Meet Carolyn
Carolyn Pankalla has been traveling around the world performing in front of thousands of people since she was 9 years old. Taking her message of hope and sharing her story of tragedy to triumph.
About Carolyn
Carolyn Pankalla has been sharing hope through music and the message of Christ since childhood.
Raised in a global ministry family that traveled more than 300 days a year, she sang before hundreds of thousands of people across the United States and abroad. Their ministry combined large-scale evangelistic events with hands-on mission work—building orphanages, digging wells, and delivering medical aid in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. Through it all, Carolyn developed an early understanding of both global need and unwavering faith.
Marked by profound personal loss—losing her mother at six, her father at thirteen, and later two siblings—Carolyn’s life has been shaped by resilience and a deep calling to reach the broken and unseen with hope.
As a nationally charting artist, her single “Broken Into Beautiful” gained national recognition. Her video “Veterans of the USA” reached #1 at the CMT Video Awards. Carolyn has also co-hosted several television programs. She has performed at the White House for President Ronald Reagan and ministered alongside Mother Teresa. Today, she continues to use music and speaking as powerful platforms to inspire faith, healing, and action.
Carolyn is the founder of Courageous and Free, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking and serving vulnerable and at-risk communities. Through outreach efforts and partnerships with community leaders, businesses, and churches, the organization is establishing an independent living home for young women ages 18–24.
Carolyn has been married to her husband, Sean, for over 25 years and is the proud mother of three.
Whether singing on stage or speaking in churches, conferences, or community events, Carolyn’s message remains clear:
“Winning isn’t about never failing. It’s about getting back up more times than you’ve been knocked down and trusting with your whole heart that God is real and that He loves you.”
About Carolyn
From Storms to Strength, and a Heart for the Hurting
Since I was old enough to stand, I was on stage singing, sharing hope through the message of Christ. Growing up in a family that traveled the world doing mission work, this calling was planted in me early on. We built orphanages, dug wells, and delivered medicine to Third World countries—but even as a child, I realized there were broken people right here in America.
I’m the youngest of seven kids, and for much of my childhood, life was lived on the road—traveling over 300 days a year, serving wherever we were called. While my upbringing was filled with purpose, it was also marked by loss. I lost my mother at six, my father at thirteen, my brother to pancreatic cancer, and my sister to sepsis. These storms left an indelible mark on my life, but they also forged the passion I carry today: to bring hope to those who feel abandoned, broken, and unseen.
When I first set out to foster children, I thought my focus would be on healing families. But what I discovered was shocking—many of these children were survivors of trafficking. This opened my eyes to an issue I thought only existed overseas. I knew I had to do something, and that realization became the seed for Courageous And Free Inc.
Today, my work centers on creating safe spaces for the exploited, addicted, homeless, and trafficked—those who have been told they’re nothing more than the labels society gives them. My heart is to help these individuals see the truth: that they are loved, valuable, and destined for more.
Through Courageous And Free, I’ve dedicated my life to reaching these precious souls—whether that’s in addiction homes, prison cells, or by partnering with sheriffs. Our thrift stores and outreach efforts are strategically located in the heart of the need. Every step we take is fueled by the hope found in Christ and the desire to show the
se individuals they are not their past.
The storms of my life have shaped me, but they’ve also made me resilient. And I believe that’s a message worth sharing: tough times don’t last, but tough people do. It’s this truth, born out of my own experiences, that drives me every day to serve, love, and restore hope to those who need it most.
- Carolyn has been happily married to Sean Pankalla for 24 years and is a proud mom to two young adults and a teenager.
- Carolyn serves as the Worship Pastor at First Baptist Clermont and, alongside her husband Sean, is preparing to launch a new podcast series, Courageous Conversations with Carolyn, set to debut in early 2025.
- She is actively working to establish a safe haven and refuge for girls who have experienced trafficking and abuse. In the meantime, Carolyn is leading outreach efforts, hosting awareness and education events in the community, and fundraising to make the vision of of a home, a reality.
- Her single “Broken into Beautiful” went to “22”on the charts “Veterans of the USA” went #1 on the CMT video awards.
- She has sung at the White House twice to perform for president Ronald Reagan
- She has sung for mother Teresa and helped her at her charity of “Destitute and Dying “