In the traditional Black Baptist churches of her childhood, Dr. Evelyn Ogletree didn’t see women in leadership roles. While faith was central to her upbringing, her close relationships with pastors like her father and stepfather taught her one thing: she never wanted to be a pastor’s wife.
“I saw a lot of mistreatment of the pastor's wife, not only by the pastor but by the people in the church,” said Dr. Ogletree. “They really just kind of ignored her and walked over her. They could treat her any kind of way and nothing was done about it. She just had to bear it, sit there dressed up, and act like she's happy.”
Now, over 50 years into her marriage, Dr. Ogletree serves as executive pastor at First Metropolitan Church alongside her husband and senior pastor, Bishop John D. Ogletree — known as “Bishop O” to the congregation. Since 1986, the couple has built a ministry in far northwest Houston that carries on the legacy of Black spiritual leaders while redefining the role of women in the church.
Finding her voice
Lifelong Houstonian Torsha Johnson also grew up in the Baptist faith and met her husband the day after he preached his inaugural sermon. Just under four years into their marriage and to Torsha’s surprise, Pastor Terrance H. Johnson — affectionately known as “Pastor J” — was called to establish the church that would become Higher Dimension Church in 1999, with Torsha serving as First Lady.
“All I knew was the First Lady kind of sat on the first row, or that she taught Sunday school, or she played the piano, or maybe directed the choir,” said Lady Johnson. “But most times, I saw her sitting on the front row in her hat, supporting her husband. So, when I got in this role, I didn't know the first thing about being a First Lady."
At first, Lady Johnson focused on taking care of her children and their home so Pastor J could take care of the congregation. Once her children grew up, she began alongside him to help build the ministry.
“It was really a pleasurable experience because I didn't have to work at trying to be somebody else or be like the former First Ladies. I thank God for the gifts that He gives us so that we can make a difference,” Lady Johnson said.
Breaking tradition
Both Lady Johnson and Dr. Ogletree said their churches started as traditional Baptist churches. As their congregations grew — and in part because their husbands’ openness to women in leadership roles created friction with other churches — they moved away from the Baptist label.
"We just wanted to love people, love God, and follow the Bible,” Dr. Ogletree said. “If you say you’re Baptist and [people] come into your church and see a woman at the pulpit, [they’d] say it is not a Baptist Church ... For us, the ministry that God was giving my husband took two people.”
Over time, Dr. Ogletree used her gifts to expand her role at First Metropolitan, moving from directing the children’s ministries to preaching, leading women’s conferences, organizing and directing the daycare center, creating new ministries, and training new leaders. She credits Bishop O for “allowing her to fly rather than hold her wings back.”
Lady Johnson said that as her husband went deeper into studying the Bible, the stories of leaders like Deborah, Miriam, Mary Magdalene, and Lydia led him to take a different approach, and because of that, it allowed her voice to be heard differently.
Empowering women
Dr. Ogletree and Lady J have created safe spaces within their ministries to equip women in their relationships with God, with their partners, and with themselves.
Whether it’s her annual women’s conference, her Mother’s Day brunch, or Breast Cancer Awareness brunch, Dr. Ogletree said she makes getting to know God fun and rewarding. She encourages women to identify the gifts they’ve been given to make a difference – even when it’s challenging.
“For women, they have to have the tenacity to hang in there, because the reality is, it’s still not a woman's world,” Dr. Ogletree said. “There are people who are more accepting now. My husband has changed a whole lot, and he's grown. But you have to give people that time to grow, because God has to do the growing there.”
As an entrepreneur, Lady Johnson has been building community inside and outside of the church. Her “Shower Chique” business aims to connect and empower women. While it’s a beauty and lifestyle and business, her message is simple: you're uniquely created and designed to make an impact in the world.
"If I never had the courage to speak up and say, ‘Here I am, use me,’ I don't even know if I would have been able to make the impact that I've made,” Lady Johnson said. “You can make a tremendous difference in the world if you have the courage to use your voice.”