meet our staff.
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Bill Bates, Senior Pastor I was born in the St. Louis area in 1947. I grew up in a military household where moves were frequent, but most of my growing up years were spent in Missouri and Kansas. I moved to North Dakota as a high school junior and graduated from Grand Forks Central High School and the University of North Dakota. Grand Forks Wesley UMC was my church where I was active in the youth group and taught 6th grade Sunday school while in college. I had known for years that I was called to ministry and did some supply preaching while at UND. I attended Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. and after the first year married my high school sweetheart in 1970. After seminary, Linda and I returned to ND to take my first parish (Fairmount-Bethany-Rosholt, SD) in 1973. Never having been a farm boy, I learned a lot about the rural economy and the small church and how important faith in God is as you live in harmony with the land. My second appointment was to Grand Forks Zion UMC where we spent 10 wonderful years in a church with many young families. Both of our children were born while we were at Zion. Zachary (29) and Bethany (25) found their first church home at Zion and were loved into God's family. The Eastern District Superintendency was my next appointment. I learned a lot about vibrant, alive churches and pastors...and I learned about church conflict and pain in ministry. After five years as a church administrator/trouble shooter, I was glad to return to being a pastor in a local church...Fargo First UMC. I had nine exciting, growing years of ministry with a loving, committed congregation and an incredibly gifted staff. My wife Linda, a dietician with the WIC program, remained in Fargo when I moved to Minot Vincent UMC in June of 2000. As is the case with most people, we never thought we would be divorced and found it humbling to find ourselves in that position. We have remained respectful and mutually supportive as we continue to share two great children and many valued friends. I served Minot Vincent UMC for five years where people loved me and shared their lives with me until I came to Sioux Falls First in June of 2005. I am on the Dakotas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and Board of Camping and Retreat Ministries. I have represented the North Dakota Conference and the Dakotas Conference at General and Jurisdictional Conferences and served on several General Boards. Both of my children married in the summer of 2003. Zac Bates is a musician and sound engineer in a recording studio in Minneapolis. His wife is a paralegal in a law firm. My daughter Bethany Dixon is a pediatric nurse in Grand Forks. Her husband Pat is in law school at UND. I am an avid fisherman and sports and music fan. I relax playing guitar or with a suspenseful novel or good movie. I try to walk or jog daily. |
