Stand up for Jesus: Susan Sparks, pastor and comedian
Susan Sparks is senior pastor at Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City. Before entering the ministry, she worked as a trial lawyer and also had a career as a stand-up comedian—a career that she has continued. She often performs with a Jewish rabbi and a Muslim cleric. She is the author of Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor.
How did you come to combine ministry with work as a comedian?
My story is like a line in the film Kung Fu Panda: "Our destiny is found on the road we take to avoid it." I fought for so long against the call that I felt to the ministry. For one thing, I didn't like church. I was raised in a tradition that left me feeling very disenfranchised, and I didn't go to church for 25 years.
