Cowboys for Jesus: Maryland Youth Learn About Christ Through Bull Riding
Children are being offered the unique chance to learn about Jesus Christ whilst bull-riding and participating in rodeos at a Ranch in Maryland, according to ranch owner Jon Bisset.
The Ranch, located in Carroll County, Maryland, was started by Bisset’s grandfather in the 1952 and was designed to help troubled youth.
“He always had a fondness for the American Cowboy, and he was a minister down in Baltimore city,” Bisset said to CNN. “He saw a lot of kids getting in trouble during the summer time and thought this might be an opportunity to reach out to kids of Baltimore city in a unique way.”
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His grandfather opened RVR which became the first dude ranch on the east coast and started reaching kids with the gospel who wanted a more active way to develop their faith than attending a regular church.
The ranch operates in the same way today offering Christian-themed summer camps, rodeos, horseback riding and bull riding.
It does not affiliate itself with any specific denomination or church and declares that it’s an “organization in the evangelical Christian tradition,” on its website.
They also call themselves “a distinctly Christian wholesome family atmosphere.”
“You won’t see too many cowboys that when you call for a word of prayer, don’t come around and circle up,” said Matt Schock, RVR’s rodeo coordinator to CNN.
The deadly sport keeps the cowboys depending on God at the ranch.
“It’s the world’s most dangerous sport for a reason. You get on that bull you have a good shot at dying,” Schock said.
According to reports, once the bulls at the ranch were released from their pen they tossed the riders around like rag dolls as they attempted to get settled. The cowboys would fall off landing on their feet, brush themselves off and attempt to remount the bull.
“You could go out and get your head stepped on and die like that,” Schock said. “(When) you stand before the Lord and finding out where you go... that’s what’s important right there.”
