Celebrating 25 years of the Texas Baptists Cowboy Church Movement

Cowboy church pastors and ministers from across the state gathered Sunday evening for a rally to celebrate 25 years of the Cowboy Church Movement and kick off the 2025 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting.

“Thank you, Texas Baptists. Thank you for what you have done in praying for us, supporting us, teaching us, mentoring us,” said Dr. Wes Brown, pastor of Cowboy Church of Collin County, alongside a group of other cowboy church pastors. 

“Eighteen years ago, we saddled up to start Cowboy Church of Collin County. What we desperately needed was a partner in our mission, and that turned out to be Texas Baptists. Their resources, guidance, and spiritual encouragement were the foundation on which we built our ministry. They didn’t give us a boost — they equipped us to stand on our own two feet,” said Brown.

For the past 25 years, the Texas Baptists Western Heritage Ministry has worked to connect and partner with cowboy churches and plant new cowboy churches across the state. The ministry is currently led by Consultant Mac McLeod, a former cowboy church pastor.

Derek Rodgers, pastor of Cowboy Church of Corsicana, brought a message compelling cowboy church pastors to preach the truth of God’s Word unwaveringly — not out of a sense of duty, but out of an abiding love of Christ. 

“Too many Christians have conformed to this world, instead of being transformed by the power of God … If there was ever a time that this world needed the cowboy church, it’s now,” said Rodgers. 

He also reflected on the history of cowboy churches in Texas, sharing, “I grew up rodeoing when there was no such thing as cowboy churches. These pastors would show up around the rodeos when it wasn’t popular to preach … and I saw people would get radically saved by their messages. We appreciate all who have blazed the trail and gone before us.”

Keynote speaker Rodney Hammerstrom, a cowboy from South Dakota, shared his powerful testimony with the group. After a horse riding accident that led to a traumatic brain injury, Hammerstrom was lost and questioning, but God revealed Himself in this time of darkness.

“I spent 60 days on the rehab floor relearning how to walk, how to talk. That’s where I was met by the grace of God. He gave me the power on a daily basis to wake up and take on this new task that I had in my life. Before it was all rodeos, and that’s what my love was,” said Hammerstrom. “God won’t let you give up on your life if you put your faith in Him and do what He tells you to do or leads you to do … He can give us the strength to overcome the obstacles in our lives.”

Congregants also enjoyed worship together, led by the band In His Grip, and heard brief testimonies from Kenny Kennedy, pastor of Trail to the Cross Cowboy Church, and Joe Caballero, pastor of Montague County Cowboy Church. 

To learn more about the impact of Texas Baptists Cowboy Churches and how you can be a part, visit txb.org/westernheritage.