Cowboy church
Encyclopedia
Cowboy churches are local Christian
churches
within the cowboy
culture that are distinctively Western
heritage in character. A typical cowboy church may meet in a rural
setting in a barn, metal building, arena, sale barn, or old western
building, have its own rodeo
arena, and a country gospel band
. Baptism
s are generally done in a stock tank
. The sermons are usually short and simple. Some cowboy churches have covered arenas where rodeo events such as bull riding
, team roping, ranch sorting, team penning and equestrian
events are held on weeknights.
in the first cowboy church in Texas located Waxahachie
south of Dallas, Texas
, where they planted the first and currently the largest "cowboy church" within the AFCC. The "no barriers" church model removes from the worship service the traditions that are believed to have no biblical basis, such as the "altar call
" and passing of the collection plate. Tithe
s and offerings are simply placed in a boot, hat, or wooden bird house at the rear of the meeting room.
Even though most of these churches are located in Texas
and Oklahoma
, cowboy outreaches are springing up in other parts of the US through various other cowboy church groups. One such group is the Cowboy Church Network of North America(www.cowboycn.org), which has member churches in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Wyoming, as well as Alberta (Canada).
that hold cowboy church services at rodeos and other western events. A cowboy ministry may also hold rodeo schools, clinics, or camps.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
churches
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
within the cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
culture that are distinctively Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
heritage in character. A typical cowboy church may meet in a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
setting in a barn, metal building, arena, sale barn, or old western
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
building, have its own rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
arena, and a country gospel band
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
s are generally done in a stock tank
Stock tank
A stock tank is used to provide drinking water for animals such as cattle or horses. Stock tanks can range in size from 30 to over 1500 gallons and typically are made of galvanized steel...
. The sermons are usually short and simple. Some cowboy churches have covered arenas where rodeo events such as bull riding
Bull riding
Bull riding refers to rodeo sports that involve a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider....
, team roping, ranch sorting, team penning and equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
events are held on weeknights.
Cowboy church models
The AFCC (American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches) places the emphasis on the "no barriers" model started by the Baptist General Convention of TexasBaptist General Convention of Texas
The Baptist General Convention of Texas is the oldest surviving Baptist convention in the state of Texas. The churches cooperating with the Baptist General Convention of Texas partner nationally and internationally with both the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,...
in the first cowboy church in Texas located Waxahachie
Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southern suburb of Dallas. The population was 21,426 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ellis County....
south of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, where they planted the first and currently the largest "cowboy church" within the AFCC. The "no barriers" church model removes from the worship service the traditions that are believed to have no biblical basis, such as the "altar call
Altar call
An altar call is a practice in some evangelical churches in which those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. It is so named because the supplicants gather at the altar located at the front of the church building. In the Old Testament, an...
" and passing of the collection plate. Tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s and offerings are simply placed in a boot, hat, or wooden bird house at the rear of the meeting room.
Even though most of these churches are located in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, cowboy outreaches are springing up in other parts of the US through various other cowboy church groups. One such group is the Cowboy Church Network of North America(www.cowboycn.org), which has member churches in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Wyoming, as well as Alberta (Canada).
Cowboy ministries
There are also cowboy ministriesChristian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
that hold cowboy church services at rodeos and other western events. A cowboy ministry may also hold rodeo schools, clinics, or camps.