John Wayne was my hero when I was a little girl. His charisma made him larger than life. He was distinctly masculine, courageous, strong, good, right, honest & sincere. A true-blue American hero, but he wasn’t a hero for just America. The whole world loved him. I desperately wanted to be Mattie Ross. For years, I dreamed I could somehow play that role and reshoot True Grit with John Wayne and all the world would be right. I cried and cried when they shot and killed his character in The Cowboys. I thought they really killed the Duke! My dad explained that he wasn’t really dead – he was just an actor and it was just pretend. What a relief!
I love all John Wayne movies, but most of my favorites are the westerns. Who doesn’t love a good western movie? Remembering a time, long gone now, with such nostalgia. Cowboys, horses, large herds of cattle, wide open plains, camp fires, coffee, dust…lots and lots of dust. The glory days of the American cowboy were over more than 150 years ago, nevertheless, there are still a lot of actively working cowboys in the US today. The dictionary definition of a cowboy is someone who herds and tends cattle, typically while on a horse. A beloved subculture in America.
So beloved, in fact, that no one has bothered to point out the growing trend of “Cowboy Churches” and the disturbing message they send to anyone who can read their sign.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Before you angrily dismiss me, please hear me out. I have nothing against cowboys or the culture. I truly believe this whole idea of “Cowboy Churches” started with good intentions and their heart was in the right place. Please allow me to present a different view while you calmly sit and ponder over it. Understand that what I say about “Cowboy Churches” is true of any church singling out a specific subculture.
The name itself, “Cowboy Church”, is exclusionary in design. I know…it’s meant to tell cowboys that other cowboys go to this church. In reality, it makes people feel they can’t, or shouldn’t, go to church there. That because they are a biker – they won’t be accepted there. What about the angler, punk, hippie, goth, loner, soldier? What about a thousand other subcultures?
Cowboys speak and read English, so the designation isn’t there to let you know this church will speak and read in a language you understand. The designation is there to let you know that the cowboy culture is celebrated here, and if you like that culture you should come to this church.
Let me pose a difficult question.
What is celebrated in the “Cowboy Church”? The church…or the cowboy? Jesus…or John Wayne?
Cowboy churches come in many denominational forms, including non-denominational. Nearly all of them have materials referencing a “western heritage culture”. Most of these churches baptize in stock tanks, hold services in non-traditional settings – preferably with a rural feel, surround themselves in appropriate décor – hay bales, ropes, etc, and some even have men on horses to greet you. The altar looks more like a set for the play, Oklahoma! Stick a fiddle in your worship band and play Happy Trails when it’s all over. Yee-haw!
Sounds more like a show. I don’t think church should be a show…except for our love of Jesus and each other.
The truth?
The cowboy comes first in this church.
Read the sign.
Fatten Up the Herd
This is seriously gonna sting some of you, I know, but please think about this.
These churches are feeding the flesh. It feels good to go there, and all the reasons why are fleshly.
Do you go there because you’re overflowing with joy to be a Christian? Or…is it because it seemed better to be with other “cowboys”?
The majority of people who attend these churches are not even cowboys. They’re teachers, electricians, store owners, house wives, mechanics, real estate agents, policemen, mayors. Normal ol’ every day people. Most have never even been on a horse, much less tended cattle.
The “Cowboy Church” is appealing to the American Western culture of our heritage. A romanticized and mythologized part of our past. Leaders within this movement use those facts and exploit them to attract people. That is dangerous. Are they using Jesus to bring in the world? No. The love of the cowboy is the draw. First and foremost.
Creating an Okay Corral
Spiritual growth can be halted when you surround yourself with people like you in EVERY way. Yes, we are to be like-minded, as Paul said in Philippians, but if you believe the “Cowboy Church” is a fulfillment of that then I am afraid you have seriously misinterpreted that verse.
Let’s use the only example that matters…Jesus.
He did not surround Himself with people who were exactly like Him. There were fishermen, a tax collector, tradesmen, a religious zealot, and others we don’t know their backgrounds. But Jesus was a carpenter, and yet, He did not surround Himself with carpenters. Probably a lesson in that.
God likes diversity. He created it.
The Jews have been His chosen people from the beginning, but God always planned for others to join His family, (Acts 15:7-9, Romans 9:22-30).
Jesus talked about diversity and the ability to accept the Truth when He visited Nazareth and preached in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-30). At first, the Jews were so amazed by Him. But the moment the Truth began to point inward and convict, they became so angry they literally wanted to kill Jesus. All of them, rose up and shoved Him out of the city to a hill so they could push Him off it.
Now that is some serious wrath!
They went from admiring Him to trying to kill Him in a matter of seconds. What in the world made them so angry?
Jesus spoke of two instances when Gentile women had been protected by the hand of God while the Israelites, because of their wickedness, were allowed to suffer, (Luke 4:25-27). He said this after some in the crowd began to doubt He is the Son of God. Those proud Jews couldn’t tolerate the idea that anyone other than them could or would receive favor from God. They were exclusive – not a diverse group at all. Jesus’ remarks made them feel they were being compared to those wicked Israelites and that He would not perform any miracles there or benefit them in any way, furthermore, that perhaps He preferred Gentiles over them which was a traumatizing insult.
But Jesus did give the Nazarenes a tremendous gift. They just couldn’t see it. He was right there in front of them, preaching, sharing with them. Just Jesus. And for a moment, He was the center of their worship. No show. The carnal minds of man could not see the Truth, though. Their flesh got the better of them, and they cast Him aside for things that made them feel more comfortable about themselves.
Round ’em Up
So I ask, respectfully, that you think about this idea of creating churches designed for subcultures or subgroups within society. History gives us countless examples where something that seemed like a good idea at the time, really turns out to not be such a good idea.
Are you celebrating the cowboy or the church?
Jesus was first and foremost the Son of God. What are you…a Christian or a cowboy?
Is Jesus really 1st in your life?
Hear the words Jesus read that day in Nazareth from the scroll of Isaiah and count some of the various groups He came for, (Luke 4:18-19):
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
May God bless your journey to know Him more.
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This article is food for thought. . . In one sense, it seems we have always “categorized” our churches by stating the denomination. The beliefs of the denomination (persons like us) leads us to understand whether we wish to attend, and would “fit in”. This article causes me to reflect on whether it is right to identify denomination. On the other hand, we enter our walk with Jesus at all levels; so if a curious or shy cowboy feels an urge to attend church, will he not find a good starting place in a church made up of his peers? In fact, the cowboy’s friends may be asking him to come to church and know Jesus. I agree that extremism and over identifying with the subculture is not desirable and moves the focus from Jesus and that is never right. Lots to think about here. You make excellent points.
I appreciate you, Pat. This article concerned me a little because I thought people would misunderstand me. Maybe they will, but my intentions are to unite not divide. Division is exactly what I believe a church established to only serve a specific subculture does. Good intentions should not excuse or pardon us from looking at things Scripturally, and assessing our actions through that lens. I think the idea of a subgroup church is at the “crawling” level of walking with Jesus, and when those people reach a more mature level they will come to understand the exclusionary nature of the name itself. Names matter, how church members treat each other matters, how they treat visitors matters, how the Word of God is treated matters. A church is the Bride of Christ and is to glorify God in every way. My prayer is for people to have that foremost in their hearts and minds for their own churches. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Good point of view.