News Summary

SPRINGFIELD — When the Rev. Dwight McCormick found it in 2005, it quickly became the most important book on his shelf.

Well, make that the second most important.

"I was looking through the humor section," he explained, "and I found this book called 'The Comedy Bible.' "

Don't worry. He sees the irony, too.

But with the how-to book in hand, the Presbyterian minister set out to answer his second calling — to be a stand-up comedian.

"God delights in us laughing," said McCormick, who's been pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church on Villa Road for a year and a half.

The holiest comic standing, McCormick has found he has a knack for stand-up. The second time he ever got on stage, at a Funny Bone in his native West Virginia, he won an amateur contest.

Now he's about to make a true leap of faith — from open-mic nights to headliner.

The 36-year-old father of two will headline a night of clean comedy at 8 p.m. Oct. 23 at Wiley's Comedy Niteclub in Dayton's Oregon Historic District.

Tickets are $10 — $2 of which will go to your church of choice or Clark County Habitat for Humanity — and are available at preachercomic.org/frontpage.html or by calling (937) 244-6769.

With vivid memories of his sisters listening to the Steve Martin album "Let's Get Small," McCormick always wanted to be a stand-up.

Three years ago, when he finally set foot on a comedy club stage, he didn't hide the fact that he's a minister — it's his shtick.

"It's a great opener," he said.

Every so often, though, he said some people seem visibly uncomfortable by his mere presence on stage.

"If it's a dark club, it's easier," he confessed. "You don't have to look at their faces."

So what's their problem?

"Just the idea of a holy man acting in a way that's maybe seen as dishonorable," he said. "That's tied to people's idea of God. Why are we so fearful?"

And that's why he's there in the first place.

"A lot of my material," he said, "is very much a parody of messages sent by the churches. All churches. Fear-mongering and guilt-tripping.

"God is more about life. Abundant life."

Tell that to his old flock in Kentucky.

Last at a small, 80-member church there, the idea of their pastor hanging out in a club didn't go over too well.

"There's a lot of politics in church, you know," McCormick said. "When (wife) Sarah and I went looking for a new calling, I made it a point to let people know upfront it's something I like to do."

It's been the perfect outlet.

"Comedy," he said, "has given me permission to be myself."

And, hey, he's got a whole book full of material.

"People expected my wife and I to give our children Biblical names," he said, "so we gave in and named them Abinadab and Nebuchadnezzar.

"It's especially difficult for them because they're both girls."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.