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Monica Bates

Associate Campus Pastor of Adult Ministries

monica.bates@gatewaypeople.com

Education
I studied and majored in International Relations at Trinity College in Washington, DC.

Saved 
In my late teens, I had friends that would visit on the weekends when I would visit my father, and they would share the love of God with me by inviting me to dinners and life groups. Something was different about my friends (their generosity, their love, their care for others), and whatever “it” was I wanted. My life was turned upside down when my mom was killed by a family member when I was 19 and those same friends shared the true love of Christ with me and I surrendered my shattered life for His extravagant life!

Family
My husband Brandon and I married on October 18, 1995. We have three awesome daughters: Kalin, Jaden, and Gabrielle 

Fun Facts

In my free time, I love working out with weights and cycling. I also love spending time outdoors with my family and reading and drinking coffee at the lake.

People might be surprised to know I almost worked in international relations. I wanted to represent our country in France. Right out of college, I actually worked for the White House during the Reagan Administration in the Office of Public Liaison. I passed our Executive Orders to the press; that was back when everything was on paper.

The best advice I’ve ever received is be the thermostat, not the thermometer. My mother always said that, and to this day it represents the best life lesson I have learned: be confident in who God has created me to be. In high school and college, I got caught up in who was popular and who wasn’t. I allowed myself to feel inferior when I was not embraced by the popular crowd. But as I grew to appreciate the differences in people and myself, I grew to love what God created in me. Now, I want to pass that lesson on to others.