Clark Bates

Greetings from the high plains of southwest Nebraska where the people are friendly and the sunsets awe inspiring. My wife Dawna and I have called McCook, NE home for the past 37 years where I serve on staff at the McCook Christian Church. McCook is a small town of about 8,000 people and is surrounded by farms and cattle ranches. We live in a county where cattle far outnumber people, and it is not uncommon to encounter a tractor or combine on your daily commute. Some people might call it remote, but we call it remarkable. We have raised our four children in this remarkable place, and they are now grown and have families of their own. One son has returned to McCook and is serving on staff at the church, our other three are scattered around the country from Texas to North Carolina. Our kids have blessed us with 12 grandchildren who bring boundless joy to our lives. In our free time you will find us camping at one of the lakes in the area or on a journey to visit grandchildren. 

I serve as the Director of Partner Relations for 4CMI in Nebraska and the surrounding area. It is my pleasure to share the story of 4CMI with individuals and churches because I believe that our model for training workers for God’s Kingdom is an answer to the huge need for training people to serve in ministry. I have a burden for the small-town church, which is in a real struggle to survive, and a large part of the struggle is finding people who are properly equipped to lead and serve the church. 4CMI is all about raising up qualified workers for the church, and I am rejoicing to have a small part in making that happen.