African-American cowboy church defies stereotypes

Posted: 7/07/06

African-American cowboy
church defies stereotypes

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

GOLIAD—As the summer sun sets each Friday in South Texas, bright lights come on and crowds gather to cheer every throw of a rope and buck of a bull at a local rodeo. And contrary to stereotype, many in the arena—participants and onlookers—are African-American.

Many have attended rodeos for years, honing their skills or learning the finer points of the sport. People bond through the events, building a community.

Pastor Ronald Edwards enjoys the occasional rodeo. It’s an opportunity for family and friends to come together to have fun.

He just never liked that it caused his church members to miss worship.

Minnehulla Baptist Church hopes to build a rodeo arena near its current facilities.

Edwards, pastor of Minnehulla Baptist Church, watched Sunday after Sunday as members of his congregation participated in rodeo arena events rather than attend worship services. Mothers in the church were saddened their children couldn’t rodeo and go to church. And Edwards knows there are many others who must make the same choice as people in his congregation.

So, the Minnehulla Cowboy Fellowship was born as a place where cowboys and people interested in cowboy culture could be involved in church. Western Heritage people in the Goliad area no longer have to choose between rodeo and worship.

The congregation, believed to be the first church for African-American cowboys, kicked off with a rodeo of its own this summer, followed by a worship service. The church is supported partially by funds from the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions and has been assisted by Baptist General Convention of Texas affinity group leaders.

While most of the 150 people who attended the event focused on the action in the arena, Minnehulla Baptist Church members scattered around the grounds were locked in on the people outside the metal ring—getting to know individuals and striking up conversations about spiritual matters.

After all, church doesn’t take place on the back of a whirling bull; it happens outside the ring, said Florence LeBlanc-Stovall, Minnehulla Baptist Church’s minister of education. “It’s outside, intermingling.”

Church members spoke to men about the importance of being family leaders. They talked to others about the dangers of alcohol. When two young boys got in a fight, church members separated them and took the opportunity to teach them Christian principles. Each encounter was a “divine appointment,” Edwards said.

“You’ve got to recognize God places people in your life for a purpose, and if he placed someone in your life and allowed you to connect with them, he really wants you to witness to them, to encourage them, to share the gospel with them,” he said.

Two people prayed to accept Christ as Lord during the rodeo, and about 100 people attended the Sunday worship service, which was required to participate in the calf-roping competition scheduled later that day. The church also gathered contact information for numerous people, which can be used for evangelistic follow-up.

Edwards believes those actions are an indication the rodeo and a church for African-American cowboys can change lives.

Minnehulla Baptist Church prays the ministry to cowboys grows and plans to build a rodeo arena near its current facilities to allow Minnehula Cowboy Fellowship to hold arena events on its property.

“We thought if we could identify with our roots and teach their children where their ancestors came from and to tap into their culture and their taste, maybe we could reach them more effectively,” Edwards said.

View a video clip from Minnehulla Cowboy Fellowship at http://www.bgct.org /documents/ video/goliadcowboychurch.wmv.