Adjacent to Highway 280 stands a church with an unexpected way of worship. The gravel driveway brings a new meaning to "off the beaten path" and leads churchgoers to a building that has an exterior resembling an old barn. On the top of the building are the words "COWBOY CHURCH."
The Southern Plains Cowboy Church, an official affiliate of the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, offers community to those looking for an Old Western-inspired way of worship.
Will Aycock, the church's campus and young adult outreach leader, described a typical service as different from a Baptist or Methodist service, but still possessing the same values as many churches in Auburn, just with a twist.
J.W. Yarbrough, an elder of the church for over ten years, summarized one of the church's principles as void of typical flourishes such as carpet and stained glass windows. Nonetheless, they believe in God, and "by no means will [they] go against the Bible."
The Southern Plains Cowboy Church consists of the pastor and his wife, Jim and Kathy Strickland, elders and many teams, including campus outreach, hospitality, arena and the chuckwagon team.
Noting a need for a laidback, welcoming approach to the Gospel but still reflecting the sound doctrine of the Bible, pastor Jim and a group of community members created the church in 2011. The church, which lies between Waverly and Auburn, is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Auburn.
Will Aycock, senior in poultry science, couldn't imagine a better way of worshiping the Lord. Before moving to Auburn, Aycock attended a traditional church in his hometown until a friend suggested he attend a service at a nearby cowboy church.
Aycock said that he enjoyed the culture, the people and the mission of cowboy churches, so once he moved to Auburn, there was no question of where he would be attending Sunday services.
As campus and young adult outreach leader, Aycock acts as a support system for the roughly 30 attendees at the student meetings on Wednesday nights. He explained the meetings are not a push of the Gospel onto other students, but a way for like-minded individuals to take an hour or two out of their busy schedules to worship and find community.
Out of the many church events, Aycock sees Wednesday nights – when college students gather for worship – as his favorite. He compared the group and its imperfections to those nearest to Jesus. Although they have their flaws, Aycock said, the group, himself included, still work to serve other students and preach the Gospel.
"I look at the Gospel, [and] I look at the way Christ lived on this Earth. The people that he was around — those were his people," Aycock said. "They weren’t perfect by any means, but they had a heart, and they wanted to do well in this world, they wanted to help other people and wanted to serve him."
Newcomers should expect the welcoming outpour of love the churchgoers provide when a new face is present, according hospitality team leader Jackie Yarbrough.
Jackie prides herself as the unofficial greeter of Southern Plains Cowboy Church. Food is integral to the services and events of the church, with Jackie and her husband J.W. working passionately to serve the congregation.
According to Jackie, who has worked with the church for about five or six years, serving is difficult but worth it because "it is as unto the Lord."
"Everything we do is to point others to Jesus," Jackie said. "And [when] you're interacting with people, you know how hard that can be, but there is joy in serving, and that is what I seek and to honor the Lord."
Horse riding sessions are open to the public on Sunday afternoons from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The arena hosted events with the Cow Kid group and the State Line Horse Association this past summer. When services or events are not happening at the arena, Aycock takes the student group for sports nights and riding.
Even though the weather has gotten crisper, the festivities still don't end at the arena; they've started back up their Church in the Dirt. Instead of sitting in the pews and listening, churchgoers get to worship and enjoy the Gospel in the arena. The band performs on a gooseneck trailer, and the chuckwagon team prepares their signature dishes.
Earlier this month, the church hosted a free rodeo event open to the public. Attendees participated in various activities, including jackpot dummy roping, a goat-tying contest and team competitions such as saddling, branding and mugging. The chuckwagon team provided complimentary food, and local vendors and clubs attended the event.
The Sunday service starts at 10:30 a.m., with breakfast an hour before the service hosted by Jackie and J.W. Typically, the service has a 30-minute worship service and a sermon by pastor Jim or a guest speaker.
"We don't do an altar call, though [it is] available for those that want it. If you wanna do business with God, you can do it where you're sitting," Aycock said. "You can do it in your pickup truck; you can do it at home, like this time specifically in this service is not just then you can speak with him; you can make that change in your life whenever you feel that Spirit moving for you."
To become involved with or to learn more about the Southern Plains Cowboy Church student program, students can go onto their AUInvolve website.
According to the Southern Plains Cowboy Church, everything always circles back to the Lord and how they best exemplify his ways. Their unofficial slogan is, "Come as you are just means more here," and the congregation takes it very seriously.
"It doesn't matter if you got off work on time to get here, come on in your work clothes," J.W. said. "You know, you don't have to dress up or take a shower; you come with whatever you got on you. Bring it on. We're all right with it."
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