The Rev. Billie Nowabbi
Pastor, Dallas Indian Mission United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas
http://www.umc-oimc.org/
Choctaw
Dallas Indian Mission became a ministry as a result of Native Americans being relocated through the federal urban relocation program back in the 1950s. Dallas was among the sites used in that program. Many people came from the reservations in New Mexico, Oklahoma and sought employment in Dallas. Job opportunities¡¦were quite limited in the home area. People were limited to welfare programs¡¦to provide for the family. The federal government made cities in different areas of the United States available for employment and sent families into those cities to get new job skills and jobs.
Native Americans came together through the housing project. People came to know each other. A mixture of the tribes began to live [together]¡¦Many of those people came from local churches in Oklahoma or other settings. They had that kind of pattern for worship. They began to meet in homes and rooms, and eventually began to spread out and invited others.
Being a clergywoman is not an easy road to travel. In some ways, because of my past experience, it has been easier for me because I have been on the cutting edge of the United Methodist Church. I have been a former staff member of the Women¡¯s Division and former National Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. I had the background to make the connection between worship and working with people. ¡¦ I now have 24 years in the ministry. The experiences I have are different than that of women coming into the ministry now. Many times the Indian community would call [me] to be present ¡¦.in handling [justice] issues. Many times we were observers and monitors in a given situation¡¦.Within our cultures, whatever the pains, they were shared together. The pains of the female and males were no different¡¦on the different Trails of Tears.
[In the Native American community] I think there¡¯s a sense of justice, a sense of knowing that it¡¯s not the individual. We are part of a greater community that needs to face the issue. Sometimes we cross denominational lines in securing that kind of support. The Native community may not always be those who are related to our church. It may be Native Indians who are not churched. Native Americans come with their own culture. In some sense, this is the ministry of Dallas Indian Mission. The responsibility of pastoring is not only to the church but also to the community.