Reality TV Star Who Is One of 19 Kids Takes You Inside His Famous Family: 'Faith Is Everything to Us

Reality TV star Lawson Bates sees why his family might get some strange looks from those who don't understand why his parents — Gil and Kelly Bates — decided to have 19 kids.

Bates, whose family is featured on UP TV's "Bringing Up Bates," recently told TheBlaze what it's been like growing up with so many siblings.

After all, just consider what it must be like rallying everyone to a restaurant or special event.

"When we're going somewhere there will be a 15-passenger van, and then a suburban, and then a truck and then a car," Bates said.

Logistics aside, Bates said that his parents and siblings take their UP TV show quite seriously, seeing it as a profound opportunity to discuss their Christian faith with a wide audience.

"Faith is everything to us," he said. "Faith — it is who we are and we don't ever want to hide that, because God gave everything for us and we just want to go out there and be a testimony for him."

Listen to Bates discuss his family below:

Bates — who is also a budding country singer — said that he's been able to "share the gospel" with fans around the world, as some send letters saying that they're curious about his Christian views; he said that he regularly responds.

He also said that he understands critics who are perplexed by his parents' decision to have such a massive family.

See Bates talk about his new song "I Will Always" below:

"If I was from a family of two or three I would say, 'Wow, that's weird, but I think my parents instead of chasing a lot of career dreams and a lot of goals ... us kids where their hobby and we were their investment."

Read what Bates had to say in a previous interview with TheBlaze.

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