About

I am an ordained minister with 30 years of church ministry experience, affiliated with various denominations, including Adventist, non-denominational, and have held membership with Southern Baptist since 2001.

I now serve as pastor of Apostles Fellowship in Mobile, Alabama, a simple church gathering that meets at our Mobile Wedding Chapel.

I am also involved in banquet comedy, and of course… at the center of my ministry is officiating weddings and giving couples an excuse to have a honeymoon, and I have done that for over 1200 couples!

OUR MISSION…

Steve Durkac Weddings provides the do-it-yourself bride with clergy officiating, digital photography options, and coordinating assistance for beach elopements, simple ceremonies, and use of our Mobile Wedding Chapel for weddings that are convenient to plan, affordable to do, meaningful to the groom, and memorable forever!

I see Steve Durkac Weddings as a ministry, but I respect it as a business. I enjoy the balance of it and enjoy involving my family and friends as part of our network of officiants and photographers. I have a network of five clergy officiants, involved in either church or chaplain ministry, ordained ministers with either a Baptist, Methodist, or Evangelical affiliated endorsements.

My eldest daughter, Stephanie Fowler, has recently moved down to Mobile from Huntsville and is taking an active role in Steve Durkac Weddings, including consulting and photography.

SOME PERSONAL STUFF…

I am North Dakota born, Ohio bred, but when I’m gone, I’ll be Alabama dead. I’ve been in this beautiful state since 1996 and now live in Mobile, Alabama with my beautiful bride, family, and a pet dachshund “Keef.”

I enjoy providing clean entertainment through banquet comedy and edu-tainment for audiences on the topic of “Therapeutic Laughter” and am a huge Jerry Clower fan!

PREMARITAL COUNSELING…

I am a pastoral counselor by experience and education, a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, but I am not a licensed psychologist or therapeutic practitioner. As a pastor I can offer encouragement, guidance, and practical insights that you can choose to apply to your needs, according to your own relationship before marriage or after marriage. Please read more about my counseling services at my Premarital Counseling page.

THEOLOGY OF MARRIAGE…

While our society is rapidly changing its foundations in regard to marriage, its legal revisions of cultural norms, and creating questions on clergy acceptance of the Bible as the standard of truth, I recognize the necessity to share my own theological positions by affirming The Baptist Faith & Message Statement on the Family and the Apostles Fellowship‘s statement of belief on ”…marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman in mutual respect and companionship, and within the family structure as parents and siblings, and as children of God before men (Genesis 1:26-28).”

While same sex unions are not legal in Alabama, I periodically get inquiries on officiating ceremonies for same sex couples. I believe all people, regardless of sexual orientation, have civil rights and are equally children of God in the human family. I do not condone prejudice, accusations, or abuse against homosexuals, and advocate respect and non-discrimination, while upholding my personal religious convictions and organizational affiliations that do prevent me from officiating any same-sex union ceremonies.

CERTIFIED LAUGHTER LEADER…

I have done my duty to help audiences laugh as a Certified Laughter Leader, and I still enjoy doing that from time to time, but I’m often asked how I got into banquet comedy, and here’s the story…

One day while working with Hurricane Katrina victims, as a hospital chaplain, I was struck by the quick turn-around one patient took, when he suddenly found something to laugh about. On a follow-up visit, he began to tell me about how he was thinking about something a comedian once talked about.

As I was listening to him tell the story, I wanted to jump in and finish for him – because was reciting an old George Carlin comedy bit, called “Stuff.” The bit was one of my favorites!

He shared how he realized that all he lost, was just stuff. He said he got to thinking that he really is thankful that none of loved-ones were lost. I was simple nodding my head, trying not to interrupt. Then he started to recite the comedy bit again, and this time he stopped and said, “Rev, you’re smiling…You don’t know who George Carlin is do you?”

I said, “George Carlin? Of course I do. Before I was ‘Rev’ is was ‘Irev’ – I grew-up in the 70′s near Toledo, Ohio – I know George Carlin.”

He then said, “Well, then you would remember the bit he did on ‘Stuff.’ We both rushed to recount that comedy bit and laughed in his hospital room as we took turns reciting the lines to that comedy bit!

I was amazed by the emotional and physical healing that took place for him after that unscheduled session of comedy, humor, and laughter.

That encounter set me off on a serious two year study of the dynamics of humor and laughter and its place in our emotional, physical, and spiritual well being.

In that process, I became a Certified Laughter Leader and discovered medical research and therapeutic practices of laughter that goes beyond entertainment. I’ve taken my message of laughter and humor to local and national media outlets and am always happy to speak to any audience that wants to laugh more, stress less!

Please visit my www.banquetcomedy.com website to learn more about my humorous speaking/comedy presentations

MEET UP…

If you live in the Gulf Coast area or will be in the area, I will be happy to sit down with you over a cup of coffee at a Starbucks or meet at my office to talk about your wedding plans or any premaritial or relationship coaching, or pastoral care issues that you may want an ear and/or some insight on in order for your marriage or life success. Please contact me and I ‘ll be happy to arrange a meet-up.

Prefer Skype? That makes the distance thing a non-issue. If you you want to talk about your wedding or event. Just let me know!

If you are a Facebook user, please Friend Me and learn more about me and view some family photos there, too. “Like” my Facebook wedding fan page, too!