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About Our Founder
Barbara Ann Pettis is a native of Dallas, TX. She is the proud mother of two adult children, Tiffany and Clarence Tatum, and the blessed grandmother of one grandchild, Nevaeh Tatum. Barbara is highly active in her home church, Living Waters Worship Center of Seventh-day Adventists in Dallas, Texas. There, she is an ordained elder and a member of the praise team. Currently, she serves as the prayer ministry leader.
Barbara’s passion for Christ has made her a much sought-after speaker for both church and community events. She is also a certified domestic violence victim’s advocate, working tirelessly to end the epidemic, and offers her leadership to numerous organizations in this regard. These organizations include her membership with The Texas Council on Family Violence and her board membership with The Genesis Women’s Shelter Faith-based Coalition Committee (2017).
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Additionally, in September 2019 and 2020, Barbara was featured in Voyage Dallas Magazine for her role as domestic violence victim’s advocate, and was recently invited to join the African-American Domestic Violence Council (May 2020) which falls under the umbrella of The Family Place in Dallas, Texas.
Barbara is sensitive to the needs of battered and abused women, and it is her desire to one day open a shelter that will house women and children who have suffered in this way. Her passion is to lead abuse victims in the direction of having wholeness and restoration, and teach them how to live a life free of abuse and fear, as well as to help them regain their self-worth, dignity, and increased sense of value for the life given to them by God.
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Barbara’s powerful testimony of faith and trust in God has guided her to establish a nonprofit organization, Better Place Ministries, Inc, formed in November 2013 and officially launched in March 2014. Better Place Ministries was created to be an underground railroad for victims of domestic violence. It seeks to prevent and end the cycle of violence against women through education and advocacy services and serve as a resource to individuals, families, and community agencies. From Barbara’s perspective, the work of this nonprofit resulted from her humbling acceptance of the gift of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
She recognized the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice which modeled true compassion, and from that approach, Better Place Ministries aspired to adopt its DNA. At the core, this nonprofit aims to let women know that there is life and hope after let downs. The ministry addresses the despair of hopelessness and fear that victims of violence experience and seeks to help survivors find their voices and rediscover hope for their future. Barbara is committed to helping others achieve their Goals of Excellence and she has devoted numerous hours to educate and empower individuals that are affected by domestic violence. Her motivation for this cause is driven by her own personal experiences with domestic abuse both in her childhood and as an adult.
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Barbara’s enthusiasm for her work is infectious and reflects her personal zeal in life and Christian belief in redemption in Christ. In spirit, Barbara is a true woman of God who has accepted her kingdom building mission of spreading the good news of a soon coming Savior to all who will hear. Equipped with a song in her heart, she recommits her life to Christ everyday by adopting her life slogan, He saw the best in me. Her desire, as she leads others to Christ, is for them to know that their live have value and God sees the best in them as well.
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Barbara recently became a published author of her book entitled “From Pain to Purpose” this book walks the reader through her life of abuse and addiction to her ultimate victory and deliverance.
It's often assumed that kids aren't aware of the violence happening at home, but 90% of children exposed to intimate partner violence directly saw the violence happening as opposed to hearing it or other indirect forms.
Our Mission
Our mission is to assist women and children who are victims of domestic violence, including emotional, economic, sexual and physical abuse.
Our goal is to provide emergency and transitional housing, emotional support, and a diversified continuum of services focused on safety,
empowerment, and self-sufficiency. Through community partnerships, Better Place Ministries is committed to safety, raising awareness, providing
services, and educating the community about the destruction and long-term effects of domestic violence.
Our ministry focuses on giving hope to women of every color, creed and ethnicity by providing a blueprint to a better way of life based on the
living word of God.
Our Mission is twofold and includes:
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Modeling and building intentional relationships by:
· Widening our circle of friendships among women within the church family
· Spending purposeful time with women outside the family of God
· Serving God by using our gifts for the benefits of others.
2. Empowering women through:
· An enriching study of The Word of God
· A personal conversations with God
Our desire and goal is to Seek God Continually * Serve Him Faithfully * and Share Him boldly
Our Vision
Better Place Ministries strives to encourage, instruct and lead as many people as possible by faith to safety and the throne of God. We will empower, inspire and place ladies and children in a safe and healthy environment. We will serve as a bridge and safe harbor by providing safe housing in Gladys House, which was so named in honor of the place where Barbara sought refuge from the abuse of her past, her grandparent’s home (Elder Milton & Gladys Pettis Sr.).
