Pete Sanchez Jr.

Dr. Pete Sanchez, Jr. serves as Executive Pastor of Worship for New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. His present role at New Life is to shepherd, teach, and be a spiritual father to a community of gifted and emerging musicians and worship leaders. Pete and his wife Karen made the transition to beautiful Colorado Springs in January of 2017 after serving 3 years as Executive Vice President of Academics for the main campus of The King’s University at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Prior to his time in Texas, he served as Executive Vice-President of Academics for Visible Music College (Memphis, Tennessee) and is a member of Visible’s advisory board.

From 1999 – 2011, Pete served as a Vice President for Integrity Music and Dean of The Integrity Worship Institute (Mobile, Alabama), an on-campus and online training school for pastors, worship leaders and artists. During these same years (2006 – 2011), Pete was Assistant Professor of Church Music and Worship Leadership at the University of Mobile in Mobile, AL where in partnership with Integrity Music, he helped develop and lead the University’s successful undergraduate worship leadership program.

Pete is a graduate of Houston Baptist University (BS – Music and Christianity) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDivBL; Doctor of Ministry). He has served as an adjunct professor for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Houston campus), Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA), Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA), Columbia Southern University (Orange Beach, AL) and the King’s College and Seminary (Van Nuys, CA). Pete has also served as a guest instructor for the Continental Theological Seminary in Brussels, Belgium.

He was a regular guest instructor and conference pastor for Integrity Media’s Seminars4Worship regional conferences. His international work with Integrity gave him the unique opportunity to help train pastors and worship leaders from many “closed” countries as well as leaders in Holland, Italy, Malaysia, England, Wales, Russia, Armenia, Cyprus, Taiwan, Belgium, Uruguay, and Brazil. As the composer of the popular worship song I Exalt Thee, Pete was also privileged to be the worship leader for the Integrity Hosanna! Music project, I Exalt Thee.

A native of Houston, Texas, Pete has enjoyed over 40 years of local, national, and international ministry experience, including the privilege of serving 4 Houston churches as youth minister, music director, worship leader, associate pastor, and senior pastor.

Pete and his wife Karen are members of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. Married for 47 years, Pete and Karen are blessed with a married son Scott, his wife Katharine, grandsons Caden, Isaiah and Joshua, and a married daughter, Elita Friesen, her husband Ryan, grandsons Noah, Jackson, Seth and a granddaughter Macy Jo.