Preaching on the Rodeo Circuit

Raindrops stream from the brim of Dale Hirschman’s black felt hat onto the pages of his Bible as the lanky cowboy scoots his finger across Scripture on the water-stained pages.

The man from Weatherford, Okla., (pop. 9,799) is drenched and so is his congregation. But they listen intently to the man whose boots are planted in a mire of mud and manure.

Nobody is leaving this church.

“Wimps don’t go to cowboy church,” Hirschman says. “We have cowboy church rain or shine, sleet or snow.”

Hirschman is one of a handful of preachers who travel the college rodeo circuit—rodeo competition for college students only—spreading God’s word. He logs thousands of miles each year preaching to worshippers who come out in all sorts of weather to hear his message.

The congregation may show up on horses, and bulls may nuzzle the preacher. Services are typically conducted in a dusty arena surrounded by stock.

“It’s neat to have the sky as your ceiling,” Hirschman says. “We’re out there in God’s creation.”

That freedom can mean braving the elements to preach 45 minutes in a driving rain at Pratt, Kan., (pop. 9,700) or with temperatures in the mid-30s and 25 mile per hour north winds at a service in Guymon, Okla., (pop. 8,354).

“They still came,” he says. “That’s the coldest I’ve ever been since I started preaching.”

They’ve been coming since Hirschman preached to eight people at his first rodeo in 1980. The cowboy church pioneer now attracts an average of 80 people at each service.

“When I first started, cowboy life and Christian life were separate things,” he says. “People thought you had to be one or the other.

“Today, there are a lot of cowboys who now acknowledge God.”

Tara Davis of Weatherford, a rodeo coach’s daughter, says she knows why cowboys and cowgirls flock to Hirschman’s services. She grew up attending his sermons.

“It’s his general attitude towards life that keep them coming back,” she says. “He follows a very strict life with God. But he’s also someone who will have a lot of fun with you.”

That’s not all. Hirschman offers stability for those on the road and away from family. He is a confidante to many.

“They trust Dale because he’s not an outsider to the sport,” Davis says. “He’s one of them—a real cowboy to the core.

“Without Dale Hirschman, faith wouldn’t be as intense on the rodeo circuit as it is now.”

Cowboy Billy Williams says those on the circuit need Hirschman.

“We’re gone all the time from our homes, and he is the one a lot of cowboys put their trust in,’’ Williams says.

“When Dale speaks, people listen. He speaks nothing but the truth. I think that’s what keeps people coming back to hear him preach,” says Williams, who has been to several of Hirschman’s services.

Hirschman committed his life to Jesus in 1978 while in college. The bareback rider of 28 years competed on the rodeo team at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. After he decided to become a cowboy preacher, it didn’t take long to discover the challenges.

“You’ve got some cowboys who are really tough,” he says. “They face fear and don’t back down from it. It’s not always easy breaking through that tough outer shell that some of them have.”

But it does happen. Hirschman has helped many cowboys and cowgirls become Christians.

“It’s always neat to see their eyes well up with tears when they talk about God,” he says. “Seeing God touch their lives is the best part of what I do.”

Hirschman says the toughest part is spending time away from home. His wife and two daughters, ages 3 and 5, miss him when he’s gone. But they understand the urgency to reach those in need.

They also understand his work isn’t done and he’s not quitting cowboy church services any time soon.

“My goal is to reach those who don’t know Jesus. I’m a selfish Christian.

“I want everybody in Heaven with me.”

Robyn Hoffman is a freelance writer in Oklahoma.

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