Georgia Magazine - August 2024 - 16

Come as
you are
Cowboy church
provides community,
relaxed place
for worship
By Pamela A. Keene
A
fter preaching in traditional churches for more than 30
years, Michael Reeves had a revelation.
" I looked around at the people in the pews and
realized that there had to be a better way to bring people to
Christ, " says Reeves, who holds a doctorate in theology from
Antioch Baptist Bible College, then in Atlanta and now in
Cartersville. " People were going to church, but they weren't
living Christ's message. "
After several months of online research, he says he felt
called by God to establish a cowboy church in west Georgia.
" I'd heard of cowboy church, but I'd never been to one.
The concept made perfect sense, " he says. " I liken it to being in
a wagon train headed west. Each family has its own wagon and
everything they need with them, but when something happens
to that family, everyone else pools their resources to focus on
helping the ones who are in need. In many cases, it's not like
that in traditional churches. "
In 2011, he established Greenville's Open Range Cowboy
Church.
With a come-as-you-are philosophy, cowboy church can be
held anywhere-a rodeo arena, an open pasture, a barn or
an old, unused church building.
" It's not important where we meet or what you wear; it's
all about hearing and receiving the word of God and winning
people to Jesus, " Reeves says.
The church's first building 13 years ago had no running
water or bathrooms.
" People brought their own water, and we got [portable
toilets] and existed that way for seven years, " Reeves says.
16 Georgia Magazine August 2024
Above left: The decor at Open Range Cowboy Church in Greenville
refl ects the Western lifestyle. Above: Michael Reeves, pastor at Open
Range Cowboy Church, preached in traditional churches for decades
before implementing the cowboy-church model. He says he
appreciates the camaraderie and mutual support among members
of the congregation.
" No one really minded. "
Six years ago, an old-time church building became
available that had bathrooms, but the roof leaked. The
congregation moved in, and Reeves put a garbage can under
the leak.
" This past March we all came to an agreement in prayer to
put a donation bucket at the back of the church to raise funds
to replace the roof, " he says. " All the while God was working a
miracle for us. Two weeks later, a guy in a truck showed up
[and] said he'd heard we needed a new roof and that God
had sent him. "
That man was Jason Humphries, who owns a local
commercial and residential roofing company.
" His employees worked like a swarm of bees and replaced
the roof in a day and a half, " Reeves says.
But what's even more incredible is what happened next.
" Jason told me I'd visited with him 18 years ago when he
was in jail on [drug-related] charges, " Reeves says. " Frankly, I
didn't remember him, but he said that my visit turned his life
around. Today he's a successful business owner, and he said
that God sent him to us to replace the roof. He didn't charge
us a penny. "
Open Range Cowboy Church meets every Sunday morning
PAMELA A. KEENE
PAMELA A. KEENE
Georgia Magazine - August 2024

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