Cowboy Church celebrates 20th anniversary Sunday

Pastor Jim Matthews preaches with his cowboy hat on. That is just one of the many things that make the Cape County Cowboy Church a little different.

Matthews said the Cowboy Church was founded 20 years ago on Jan. 4, 2004, with a mission to reach a group of people with a common love for Jesus and the "cowboy culture."

"We call ourselves a church of the misfits," Matthews said. "If you have your life all together you probably won't fit in very well with us but if you've got a life that needs the help of the Lord then you'll feel right at home here."

The congregation of the Cowboy Church will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Sunday, Jan. 7, at their Oak Ridge location.

Matthews said the church began as a partnership ministry with Red Star Baptist Church and Fruitland Community Church. He said 188 people came to the first service, held in an auction barn in Fruitland, Missouri.

"And it's just been rolling from there. We never dreamed it would grow that fast and it has been a wonderful ministry," Matthews said.

Matthews said they now have two locations, one near Oak Ridge, Missouri and their Gravel Hill location near Burfordville, Missouri. He said they usually have around 600 people attend at Oak Ridge and 200 at Gravel Hill each Sunday morning.

Along with Sunday morning worship services with "down to earth messages and gospel music in a country western style", the Cowboy Church also has a "rodeo ministry" in their indoor and outdoor arenas where they have roping and barrel racing practices and times when people can just come and ride their horses together.

Their website, capecountycowboychurch.com, states that "home and family" are two words often used to describe Cowboy Church where "folks come from every background and walk of life."

"We are farmers and machinists, doctors and teachers, trail riders and barrel racers, but common to each is a love for the cowboy way of life and the God that created us all," the website states.

Matthews said he is grateful to God for blessing the Cowboy Church for the last 20 years and is looking forward to celebrating the anniversary this Sunday.

"It'll be a time of looking back and looking forward at all the Lord has done and all that we believe he's going to do," Matthews said. "Celebrating who he is and how he could take a people like us and let us have a part of his Kingdom work. It's been quite amazing."