Growing up, Dan Lybarger listened to stories his great-uncle told him at the “talking tree” in front of his grandmother’s home in Canton. The stories were about Lybarger’s Native American relatives and the hardships they endured.
“He told me what life was like on the reservation,” Lybarger said.
He also told another story about the Ojibwe tribe, which had an impact on Lybarger. The Ojibwe also called themselves the “anishinabe,” which means “he who was lowered down.”
“My great-uncle sat there one day and said, ‘Danny, I want you to remember that your life does not belong to you, it belongs to the creator.’”
Lybarger never forgot these stories.
In college, Lybarger searched for direction in his life. He felt God was leading him toward ministry. He prayed for guidance and felt his prayers were “not going farther than the ceiling.”
But when he went to a revival while visiting his grandparents in Tuscon, his life changed.
“The evangelist gave the usual altar call, and then he looked at me and said, ‘Young man, you belong down here but for a different reason.’ I walked down in front. He said, ‘God has given me two things about you. He said you have been praying for a closer walk and he’s also called you to a ministry...’ That was it,” Lybarger said.
Lybarger became a pastor in 1969 after receiving his master of divinity at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.
He is the new pastor at the Native American Fellowship Dayspring Church in East Peoria where he is called “Pastor Dan.” He assumed that role July 1, replacing the Rev. Carol Lakota Eastin who was appointed to a church in Rantoul.
Formerly, Lybarger was the pastor at Cerro Gordo Church in Cerro Gordo for three years.
Lybarger said he was appointed to the NAF Dayspring Church due to his Native American background.
His mother was three-quarters Cherokee and his father was half Ojibwe.
“He was born on part of the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota,” Lybarger said about his father.
The NAF Dayspring Church is a United Methodist denomination. Those who attend do not have to be Native American, although the services focus on Native American customs.
“Our church is unique in the fact that we are Christ centered but we express our faith by using many of our Native American traditions,” Lybarger said. “For instance, you’ll have drum and flute music in the worship service. We often start our service with a friendship dance.”
Those who are interested in learning about the Native American customs can attend Turtle Lodge, an adult study group Sundays.
The worship service is at 1:15 p.m. Sunday.
A women’s group also meets to learn Native American crafts and for devotional time. Currently, they are learning how to make shawls for Native American dancing.
Lybarger said they are getting ready to kick off some new things at NAF Dayspring Church, such as an after-school program one night a week that will focus on arts, crafts, learning about Native Americans and Christ.
In addition to all that is occurring at NAF Dayspring Church, Lybarger is keeping busy as pastor of two other East Peoria churches — Faith United Methodist and Zion United Methodist. Lybarger has three services to give on Sunday at three different churches, one at 9:15 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
“That keeps me rather busy,” he said, adding that he thinks this way of doing things has to do with the economy.
However, Lybarger still tries to tailor the sermons to each church.
Even though he has a Native American background, Lybarger said he still had to learn some of the customs at the NAF Dayspring Church, which he described as a holistic approach of spiritual and environment.
Native Americans today, Lybarger said, do not focus on the past; rather, their concerns are for the earth.
Lybarger said a good book about the history of the Native Americans is called “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” by Dee Brown.
“The Native American focus is not on bitterness or anger about what happened, but where do we go from here to make sure that doesn’t happen to any race of people,” Lybarger said.
At NAF, where the congregation totals about 40, Lybarger said he has received a very warm
reception. He and his wife, Diana, have now lived in East Peoria for three-and-one-half months.
“We’d like to hit the 80 mark next year,” Lybarger said about the congregation.
The NAF Dayspring Church is located at 201 N. Norwood Place. The wooden building is set in the woods on 43 acres. Much of the work done on the church has been through volunteers. The project began in 2007, and there is still work to be done.
To learn more about the church, call 698-2527, or visit www.nafdayspring.com.
East Peoria, Ill. —
