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 DENNIS SWANBERG first discovered the persuasive powers of his humorous talents while back in high school. An incorrigible class clown since first grade, the student made quick work of his teachers, principal and coaches with his uncanny ability to mimic and impersonate voices and quirks. His antics, along with getting him sent to the principal’s office, also quickly got him sent to the stage.
Before you could say detention, Dennis found himself the master of ceremonies for his school’s annual talent night. That performance started what had been a continuous string of phone calls inviting him to speak and share his unique brand of humor with audiences in churches, retreats, conferences, and parties. “I always thought I might end up being a crazy radio DJ,” he says, “or one of those funny TV weathermen.” God, however, had other plans.
While at college, Swanberg was also serving as a minister of youth at a local church. His busy schedule, however, did not keep him from still earning the title, “the many voices of Baylor” through his continuing performances. It was around that time that Dennis remembers the strong feeling that God was calling him into the ministry. “Of course,” he remembers with a chuckle, “ you think when God calls, that He wants you to preach or lead music or go into the mission field.
What I’ve come to realize now is that the Lord can allow you to be a minister in many different ways.” One of his heroes, not surprisingly, is Grady Nutt, the late southern-Baptist preacher-comedian who brought country charm and a dose of humor to church life via his spot on the popular variety show, “Hee-Haw.’ “The first time he performed at Baylor University he said, “Well, Lord, there’s hope for me!’”
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