Kate Bringardner of Louisville, Kentucky, will be a featured coach and presenter at all three preaching camps this summer. She promises to bring an original and powerful element to the learning dynamics of the camps.
Bringardner has studied at the Conservatory at Point Park in Pittsburgh and graduated from Georgetown College in Kentucky. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in performance from DePaul University in Chicago. She now is a vocal dynamics coach and consultant for professionals. From her home office, she publishes a blog on the subject entitled Word Juice.
“She is teaching me things I never learned at Vanderbilt Divinity School,” says client Dave Emery. “I am working hard to change engrained patterns of breathing and speaking.” Emery is pastor of Middletown Christian Church in Louisville and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Academy of Preachers.
“Most public speakers, including ministers, are not introduced to these critical issues,” explains Bringardner. “They are taught content development, illustration, opening and closing a speech or sermon. These are important, but they ignore the single most important ingredient of successful communication: the voice.”
Besides bringing attention to the central role of the voice, Bringardner specializes in drills that allow a young preacher to understand his or her voice, to recognize its strengths and weakness, and to make significant improvement in how the voice is used to communicate a message.
And, oh, as a matter of full disclosure: Kate is my daughter, so she has heard plenty of preaching, most of it in dire need of her professional assistance!! She also attended the inaugural Festival of Young Preachers in January and heard her share of that preaching.
“I can help these young preachers,” she said to me; and I believe her. Become her Friend on Facebook.