HELPING THE young and lost is what one man in Lebanon was inspired to do all his life. 

Ronnie D. Kelley moved to Lebanon from Hartsville in the fourth grade. He grew up in the Wilson County School District and graduated from high school in 1973. He chose to spend his life with Gail Kelley, having been together for 49 years. They have three children — Angela, Timothy, and Titus — and six grandchildren.

In 1987, he began working at Burchett Ford, later renamed Bates Ford. The 68-year-old has been working there for 37 years now. 

An accident in 1977 changed everything for Kelley. Some people asked him for a ride. Something told him not to oblige, but he concurred anyway. The next thing Kelley knew, he had crashed into a tree and became hospitalized. Once finally released from the hospital, he was in a body cast for three months before receiving a leg cast. Since then, he has been committed to listening to the Holy Spirit.

“I hate to have to go through something like that to make something happen,” Kelley said.

The Holy Spirit is now leading Kelley to live a life of service, changing lives in his community. He is affiliated with the Wilson County Civic League, a nonprofit organization working to improve social conditions by promoting programs that enhance self-worth and dignity, placing an emphasis on young people. Problems tackled — through education, seminars, workshops, recreation, and regular tutoring programs — include drug abuse, teen pregnancy, violence, and AIDS. Kelley said at one point, the organization built about 23 apartments with a grant.

In 1999, Kelley graduated from Leadership Wilson, an organization dedicated to developing community leaders. He serves as a board member for the Lebanon Housing Authority to help provide safe and affordable housing. Kelley helps the hungry at Joseph’s Storehouse Food Ministry, shares the Word of God with inmates at Wilson County’s Jail Ministry, and supports his city at the Wilson County Election Commission. He also assisted in starting a community help center. Adding to his resume is his role as a deacon at First Baptist Church, nearly 20 miles away in Gallatin.

Because Kelley “doesn’t have enough to do,” he is also on the board of Lebanon Youth Baseball, a Little League club. He said many kids cannot afford to play travel ball, which is where the club comes in.

“We make sure those kids that play baseball don’t have to pay anything, and this year, we [also] took on softball. So we kind of coordinate both of those together, [and] we have a lot more kids playing ball,” Kelley said.

Bates Ford often donates to Wilson County Civic League and is mirroring his heart and endeavors. The dealership also supports Joseph’s Storehouse. 

When Kelley is not looking out for the youth, he likes to study the Bible, spend time with family, and watch the Tennessee Titans.

In his endeavor, some of Kelley’s greatest difficulties are striving to help those who fail to help themselves.

“We [have] to be patient,” Kelley said. “We [have] gotta understand that we were young once.”

That endeavor continues in church. 

“Right now, we’re trying to talk to young people,” Kelley said. “We’re trying to show them and have people come and talk with them and try to keep them out of trouble. We want to keep them on the straight and narrow and to do that, [you’ve] gotta stay with them all the time. First, [we’ve] gotta build relationships. Once we build a relationship, we can work with them.”

His grandfather and aunt taught him to do right by others and make responsible choices. Listening to those older and wiser was key to Kelley’s success in life. 

“I learned from the older people, and I cherished that,” Kelley said. “They believed in you and [would] help you. A lot of the older people back then [would] give you some advice, and if you followed their advice, [you’d] be okay. But if you [didn’t] try to do what they [said], they wouldn’t have much to do with you.” 

Listening is what led him to Bates Ford, after all. Before joining the dealership, Kelley had worked at a used car lot. One day, a man named James Pope approached him. 

“He said, ‘I’ve been watching you. You need to be at a new dealership,’” Kelley recalled. 

The young Kelley said he did not think it would work out, but he listened and applied to work at Burchett Ford. 

“I went in,” Kelley said. “I did exactly what he told me to do.” 

Long story short: Burchett Ford hired Kelley, helping to set him up for a life of service. GN