Dennis Swanberg Speaker & Booking Information

Swanberg takes Barney Fife and over twenty other lovable impersonations, together with his side-splitting stories of growing up, families, and the funny side of church, to over 250,000 people every year. His audiences range from churches looking for fresh and new inspiration, to marriage enrichment seminars, city-wide concerts, business related events and corporate gatherings. Dennis Swanberg doesn't care who he's talking to, as long as he can leave knowing he made someone's day a little brighter. His national television shows, "Swan's Place" and "The Dennis Swanberg Show", are described by the networks as "an hour of good, clean fun and entertainment as well as spiritual insight and encouragement" and were viewed by over one million households weekly. But even though this good ole' boy's legion of fans is growing daily, "The Swan" - as he is affectionately called - still loves the one on one of meeting people. "I feel like sometimes my kind of motivation and encouragement comes from just being personable with people beforehand and afterwards", he admits. "Mixing and mingling in a lobby before the show or grabbing a coffee afterwards is just as important to me as the hour I spend up on stage". It's just that kind of genuineness that has made several of this pastor-with-a-punchline's audience members remark that "If I lived in your town, I'd come to your church!"

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'' annual talent night. That performance started what has been a continuous string of phone calls inviting him to speak and share his unique brand of humor with audiences in churches, businesses, retreats, conferences and parties. "I always thought I might end up being a crazy radio DJ," he says, "or one of those funny TV weatherman." 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 I said, 'Well, Lord, there's hope for me!'" While serving in various pastorates over the years including Rogers and Saginaw, Texas, Hot Springs, Arkansas and West Monroe, Louisiana, Dennis still held his "sideline" entertainment profession, but was constantly nagged with the feeling that maybe his stage talents should become his full-time career. The day after making what he calls his "leap of faith" into stepping down from church senior pastor to stepping up to the microphone, his decision was rewarded with popular radio talk show host Dr. James Dobson playing one of Swanberg's performances on the air. The response was explosive. Calls began pouring in from everywhere for even more appearances and speaking engagements. Later that month Swanberg remembers his nervousness before speaking in front of an audience that included Dr. Dobson. "I prayed, 'Oh, Lord, help me do good.' And He said, 'Swan, I can take your best stuff and make it fall on deaf ears or I can take your shallow stuff and make folks think it's really something.'  So I said, 'Lord, take my shallow stuff and make them think it's really good!'"