toby love to fly-fish, ride their Harleys, eat good BBQ, and root for UNC Tar Heel Basketball and the Green Bay Packers. For more information, including Susan's schedule, videos, and columns, check out SusanSparks.com.
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