Dennis Hubert and friends in Kisumu, Kenya (photo by Karen Bougae)
Mark Wenz
Dennis Hubert, a native of Wisconsin and the youngest of six children, has had a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that continues to this day. Dennis was raised Catholic and became a Catholic charismatic at age 17. Shortly afterward, he joined a nondenominational Christian theater company and a fundamentalist church, which he attended for 14 years. What initially attracted him to that church was its belief in prayer and healing. His dream to be a minister was born. However, that church’s emphasis on the message that “we’re all sinners” just didn’t resonate with him, and his dream of being a minister subsequently died in 1996. He then left that church and began searching for one whose philosophy better coincided with his own beliefs. He eventually found Unity Church, which he joined in 2008, and his involvement with the church rekindled his dream to be a pastor.
Dennis suffered a personal setback in 2010 when his wife passed away on the day he was laid off from his job at the post office. Seeking support, he moved to Atlanta and started writing music in 2010 with his sister. After about a year, Dennis returned to the Phoenix area and in 2016 started taking classes to become a Licensed Unity Teacher (LUT). He now has the LUT credentials that authorize him to speak at different churches and teach classes. Although he’s not the primary pastor at Unity Church of Sun Lakes, he is highly involved in the church’s operations and often delivers the weekly message, conducts the platform, leads guided meditations, serves as prayer partner, teaches classes, and performs music, to name only a few of his many contributions.
Speaking of music, Dennis is an accomplished musician who has been working on an album of inspirational music, which he will introduce to the world on June 3 of this year at an album-release party at Sun Lakes Country Club. I have heard a sampling of the songs and am excited about hearing the album in its entirety when it is released.
Dennis’ current passion, in addition to speaking and teaching classes, is to open up a school for adult spiritual training as well as, eventually, an orphanage for children in Kisumu, Kenya, a city of half a million residents bordering Lake Victoria. This is a vision Dennis has had since visiting Africa some years ago. After attending the upcoming conference sponsored by the Centers for Spiritual Living in Nairobi, Dennis will remain in Kisumu to pursue his dream. He is currently in the process of setting up a nonprofit organization through which he will be able to operate his orphanage and school. “Boots are already on the ground” to get his project rolling, and he has board members both in Africa and here who are supporting his vision to become a reality. Dennis welcomes any financial donations, so if you would be interested in learning more about Dennis’ mission or in supporting his dream, you can contribute on his GoFundMe Page entitled “Lighting Up Africa,” at gofund.me/1661d43c. Dennis will soon be “Lighting Up Africa,” indeed.