Kelly L. Bates-Oglesby

Kelly Lynette Bates Oglesby was born on November 23, 1962, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was the third child of Bessie Elizabeth Oakley Adams (deceased) and Leon Bates, Jr. Kelly spent the majority of her life in Indianapolis, Indiana, though she lived and served as a Co-Pastor in Terre Haute, Indiana for over ten years. She attended public schools #73, #66, and Harry E. Wood Junior High School. Kelly was a gifted student. She attended Thomas Carr Howe High School for only three years before graduating in 1980 when she was 17 years old. During Kelly’s formative years, she gave her life to Christ at Messiah Missionary Baptist Church. She later attended Christ Temple Apostolic Church where she received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. In her youth, she was an avid reader and writer. She also took piano lessons, learned to play the cello, was active in Girl Scouts and Young Life Youth Organization, and played softball at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. Along with her various extracurricular activities, she enjoyed working and was employed for a time at Wishard Hospital and Target department store. She also found time on Saturdays to work at her uncle’s shoe repair shop with her brother John.

Kelly loved learning and researching on any and all topics, it didn’t matter whether it was in academia or religion. This attribute propelled her to great heights in whatever she aspired to do. She received numerous accolades, awards, and honors for her academic, ministerial, and career achievements, far too many to list here. She accepted these honors graciously and with a humble spirit, receiving less gratification from rewards than she did from working hard to achieve her goals. After high school she attended Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, for two years of undergraduate study, developing a passion for studying Black History and a deep yearning for social justice. She later obtained two undergraduate degrees, a bachelor's degree from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and a bachelor’s degree in African American/Women’s Studies at Indiana State University, which may have been her most prized accomplishment. Although she was proficient in her ministry, she went on to obtain a Master of Divinity from the Christian Theological Seminary. At the time of her passing, she was aspiring to complete a doctoral degree. Kelly was intelligent, articulate, and had a unique mastery of the use of the English language. We just said that she was smart, real smart.

On November 23, 1982, Kelly Lynette Bates married Herman E. Oglesby, and the two became one. This marriage lasted over thirty-eight years, until her departure from this life. It was a rarity to see either Kelly or Herman without the other. If you saw one alone, you best believe the other not far away. Herman would say these lyrics to Kelly: I love more today than yesterday/ but not as much as tomorrow. As Herman put it, “Over the years our love for each grew stronger and stronger. I could say thirty-eight years was not enough time to love her the way I wanted to, but she was the answer to my prayers for someone I could love and someone to love me and thank God for all of those years. I could speak to what a great wife she was and of all the memories but the sadness of this loss is too overwhelming. I will say that our marriage was on display for all to see for the Glory God.”

Early in their marriage, Herman started in the ministry, and Kelly was there encouraging him and sometimes pushing him. One night, Herman had a dream or vision. In that dream, he was trying to get into a church but couldn’t get in. He checked every door and window to no avail. Then the Lord told him, “You can’t go in without her.” That day Kelly and Herman became a team in ministry. It did not matter whether it was she or he who was ministering; they were always supporting and encouraging each other. Kelly served as a pastor, co-pastor, minister, elder, and associate pastor at many different churches and in many denominations. She labored at Baptist, Freewill Baptist, United Methodist, Apostolic, Mennonite, and non-denominational churches across Indiana. You may ask why didn’t she just stay at one place or the other? This is something she and Herman would talk about, and they even had the desire to do just that. But, the call that God had over Kelly’s life and ministry went beyond the limits of one church or denomination. She was assignment driven according to the will of God. When God said go, she went and didn’t need to ask for how long. She stayed until the assignment was finished and moved obediently to the next assignment. Kelly understood that the work was great and always sought a way to do more work for the Lord. Even when Kelly became active on social media, she used it to the glory of God. It was as if she had a God-given gift for social media, and this allowed her ministry to expand not only nationally but globally. She received invitations to speak and teach from the east coast to the west coast and in places like Ghana, Brazil, China, Jamaica, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Bermuda. Using her talent for social media, she attended most, though not all, of these engagements virtually ensuring, through whatever means possible, that the word went forth and produced much fruit for the kingdom. The Bible says in Matthew 22:14, For many are called but few are chosen. We do believe with our whole hearts that Kelly was chosen. Many of you here today, whether family or friend, are here because of her ministry touching you in some way.

Kelly and Herman had five children and sixteen grandchildren, Momma and Granna, respectively, is what they called her. For her, these children were a source of pride, joy, and, occasionally, some big fun. Although she was stern and serious with them, there was nothing she would not do to see them prosper in life and the Kingdom of God. She was not only a mother to her children, but she was also a caregiver and mother figure to a host of other children in her family and community. There were times when she would have as many as eleven other children living in her home. She loved them all equally while still focusing on the type of love each individual needed. They all valued their private moments with her, never judging but always forgiving and encouraging them to move forward. She would hear from time to time, “She is not your momma she is mine.” But, she didn’t let this slide. She instilled in all of her children that we are all family, whether by blood or not. As her children became adults, they felt honored to have shared their mother with so many when they saw the responses from so many she touched. Now, they carry with them her legacy to love, care and share with everyone, as we are a family of servants and bound to sacrifice.

Kelly departed this life on January 15, 2021. She was preceded in death by her mother Bessie E. Oakley Adams and father-in-law Frank Bibb, Sr. She is survived by her husband, Herman E. Oglesby III, her children Katrena Oglesby-Clay (William), Khloe Oglesby, Stephen Oglesby, Julie Oglesby Ross (Tyler), and Isaac Oglesby, her grandchildren Sheila, Kenzington, Robert, Hallie, Mason, Seven, Evan, Rhyan, Xzayvier, Zakary, Seth, Xuri, Ezra, William Jr., Logan, and Frankie, her mother-in-law, Margaret Bibb, father and step-mother Leon and Joan Bates, siblings Leon Bates (Celesta), John Bates (Santamara), Julie Graves (Anton), Sheila Bates, and Nicolle Bates-Brown, friend, Meloine Magee, and, cousin,

Dr. Dawanna Stubbs (Robert). She also leaves a vast number of extended family and friends.