A typical cowboy church may meet in a rural setting, often in a barn, metal building, arena, sale barn, Pueblo/Territorialadobe building, or other American frontier style structure. Often they have their own rodeo arena, and a country gospel band. Some cowboy churches have covered arenas where rodeo events such as bull riding, team roping, ranch sorting, team penning and equestrian events are held.[4]
Common areas of belief are that the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God, serving as the ultimate guide for faith and a Biblical worldview. They 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. They practice water baptism by immersion either in the wilderness or in a stock tank, and emphasize the importance of receiving the Holy Spirit. Additionally, they affirm the continuation of spiritual gifts as described in the New Testament.[5][6][7][8]
Originating in 1972 under former professional rodeo clown Glenn Smith this movement emerged as Smith began to evangelize on the bull riding and rodeo circuits. Smith utilized traditional western pursuits as conduits for the dissemination of Christian teachings. Presently, the United States hosts approximately 5,000 cowboy churches, reflecting the widespread adoption and growth of this distinctive form of worship.[9]
These churches are loosely associated through groups such as the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, the Cowboy Church Network of North America, and the International Cowboy Church Alliance/Network. And not all churches embracing a cowboy and Western theme necessarily accept the label cowboy church.[10] And while most are nondenominational,[11] they can be aligned with any number of larger denominations.[12][13][14]
Most of cowboy churches have very small town congregations.[15] And while mostly found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, they can be found worldwide in Australia,[16] Asia, and Russia.[17]
Some cowboy churches can reach megachurch scales in congregation size.[15] The Cowboy Church of Ellis County in Waxahachie, Texas, is known as the largest cowboy church in the world, with over 1,700 members.[18] The majority of these religious institutions integrate elements reminiscent of the American frontier, with some like the Ellis County offering ranching and rodeo education, along with fishing and groundskeeping skills.[19] However, certain congregations opt to emphasize the ethos of contemporary Western United States culture, similar to a more traditional megachurch style.[15] Such as is the case with Sagebrush Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, encouraging outdoor recreation with a main large campus on the Rio Grandebosque, and modern American West concepts like a classicauto shows.[20]
