Dusty Garison is a sixth-generation Native Texan, born and raised in Southeast Texas. He attended Dallas Christian College, where he met his wife Kathy. They were married in 1978, and he graduated and was ordained to the ministry in 1979. They have four children - Travis (32), Drew (27), Brittany (21), and Erin Beth (14).
Dusty has pastored churches in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Minnesota. He has also worked as a broadcaster, radio newsman, and as an assistant and speechwriter for Rick Perry. He received his master's degree from Abilene Christian University in 1992, and worked as General Manager of the campus radio station at Milligan College (Tennessee), as well as Adjunct Professor of Communications.
He came to work at CCC in 2008 as the Community Coordinator for the College Heights neighborhood. Dusty and Kathy say they were attracted by the opportunity to live out the principles of personal ministry among their neighbors, and to have their home serve as an outpost of the Kingdom. They believe that their current work of building relationships with neighbors has many similarities to serving a congregation - only with the whole neighborhood.
The Garisons attend Beltway Park Baptist Church in Abilene, where Dusty teaches the Investigators Bible Class. A personal high point came in 2009, when he was able to visit Israel. Dusty has also made mission trips to Dubai (2005) and Peru (2012). He writes a weekly blog, SipWithDusty.com, and enjoys listening to the Blues, studying history, working on his model trains, and riding on real ones.