Western Heritage Ministry Development Certificate Program holds first graduation ceremony with five graduates

On Sept. 13, Texas Baptists Western Heritage held a graduation ceremony for Cohort II of the Ministry Development Certificate Program, a low-cost theological education and ministry training program for cowboy and country church pastors and leaders, during the Sunday worship service at Cowboy Church of Erath County in Stephenville, TX. 

Mac McLeod, Western Heritage and Country Church consultant at Texas Baptists, said this is the first graduation ceremony for program participants. 

“We are intentionally making a big deal of this. The work the students complete across the 12 courses in this three-year program equips them with tools to broaden and deepen their competency in communicating, conversing about and applying the Word in real-world contexts,” McLeod said. 

Prior to the graduation ceremony, on Saturday, Sept. 12, Cowboy Church of Erath County hosted a lunch for graduates and their loved ones.

Werth Mayes, pastor of Cowboy Church of Erath County and Ministry Development Certificate program instructor, kicked off the ceremony by welcoming congregants and giving an overview of the program.

Ellis McKinzie, pastor of Black Jack Baptist Church in Rockdale, TX, called the five of the nine candidates present to walk the stage, and McLeod presented the certificates. 

McLeod concluded the ceremony by congratulating the graduates and praying over them. 

Mayes said the certificate program is helpful in re-establishing rhythms of discipleship in the cowboy church movement. He said having pastors learn about discipleship in the program is going to make a difference in the local church, which will make a difference in the cowboy church movement.  

“It's not a Sunday school program. This takes work. It takes commitment, but to do anything for the kingdom of God, it's not easy. It takes hours every week during the class time to prepare, to work, to write, but it can make a difference in your life,” Mayes said. 

Mayes said he saw several men come into the program as Bible study leaders and elders, but throughout the course, they have taken on pastoral roles. 

One graduate who experienced this life change is Benjamin Harrison, member of New Hope Baptist Church in Gary, TX. He said at the beginning of the three-year program, he was not serving in a ministry leadership position. Now, he is pursuing a seminary degree and applying for pastor positions. 

“This program has shown me that I have a deep, deep love for theology that I never knew existed. I mean, I have an insatiable thirst for it. I love it,” Harrison said. 

Harrison said there is a definite need for education in the cowboy church community.

“In Hebrews, [the author] talks about, ‘You've been on milk long enough. It's time to get some solid meat,’ and I think that's where the cowboy church movement is right now. We’ve been on milk long enough; it's time to get some meat. And this program provides meat,” Harrison said. 

Melissa Gibson, member and GriefShare leader at Chisum Trails Cowboy Church in Powderly, TX, said the certificate program served as support for her after her husband’s death at the end of her first year. 

“After the first year, my husband passed away unexpectedly. So, I took a year off, and I knew I had to make a decision. I either had to go with God or be turned away from him during my grief, and I'd much rather turn to him. So I jumped back in this program, and as I was putting pen to paper… what I found was it doesn't matter what you go through. God is an ever-present, ever-powerful help to you,” Gibson said. “That was part of my therapy, being able to do these classes.” 

Gibson encouraged pastors and ministry leaders considering the program that it is worth the investment. 

“When you go through these courses, you get some excellent resources,” Gibson said. “When you finish, it is so worth the time invested and all the papers that you write and all the books that you read. It is so well worth it in the end, because you could just get a wealth of not only head knowledge, but heart knowledge to apply it.” 

The Ministry Development Certificate Program was able to give scholarships to students because of Texas Baptists churches gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering. 

To learn more about Texas Baptists Western Heritage, visit txb.org/ministries/western-heritage.