Suzy
Bates

What do you do at Pulpit Rock?
I am an Executive Pastor here at Pulpit Rock, and I oversee all of our ministries to families and parents. I love ushering the next generation into all that God has for them. They can be leaders in our church NOW, they don’t have to wait until they are older! I care deeply about helping parents make the paradigm shift of fighting for their kids’ hearts, not their behaviors, and I want to equip parents with all the resources and encouragement they need to do so.

I grew up in the church, am a pastor’s daughter and married a pastor’s son. I was a pastor’s wife for years before becoming a pastor myself. I have seen all there is to see “behind the curtain” at church! I have never been a part of a church as healthy as Pulpit Rock. There is just something special about this place. I’m very proud to be in leadership here and I believe in this place and its leaders. I wouldn’t want my own family at any other church!

And now that I have used one too many exclamation points in this write up, here is a nice calm period to end this sentence with.

But I am a passionate person! So here’s one more exclamation point and then a period to counter balance the intensity.

What did you do before you joined our staff?
I have worked in various youth ministry settings including Young Life, residential treatment facilities and the local church. Prior to coming on full time at Pulpit Rock, I was coaching High School girls’ basketball in Manitou Springs. Go Mustangs!

An interesting thing about you is…
I used to be a backcountry backpacking guide in Yosemite National Park. In the late 90’s I was the fastest 100 meter hurdler in the great state of Oklahoma. And I am fairly accurate at naming an electric guitar by just hearing it played.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Well I am a mom, so I spend a lot of my free time as a chauffeur! But when I’m not driving our daughters around, you can find me outside with my husband. We are outdoor enthusiasts! We love the mountains and began taking our girls camping at very young ages. We love playing and listening to live music, sitting around the fire pit at night, working on our gardening skills and eating Mexican food.