Dr. Melissa J. Oates is a faith-driven educator, evangelist, author, mentor, visionary and transformational leader whose life and work are rooted in one mission: to help others heal, grow, and boldly walk in their God-given purpose. A native of Hickory, North Carolina, her journey has always been guided by faith, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to service. As a three-year drum major at Hickory High School, she learned early how to lead with confidence, discipline, and vision. Skills were developed and obtained that would later shape every dimension of her calling. She proudly made history as the first African American female drum major in the history of the city's school system.

Her path has never been conventional. Married and a mother at nineteen years old, Dr. Oates navigated early adulthood with courage while pursuing her college education at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Balancing family life, academics, and faith required strength and maturity far beyond her years, but those experiences cultivated perseverance and deepened her spiritual foundation. She pursued studies in Business Education and Music before completing a degree in Marketing, blending creativity with strategy in a way that would define her professional journey.

Dr. Oates’ passion for education was reignited while teaching at her daughter’s early childhood center. That experience awakened a calling to shape young minds and cultivate environments where students feel seen, valued, and empowered. Over the years, she has served learners from infancy through young adulthood across North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Her roles have included Teacher Leader, teaching a variety of content areas (Marketing, Sports Marketing, Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, Elementary Core, High School Social Studies, and facilitating Edgenuity), Department Chair, DECA Advisor, Student Council Advisor, National Honors Society Advisor, PBIS Coordinator, Curriculum Writer, Program Coordinator, and Athletic Coach. Her dedication to academic excellence and student empowerment was recognized in 2016 when she was named Wilmette Jenkins Teacher of the Year for Hickory Public Schools and 2027 Teacher of the Year for Snelson-Golden Middle School.

Committed to lifelong learning, Dr. Oates earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Organizational Leadership in 2018. In 2024, she completed a Doctorate in Ministry with a concentration in Christian Counseling, equipping her to guide individuals not only academically, but spiritually and emotionally. She completed a Master's degree in Educational Administration in 2026. Her work bridges education and ministry, offering holistic support that nurtures the mind, body, and soul.

Ministry has remained central to her identity. She was licensed in the AMEZ church as a local preacher in 2008 and later became licensed as an Evangelist in the COGIC in 2022. She has faithfully served in multiple leadership capacities, including Minister of Music, Youth Pastor, Evangelist Missionary, and Purity President within her jurisdiction since the start of her ministry journey in 2008; however, began ministry early as a child in her family's Gospel Singing Group - The Jennings Sisters, Inc where she served as a lead singer with her younger sister, mother, father, and cousins. She was initially trained in ministry under the leadership of the late Reverend Lenton D. Rhodes. And continued training under her mother Rev. Katie Jennings. Upon relocating to Georgia, she joined and currently serves at Full Gospel Tabernacle COGIC in Hinesville, Georgia, under the leadership of Bishop Antoine Shaw and First Lady Quamea Shaw. She also serves as Director of Drama and Arts at Full Gospel, Youth President for the Women's Dept under the leadership of Supervisor Sparina Williams, and committee member of the AIM Dept of the Historic First Jurisdiction of Southern Georgia COGIC under the leadership of President Pastor Dametric Shaw, Bishop Antoine Shaw and prelate Bishop Larry Shaw. Through creative expression, worship, and storytelling, she uses the arts as a vehicle for healing, restoration, and spiritual growth.

Writing has always been one of her deepest loves. From elementary school poetry and short stories to writing stage plays for her church as a teenager, storytelling has long been woven into her life. Today, as a published author, Dr. Oates writes with transparency and heart, exploring themes of faith, resilience, healing, family, and divine purpose. Her words are crafted to inspire hope and transformation, helping readers move from survival to wholeness and from brokenness to boldness.

Beyond the classroom and church walls, Dr. Oates remains deeply engaged in community service. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., where she served in leadership roles including Chair of Public Relations and Chair of Adopt-a-School for Z-HOPE in Hickory, NC (Nu Alpha Zeta). In her current Georgia chapter (Chi Pi Zeta), she serves with the Adopt-a-School committee under Z-HOPE. She has also served as a board member for Young People of Integrity in Hickory, North Carolina. Mentorship, youth development, and community outreach are not simply commitments—they are expressions of her calling.

Above all, Dr. Melissa J. Oates is a woman of faith, a devoted wife to Elder Larry Oates Jr., and a loving mother to two beautiful children - Makayla and Makai. Her life is anchored in the belief that healing is possible, purpose is intentional, and growth is continuous. She is passionate about helping individuals—especially teens and young adults—embrace their identity, establish healthy boundaries, overcome adversity, and step confidently into their next chapter.

This is more than a career. It is a calling. And through every role she carries—educator, evangelist, author, mentor, wife, mother—Dr. Oates continues to lead with positivity, authenticity, compassion, and unwavering faith, empowering others to live whole, live healed, and live on purpose.