Carolyn Dusty Pruitt was born on July 19, 1946, in Ballinger, Texas the first of three siblings. She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Jacksonville Baptist College in Jacksonville, Texas in 1965. She graduated in 1970 from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Spanish with a minor in Education. Pruitt was an Army officer from 1970 to 1983, transferring to the Reserves in 1976. In 1980, she graduated from the Cliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado with a Master of Divinity. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree from Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California in 1987. Pruitt started her ministry as Assistant Pastor of Agape Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Fort Worth, Texas and Denver, Colorado. She was the pastor of MCC Long Beach, California for 15 years, until 1995. After leaving MCC Long Beach, Ms. Pruitt was pastor for various MCC churches until her retirement in 2001 with 25 years of service.

In 1983, during her pastoral tenure and her position as a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) defense instructor in the Army Reserve, she gave an interview to the Los Angeles Times, "Pastor Resolves Gay, God Conflict: Church Works to Heal Homosexuals' Religious Scars." The article initiated a review into Ms. Pruitt's character causing her promotion to major to be withdrawn; and she was subsequently honorably discharged. Together, the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund fought a 12-year legal battle which ended in 1995 with Pruitt's reinstatement and promotion to Major, then retirement from the Army Reserve.

As of 2012, she is the Pastor of Safe Harbor United Church of Christ (UCC) and a hospice chaplain. She lives in Sussex County, Delaware.

Source: Pruitt, Dusty. "Rev. Dr. Dusty Pruitt." http://dustypruitt.com (accessed February 23, 2012).