FEATURED WOMAN
Susan Sparks
Combining humor and
spirituality
Susan
Sparks ’84 is a trial lawyer turned standup comedian
and Baptist minister. After 10 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.
Currently, she is the senior pastor of Madison Avenue
Baptist Church in New York City (and the first woman in its
162-year history). She is the recent recipient of an award
from Intersections International for her interfaith work to
promote reconciliation among diverse communities. Her new
book, "Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual
Power of Humor", was released in 2010. We were honored to
have Susan as a guest speaker during this year’s
annual meeting, speaking on a panel about books.
More: http://susansparks.com