Mary Ann Paille

Ask Mary Ann Paille (pie’-uh) what she hopes someone will gain from hearing her speak, and she’ll likely answer, “Courage!” That, in fact, is the key word in what she believes is her mission statement from God:

“To give others the courage to be the people God has called them to be.”

Mary Ann ministers from the passionate belief that God has more in store for His people than they can even imagine, if they’ll just take a deep breath and trust. Life as a believer, she insists, is meant to be exciting! How could it not be, when we have such an exciting God?

As an actress for more than 25 years, Mary Ann had appeared in scores of commercials, training films, and print ads when she was challenged to enter her church’s Women’s Ministry talent show. Putting together a combination of Christian stand-up comedy and story-telling, she thought it was a great idea...until she sat waiting her turn at the event. “Woman after woman got up and sang hymns or did interpretive readings of Scripture”, she recalls, “and there I sat, with Barbie dressed up as the Queen Esther Action Figure. All I could think of was, ‘I’m doomed’!” Much to her surprise, her act was a hit, and for the next several months, she found herself performing her comedy routine at various women’s meetings and church events.

It was during that period that her Pastor recognized in her a love of God’s Word and asked her and her husband to teach a Young Adult Bible Study. “Eventually,” she explains, “God just put the two together. Now I’m a speaker who just happens to have a humorous take on life.”

While her delivery style has often been described as entertaining, her topics can touch on the not-so-funny: life issues and personal struggles that are, as the Bible puts it, “common to man”...and woman. Her own experience with the Savior who shines His light into dark places fuels her passion to see others experience for themselves the exhilaration of life with Him. “Two things I have become convinced of, “she states. “Everyone has a deep-down desire to live beyond the ordinary, even if they don’t know how...and no matter how many people are in the audience, I am never the only ‘cracked pot’ in the room.” And hopefully, by the grace of God and the power of His Word, not the only one to experience the life-altering love of Jesus Christ, the One Who gives beauty for ashes and sets the captives free.

Mary Ann makes her home in Imperial, MO with her husband-from-France, Michel, and their cat-from-the-pound, Jasmine.

Email: mapaille@sbcglobal.net

Phone: 314-540-4486.