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What are Cowboy Churches?
- Thread starter robt.k.fall
- Start date
In my area, there are a lot of folks who work the rodeo circuit and other things like auctions and more all weekend and they cannot get to church on Sundays, but have a desire to go.
They meet at a local church on Tuesday nights and they meet there. There are very active and evangelical. They call themselves the Cowboy Church.
They meet at a local church on Tuesday nights and they meet there. There are very active and evangelical. They call themselves the Cowboy Church.
"Cowboy churches" (every one individual, without a denominational set of beliefs/practices) are Christian churches that have a country twist. They are often located in rural areas and have a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Cowboy churches may be housed in barns, community centers, or other unconventional spaces. While originating the 1970's rodeo circuit, they are often appealing to the "rhinestone cowboy" of urban areas who like the language, music, dress etc of the West.
Most uphold the doctrine of the Trinity, recognizing God as one entity in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Salvation is attained through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and experiencing spiritual rebirth or what some may express as a born-again experience. Each might have denominational "bent" - Baptist, Church of God, Nazarene, Pentecostal - but all are evangelical.
My personal experience would liken it to an even more disorganized SBC group.
Most uphold the doctrine of the Trinity, recognizing God as one entity in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Salvation is attained through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and experiencing spiritual rebirth or what some may express as a born-again experience. Each might have denominational "bent" - Baptist, Church of God, Nazarene, Pentecostal - but all are evangelical.
My personal experience would liken it to an even more disorganized SBC group.
Most Cowboy Churches are Assemblies of God.
I haven't found proof of that. Very little reference to "tongues" or "new revelation". Some lean to pentecostal, but more like SBC.
But admit I have only a few friends as source of MY thinking. Please verify your position. Thanks.
There were a few "Cowboy churches" in my area when I lived in TN. The ones I was familiar with were started by members of SBC churches (sometimes as a means of reaching a community).
When I moved to SC I noticed a lake church (not sure what it was called). They set up at the lakeshore and people attended on the bank or in their boats pulled close to the shore.
I'm not sure how I feel about that. I certainly wouldn't talk bad about the ministry (the gospel was being shared). I really don't know enough about it to form an opinion.
But that is the impression I get from "cowboy churches". It is people trying to do kingdom work.
I don't know if the goal is to be comfortable, embrace a culture, or reach a people who would otherwise be distanced from church. I hope the latter.
Regardless of my hopes and opinions these are people reaching out with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Friend who attends a cowboy church (started with 2 families, now average 125 at a service)
"Although Cowboy Church is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (SBC) and the Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, it functions as an interdenominational fellowship gladly welcoming anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, been scripturally baptized by immersion, and accepts the basic teachings of Christianity into its membership."
"Although Cowboy Church is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (SBC) and the Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, it functions as an interdenominational fellowship gladly welcoming anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, been scripturally baptized by immersion, and accepts the basic teachings of Christianity into its membership."
The first churches to use the name Cowboy Church, were started by the Weavers.There is an excellent movie ,"Nail 32" about them. They were all A G. It looks like a lot of the more recent ones are non denominational.
Watch the movie "Nail 32" and you will understand Cowboy Church
Is it any good? (Don't want to watch a bad movie).
I loved it.
I'll check it out.
David Lamb
Well-Known Member
I am uneasy about churches which limit membership by things like nationality, employment, or similar. I can't think of any biblical justification for such a thing. There wasn't a church for fishermen, a church for tax-collectors, a church for tent-makers. Of course, in a part of the world were there are many cowboys, local churches may have more cowboys in their membership than similar churches where I live, where as far as I know, there are no cowboys.
I find most churches do tend to group along "lines". Ethnic lines, economic lines, neighborhood lines, music lines, cultural lines. Humans tend to "group" together.
So, if you like the informality, the music choices, the worship style, the rugged independence, style of a "cowboy", you can fit in with hundreds of like-minded believers. We ALL make choices of who we associate with and fellowship with. Church fellowship is a voluntary choice and, to some level, "comfortable".
robt.k.fall
Member
If you watch the whole video, you'll learn most Cowboy Churches are affiliated with the SBC. A few are Nazarene and AOG.
I guess you would have a problem with all the black churches in the south.