Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church (Rainy Mountain Mission)

E1355 Rd just east of N2350 Rd
Mountain View, OK 73062
GPS Coordinates: 35.049105, -98.790021

Directions
From Gotebo go 4 miles east on OK 9,(sign on south side of road) turn rignt go 2 1/2 miles south on paved road, turn left go about 1/2 miles east, turn right at New Rainy Mountain Indian Mission Cemetery, church is located south of cemetery on west side of street.

History
The current building of the Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church was built roughly on the same site as the original 1894 Immanuel Mission (later renamed Rainy Mountain Mission) organized by the American Baptist Church and the Kiowa Tribe on a 160-acre tract donated by the tribe. At that time, Big Tree and Gotebo, major figures within the tribe, were both members dedicated members of the first small congregation in the mission's first years. Gotebo was the first to be baptized at this mission and it was as well here where he wrote the first Kiowa hymn.

* Kiowa Hymn by Gotebo, cover by AUDTAYTDAPEDAYMAH.

The Rainy Mountain Mission served as a base for additional mission stations at at Red Stone in 1896, Saddle Mountain in 1896, and Cache Creek in 1906. The Rainy Mountain Mission played a key role in the development of a Christian identity within the Kiowa Nation. In addition, this was the place where Gotebo composed the first Kiowa hymn.

The current church building, built at a cost of $9000, was dedicated in 1921. All of the money was raised by the Kiowa themselves, except for $500 which were donated by the American Baptist Home Mission society.

The commemorative stone reads:
Est. 1893
First Missionaries
Marieeta K. Reeside (AM ~ DE ~ GO)
Lauretta Ballew

Women's Baptist Home Mission Society Chicago

Julia Given Hunt ~ First Interpreter

Charter Members
Mrs. BIGTREE (OMEBO) ~ First Convert
GOTEBO her brother ~ Second Convert
KA ~ LO ~ MAH
PEAH ~ MAH
PEAT ~ TAW
KON ~ TAH ~ MAH
TAH ~ KOI ~ MAH

A couple of excellent books related to this include:

* "Religious Revitalization among the Kiowas: The Ghost Dance, Peyote, and Christianity" by Benjamin R. Kracht

* "The Jesus Road: Kiowas, Christianity, and Indian Hymns" by Luke Eric Lassiter, Clyde Ellis, Ralph Kotay.

Sources:
* K. Latham, B. (2019). Exploring Oklahoma History / Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church. [online] Exploring Oklahoma History. Available at: blogoklahoma.us [Accessed 31 Jan. 2019].
* Ellis, C. (2019). Rainy Mountain Mission | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. [online] Oklahoma Historical Society. Available at: www.okhistory.org [Accessed 31 Jan. 2019].
* The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, C. (n.d.). Rainy Mountain Church, Kiowa Indian, Oklahoma - G.E.E Lindquist Native American Photographs. [online] Lindquist.cul.columbia.edu. Available at: lindquist.cul.columbia.edu [Accessed 31 Jan. 2019].