To help you get to know the Bates family better, we compiled a list of FAQs. Enjoy! For more, visit our brand new FAQ page.
Q: How much pizza and ice cream do the Bates eat?
A: 9 large, single topping pizzas and 1.5 gallons of ice cream
Q: What makes Lawson laugh?
A: The Dick Van Dyke Show
Q: How much does the Bates family spend at McDonald’s?
A: Approximately $50
Q: How did Gil become a pastor?
A: By serving alongside other pastors
Q: How do the kids find alone time?
A: Josie says: “There’s plenty of outdoor space.”
Q: What denomination are the Bates, and where do they attend church?
A: The Bates are Independent Baptist. They attend Bible Baptist Church, which meets at the Holiday Inn Express in Clinton, Tennessee on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings.
Q: What are the Bates' favorite indoor games?
A: Card games
Q: Are the Bates recognized everywhere they go?
A: Not always, but they really enjoy meeting fans.
Q: How can you meet the Bates family?
A: By visiting their church (see above).
Q: What is Carlin up to these days?
A: Carlin will start an online degree at Crown College Minnesota in fall 2016.
Q: What is the Bates' mailing address?
A: PO Box 544 Rocky Top, TN 37769
Q: When will season three of Bringing Up Bates be available on Amazon?
A: Hopefully by July 2016
Q: How is Erin doing?
A: Erin is doing very well. She is due in August.
Q: What is the status of Tori’s relationship?
A: Tori and Bobby are boyfriend and girlfriend, but they are not officially courting...yet.
Photos courtesy of UP
Q: How much pizza and ice cream do the Bates eat? A: 9 large, single topping pizzas and 1.5 gallons of ice cream
Q: What makes Lawson laugh?
A: The Dick Van Dyke Show
Q: How much does the Bates family spend at McDonald’s?
A: Approximately $50
Q: How did Gil become a pastor?
A: By serving alongside other pastors
Q: How do the kids find alone time?
A: Josie says: “There’s plenty of outdoor space.”
Q: What denomination are the Bates, and where do they attend church?
A: The Bates are Independent Baptist. They attend Bible Baptist Church, which meets at the Holiday Inn Express in Clinton, Tennessee on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings.
Q: What are the Bates' favorite indoor games?
A: Card games
Q: Are the Bates recognized everywhere they go?
A: Not always, but they really enjoy meeting fans.
Q: How can you meet the Bates family?
A: By visiting their church (see above).
Q: What is Carlin up to these days?
A: Carlin will start an online degree at Crown College Minnesota in fall 2016.
Q: What is the Bates' mailing address?
A: PO Box 544 Rocky Top, TN 37769
Q: When will season three of Bringing Up Bates be available on Amazon?
A: Hopefully by July 2016
Q: How is Erin doing?
A: Erin is doing very well. She is due in August.
Q: What is the status of Tori’s relationship?
A: Tori and Bobby are boyfriend and girlfriend, but they are not officially courting...yet.
Photos courtesy of UP
Wait... What's the difference between boyfriend/girlfriend and courting?
ReplyDeleteBobby is Tori's friend who is a boy. If they were courting it would say they are in a courtship. Hope this helps!:)
DeleteThis is when they have genuine interest in each other. Courting is they decided to make a commitment they are intending to be together is my understanding.
Deletecourting is when you are most likely going to get engaged. :) Boyfriend and girlfriend are just dating and still getting to know each other.
DeleteCourting is with intent of marriage, but boyfriend/girlfriend is just getting to know eachother- not exactly a direct intent, but usually leads to courtship
DeleteI didn't know the Bates' could watch tv
ReplyDeleteThey watch videos. They only watch TV when out at places that have a tv.
DeleteThanks for sharing these fun facts.
ReplyDeleteIf Bobby & Tori are NOT courting then that means they are just friends getting to know each other a little better. They should not be called "boyfriend/girlfriend" unless they are really courting which means they are on a more serious level in their relationship. That kind of terminology confuses people.
ReplyDeletewe consider courting as exclusive or going steady.
DeleteIf you're not dating, and you're not courting, but you're boyfriend and girlfriend, then what's the relationship called?
DeleteBoyfriend and girlfriend?? Isn't that "dating??" I thought dating was against their rules.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange to me too, I think that boyfriend/girlfriend for the Bates is a phase similar to normal dating, but with limited to no-physical interaction.
DeleteThen comes courting, which is like a pre-engagement phase, where two people decide that they can potentially see themselves married to each other.
Bobby is her friend who is a boy.
DeleteNo its not against their rules. Tori & Body can call themself what they wano so they are Boyfriend and Girlfriend.
DeleteThe Bates rules are different they can call it want every they wsnt.
They date, they call it courting.
DeleteIt's not just a friend who is a boy, because I bet that as he gets to know Tori he is also Carlin's and Josie's and Trace's friend, and everybdy else's. Just as much as Tori can have multiple male friends.
DeleteBoyfriend and girlfriend are two people who are involved in a romantic relationship. In the case of the Bates they have very limited physical contact, and if the relationship proceeds and they start seeing each other as potentially married in the future, they start courting, then get engaged and married.
I really wonder how the Bates only spend 50 dollars at mcdonalds!! 50 dollars would buy just 10 kids a cheap 5 buck meal each..what about the rest of the family? (plus I think the meals are even more than 5 they are probably 6 or more each.)
ReplyDeleteDollar menu... (Personal experience ;)) Cheeseburger, small french fry and a water is what I got growing up!
Delete2-3 items on the dollar menu and glasses of water, which are free: 2.5*19=47.5. (That's how my family of 14 does it.)
DeleteI wondered the same thing.
DeleteThey find really good deals. They are smart about when they go.
DeleteMy family is large and we can eat out more often if we choose cheap things like a $1 burger (maybe two if there's boys) each, and we'll share a couple sodas, and get a few large fries to share too... That makes it way more affordable. Most large families don't get meals for each person ;)
DeleteThere's dollar menus?
DeleteYep! We have 6 kids and my mil lives with us. We order off the dollar menu and use coupons. We eat really cheap:)
DeleteMaybe the bates just go to mcdonalds for ice cream cones... Or maybe there is a typo on that one... Or maybe they dont eat as a whole family at mcdonalds.
ReplyDeleteYou can get the $1.00 menu that's how they do it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Trace doing these days?
ReplyDeleteIn answer to the McDonald question, when have a large family unless you're wealthy, u buy like us :-) We have 8 in our family, the bates 17 at home, and we eat at McDonald's for around $20. We split nuggets or get $1 cheese burgers and 2 fries to share! And we drink water...
ReplyDelete$50 at McDonald's? They must buy hamburgers off the value menu, and no fries or drinks.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about the church they attend. Did they start this church themselves? and if so why? Seems there are plenty of churches everywhere and they would make a great addition to any church.
ReplyDeleteHey I've been following the blog Kelly writes for years. In one post she said Gil had felt God telling him to preach which of course he ignored at first. Then eventually it was so strong that he told his at the time pastor who told him he better go start a church if that's what God's telling him lol.
DeleteJim Bob did the same thing, only his church was at home. Churches/preachers don't pay taxes. Important to note that.
DeleteI am European and the concept of people just "starting churches" is so strange to me... If there isn't some control they could become cults...
DeleteDo you know if Gil was ordained? Ellie, please, let me know.
ReplyDelete