Pastor Billy Dixon learned about how humanity should be treated by serving as a correctional officer for 28 and a half years. “It opened my eyes that everybody that goes to jail doesn’t necessarily need jail. There should be alternatives in a lot of cases.”
The Oakland native and preacher’s son had initially joined the Navy before becoming a correctional officer. Years later he felt called to attend seminary at Southwest Bible College. In 2010 he took over the church his father had founded, At Thy Word Ministries.
At this interview he has just come from one of his regular visits to Santa Rita, Alameda County’s jail. He ministers to inmates and helps make sure they have support when they are released.
Pastor Dixon is also serving his second term as a board member for Faith in Action East Bay. He first became involved in 2010 through the Ceasefire work. Since then he has worked on a wide range of issues including housing, immigration, and illegal dumping. He helps organize people from different backgrounds to make the city better. This includes coordinating with pastors throughout the Bay Area and encouraging them toward areas in which they can work.
“Without Faith in Action East Bay a lot of the things that I do would be nearly impossible. It’s about working together, talking together, being one.”
“Without Faith in Action East Bay a lot of the things that I do would be nearly impossible. It’s about working together, talking together, being one.”
He sees achieving equitable housing as the biggest challenge at hand and central to other issues such as crime and illegal dumping.
“I am excited about the Black, Latino, and Asian communities coming together on issues. We should not be separated by race. Who is for people in need? That’s who I want to support. They will try to split us apart but the future is in working together.”
Pastor Dixon and his wife Danielle just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They have one daughter, Amber, and three granddaughters.
The Dixons are a family of community-minded people. His grandfather founded the beloved Dixon’s Chicken and Fish in 1968. “My grandfather worked hard. He saw a need in the community and he met the need.” Now Pastor Dixon’s brother runs the business with the goals of serving the community and helping employees better their lives.
Pastor Dixon’s organizing work is inspired by his Christian faith. “Jesus said, ‘I didn’t come for those in good health, I come for the sick. The poor you will always have with you…the widows and children.’ He told us to take care of our communities. He said, ‘Whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done to me.’ Today I was in the jail. Everyone I visited, I visited Jesus.”