Teaching Love & Laughter
Pastor, husband, father of seven, saxophone player and… ventriloquist? Winston Pearson is all the above. He started ventriloquism during covid, saying with a laugh, “I never thought I would be playing with puppets in my 40’s.” Pearson visits MLK Montessori School once a month to perform for students while teaching about emotions as well as black history.
When Greg Andrews, a grandparent of an MLK student came to Pastor Pearson with a request for mentors at MLK, Winston knew he wanted to bring his family of puppets to the children. His ventriloquism is a ministry that seeks to accomplish a special goal-shaping the future. Pearson says, “Ministering and mentoring young people guarantees great futures. If you want to shape the future, you shape the children. You have the power to make sure the future looks a certain way.”
The children look forward to his visits and learn important lessons along the way. Pearson believes children respond so well because they still have the gift of imagination. “Children have not lost their imagination. Imagination is God’s gift to help them see who they can be in the future.”
Pearson’s performances have a very special purpose: to teach children about dealing with their emotions. The topics range from handling frustration properly to understanding and naming what emotions they are truly feeling. Pearson says, “Children learn how to compress their emotions. If we can get to them now, they can live an authentic life.” This is important at MLK and other schools due to the emotional and mental impact the pandemic has left on children. Schools across the world are seeing an increased need for social and emotional skills training for young children.
In addition, Pearson uses his puppets to teach black history at MLK. The school has intentionally decided that black history month is every month. This includes everything from class lessons and school-wide activities to Pearson’s visits. The puppets have taught about MLK, Rosa Parks, Alfred L. Kralle, inventor of the ice cream scoop and Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the super soaker. As for his own legacy, Pearson hopes that it will be “Teaching people how to reach their dreams without compromising who they are. You can be who God created you to be and you don’t have to compromise that.”
Pastor Pearson is enthusiastic when describing his work at the school. “I finally found a school that encourages a child to learn at the rate they are supposed to, lets them be who they are supposed to be and teaches them how to use their emotions the right way. MLK is a very unique and involved school.”
To book Pastor Winston Pearson for a performance, find him on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, winstonpearson260@gmail.com or 260-267-2937.
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