Pastor Tommy was born and raised in northern Kentucky. He experienced salvation at 5 years old; he was baptized in the Holy Ghost at 6 years old. At a very young age, everyone recognized that this young man was destined for the call of God upon his life. Gifted in music, he began playing the guitar, mandolin, and banjo and became the piano player at his home church when he was 8 years old.

He received many powerful prophecies by the old sanctified saints in their little, poor, country church including “You will preach in many nations,” “Your voice will be heard around the world,” and “The anointing of David will be upon you, to cause my people to worship.”

During Pastor Tommy’s teenage years, he experienced a great struggle between God’s will and the resistance of Satan. In 1972 at 16 years old, Pastor Bates prayed a simple prayer that totally transformed his life. “Lord, other people say You want me and You want to use me, but I want to know what You want. Do You really want me?” Those were the last thoughts that Pastor Tommy remembers about that night. From that night forward, Pastor Bates says, “I caught on fire!”

Pastor Bates received his BA and MA in Education from Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He has been the pastor of Community Family Church in Independence, Kentucky since 1981 but his ministry has touched the world through both his anointed music and his powerful Pentecostal preaching.