Dr. Suzanne Bates and Dr. Jessie Swigart Promoted to Associate Professor Status

Covenant Seminary is pleased to announce the promotions of two long-time faculty members from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor status in their respective departments as of July 1, 2026.

Dr. Suzanne Bates

Dr. Suzanne Bates, now Associate Professor of Counseling, joined the Seminary faculty in 2010 as an Adjunct Professor of Counseling, becoming Assistant Professor of Counseling in 2018. From 2013 to 2018, she also served as Associate Dean of Students. She holds a PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, a Master of Arts in Counseling from Covenant Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Fontbonne University. In addition to her teaching and mentoring of students, Dr. Bates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who provides counseling part-time as Staff Counselor for New City Fellowship–St. Louis, and, for more than two decades, has offered care and counsel to individuals, couples, and families of diverse populations, including the incarcerated, immigrants, and refugees. She is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, with four grown children and four grandchildren.

Dr. Jessie Swigart

Dr. Jessie Swigart, now Associate Professor of Educational Ministries, continues also as Dean of Academic Administration, a role she took on beginning in 2016. Dr. Swigart has served the Seminary in several overlapping administrative and faculty capacities: Academics Coordinator (2009–2013), Adjunct Professor of Educational Ministries (2013–2015), Assistant Professor of Educational Ministries (2015–2026), Associate Dean of Academics (2013–2015), Associate Dean of Academics and Online Learning (2015–2016), and Dean of Academic Administration (2016–present). In her dual roles, Dr. Swigart leads administrative teams and teaches courses on educational theory and the practice of teaching and learning in the life of the church. Her PhD research explored early-career identity formation among those in the helping professions. Dr. Swigart holds a PhD in Educational Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, an MA in Educational Ministries from Covenant Seminary, and a BA in English from Eastern Illinois University, with a minor in speech communication.

Dr. Paul Loosemore, Director of the Counseling Department and the Counseling Center at Covenant Seminary, said of Dr. Bates, “Suzanne brings a wealth of experience from the counseling field into the classroom. Her heart the Lord and his people is evident in the ways she cares for her students and clients. She has been and will continue to be a tremendous asset to the Counseling Department and to the entire Seminary community in so many ways. We are grateful for her and look forward to seeing how the Lord will bless others through her for many more years.”

Dr. Robbie Griggs, Dean of Faculty for the Seminary, said, “I echo Dr. Loosemore’s comments about Suzanne and add that it is a joy to see not only how good a teacher and mentor she is, but also how beloved she is by her students and those she works with as a counselor. Suzanne is a wonderful example of Covenant Seminary’s life-on-life way of training God’s servants for service to his church and Kingdom. The same can be said for Jessie as well, whose skill as an administrator, excellence as teacher, and love for the Lord extend far beyond the Seminary office or classroom. She is wonderful at instilling in students a greater love for learning and for communicating what they learn with both professionalism and grace.”

Dr. Brad Matthews, Vice President of Academics, commented, “We are tremendously grateful for both Dr. Bates and Dr. Swigart. They are experts in their respective fields, excellent teachers, passionate for the formation of students, and sincere in their desire to communicate the love of Christ both inside and outside the classroom. Both serve the seminary and local church in countless ways with kindness and patience. I continue to be amazed at how the Lord blesses Covenant Seminary through his provision of faculty members like Suzanne and Jessie. This advancement in rank is well-deserved!”

The Seminary’s students, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees congratulate Dr. Bates and Dr. Swigart and celebrate with them this new career milestone.