Center for Continuous Learning

Cynthia L. Pollard is a biblical storyteller who shares the sacred texts in a lively, dramatic, and expressive manner. She is an Adjunct Professor at Palmer Theological Seminary, where she has co-taught Biblical Storytelling with Dr. Deborah J. Winters. Cynthia has lectured and facilitated storytelling workshops and retreats in diverse settings. She is the creative behind “The First Housewives”, a storytelling concert exploring the lives of women in the Bible. A past president of the Network of Biblical Storytellers, International, she also brings 30 years of corporate expertise from a major law firm, where she retired as a Conflicts & Records Manager. Cynthia is an ordained Elder at The Resurrection Center in Wilmington, DE.

Deborah Winters loved the stories of the Bible so much, she went on to earn a Ph.D. and just retired as the Old Testament Professor and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University. She has co-edited the book, Who Killed Goliath? Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind, written on the Psalms in The Pastor’s Bible Study Vol. 3 A New Interpreter’s Bible Study, written sermons and worship settings for the Minister’s Annual Manual, edited an award winning book with 19 of her students, Through Her Eyes: Bible Studies on Women in Ministry, followed by a second book, The Marginalized, the Maligned, and the Miraculous: Bible Studies on Women in Scripture, and wrote the chapter on Amos in God’s Stories As Told By God’s Children. Deb and her husband Gary started God’s Precious Children, a non-profit organization working in Liberia, West Africa giving young people in need a better chance for a brighter future through an education. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and a Professional Certified Coach.

Rev. Kari Baumann is the Pastor to Children and Families at College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC. A former school librarian, Kari is passionate about progressive faith education for children and incorporates picture books in her programming. She lives in Greensboro with her husband, an elementary school teacher, and her son, a high school student. She enjoys reading, walking in the local park, and attending concerts and live theater. A native North Carolinian, Kari is a graduate of UNCG and Wake Forest University School of Divinity. This combination shapes her approach to children's ministry as both a storyteller and a careful curator of resources. She is a BJC Fellow and serves as an officer on the Baptist Joint Committee's Religious Liberty Council, work that reflects her commitment to faith formation grounded in freedom of conscience and respect for all beliefs.