Pastor Jacqueline Thomas, affectionately known as "Big Momma", Founder and Pastor of Praise Temple of God Church and Founder and Director of Big Momma's House. Having begun her ministerial career in Compton, California, she joined our community in 2005. Pastor Thomas has served Pocatello in a myriad of ways from becoming the first black woman to be ordained as a pastor in Pocatello (2006), serving on the ISU Minority Advisory Board (2009+), member of the Chief of Police Selection Panel (2012), a Hometown Hero Award recipient (2015), Medgar Evers Medal of Freedom Award recipient from the NAACP (2016), and current Vice President of the local chapter of the NAACP. She has dreamed and planned of opening a supportive housing facility in Pocatello for 13 years. She has twice experienced homelessness herself. Her great desire is to aid those in need and share her love of Jesus Christ in tangible ways.