Welcoming Rev. Dennis McCarty as our Sabbatical Minister for Summer–Fall 2025.​

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Rev. Dennis McCarty was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, and knew by age seven that he wanted to become a novelist. He studied English and journalism at the University of Utah, graduating cum laude in 1972.

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Though several of his fantasy novels were published by Ballantine/Del Rey (a division of Random House), Rev. McCarty eventually felt a deep call to liberal ministry. He earned his Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in 2003 and went on to serve Unitarian Universalist congregations in Indiana and Florida. He is now retired and holds the title of Minister Emeritus at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, Indiana.

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In addition to fiction, Rev. McCarty is a prolific writer of nonfiction, plays, songs, and liturgical resources. His 2018 book, Reflections: On Time, Culture, and Spirits in America, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and its e-edition was later honored by Writer’s Digest as one of the best self-published e-books of 2018–2023.

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His worship resource Religious Thoughts from a Gentle Atheist is widely used in UU services. Most recently, he returned to fantasy with Sherlock Holmes at the Siege of Troy (2022). He also performs a dramatic musical reading of his original play, Servetus: The Radical Reformed Musical, telling the story of Michael Servetus, a proto-Unitarian burned at the stake in 1553.

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Rev. McCarty resides in Bloomington, Indiana, with his life partner, Kate, and their two pampered cats. He enjoys visiting his daughters and grandchildren in Maine and continues to offer pulpit support and creative presentations around the country.​​

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