Lorie and Phil Gates

View Lorie and Phil's Speaking Schedule

Phil is a retired teacher, principal, and superintentent, and a Presbyterian Elder and Deacon.

Lorie is a retired elementary school teacher, and a Presbyterian Elder and Deacon.

Email Lorie and Phil at drmsg@cableone.com.

Biographical Summary

Lorie and Phil were married by two senior pastors, one from each of their respective home Presbyterian churches in Riverside and Wheaton, Il, June 13, 1959. Upon retirement from public education in the early 90's, Lorie and Phil, with the help of their Senior Pastor Rev. Tom Erickson, Valley Presbyterian Church, Paradise Valley, AZ, were led to a call to serve as volunteer interpreters for Presbyterian Border Ministry (PBM). Trained as Volunteers in Mission (VIMS) by PC(USA), over a period of three years they made PBM program presentations in churches throughout the Synod of Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), California, Colorado, Texas and Florida. When not doing this, they spent extended periods of time visiting and living at the seven border ministries located from MacAllen, TX to San Diego, CA and jointly administered by PC(USA) and the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. This allowed them the opportunity to become well acquainted with the ministries and the people associated with them, most particularly on the Mexican side of the border.

In 2003, Phil joined a dozen other Presbyterian pastors and laypersons in a two week visit to Zimbabwe and Mozambique under the auspices of The Outreach Foundation. During this time, the delegation visited church mission sites including several of the more than 40 Presbyterian churches recently started in villages in Tete Province, Mozambique with the help of PC(USA) missionaries. As an outgrowth of this visit, Phil's Grand Canyon Presbytery has since established a partnership with its counterparts in Tete Province, a partnership which focuses primarily on HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and other basic health education and care.

In the summer of 2005, Phil volunteered as a PC(USA) accompanier in Colombia for nine weeks. As a direct result of his exposure to widespread human rights abuse while there, he felt called to join with 15 others to engage in an act of civil disobedience by trespassing onto the Ft. Benning, Columbus, GA military base November 19, 2006. This was in protest of the existence of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Economic Security (WHINSEC), but better known by its former name, The School of the Americas (SOA). Arrested, he was subsequently sentenced to two months in a federal prison, a sentence which he completed in a Los Angeles federal prison May 18, 2007.

Lorie and Phil, who in March 2007 were jointly awarded the Grand Canyon Presbytery's annual George Brooks Peace and Justice Award for their joint involvement in this ministry, have teamed up to present informative programs about human rights abuse in Latin America and the role of the Presbyterian church and other concerned church and secular people in eliminating it.

The Gates' Program Presentation Menu

Sermon - Human rights advocacy and the church's role.

Minute for Mission - Accompaniment; SOA Protest; Other (3-8")

Slides/Power Point - PC(USA) Colombia Accompaniment Program (60")

Lecture/Discussion - PC(USA) Colombia Accompaniment Program (30-60")

Small Group Discussion - Accompaniment Program; SOA History & Current Status;
SOA Watch Protest Movement; Gov't Torture Policies/Practices; Prison Life; Volunteer Peace & Justice Opportunities.

Human Rights Victim Story: First Person Account: - Sister Dorothy Kazel's story (one of
four American churchwomen slain in El Salvador), portrayed by Lorie Gates (20"
plus time for Q&A).

Five Human Rights Victims' Stories; Thumbnail Accounts: - Based on interviews, Phil
Gates (20" plus time for Q&A).

Film Presentations & Discussion:

  • High Sierra (DVD) - Documentary follows the life of a youthful paramilitary officer, Medillin, Colombia, from beginning to end. (1'45" plus time for Q & A).
  • Innocent Voices (DVD) - Story of forcing children to become soldiers during the
    12 year civil war in El Salvador. (1'45" plus time for Q&A).
  • Prisoners of Conscience (Video) - Civil Disobedience at Ft. Benning documentary. (20" plus time for Q&A).
  • SOA: An Insider Speaks Out (Video) - A retired SOA staff member discusses training conducted at SOA that Pentagon does not want public to know about.
    (16" plus time for Q&A).

Adult Bible Study - Scriptural basis for justice and peace advocacy. (45-60")