Pastor Rides Wild Horse Into Converted Rodeo Arena Sanctuary as Part of Sermon Illustration
An Ohio pastor rode a wild horse in front of his congregation for a sermon illustration on Sunday.
Rev. Lawrence Bishop II, associate pastor of Solid Rock Church in Lebanon, attempted to tame the horse, as part of the church's "Conquer the Beast" event.
"Many consider a wild bucking horse to be a beast, and it's a simple analogy. When we submit to the master's hand is when we find our purpose and God can bless us. If people don't support the idea itself, hopefully they'll support the motive of doing something unique to win souls to Jesus! God Bless!" the church wrote about the event on its Facebook page.
Hoping to attract individuals who may not have otherwise entered Solid Rock, the pentecostal church removed pews and laid down plastic and dirt to create the arena.
Bishop II, a Dove Award-winning member of the rock band "Bride" stayed on top of the horse for 10 minutes.
His horseback riding adventures were not the only highlight of the night. Current church member and reigning Super Bowl Champion Bobbie Williams also attended and shared his story with attendees.
In addition to pulling in a large in-person audience, the event proved to be a hit online.
"157 souls saved!! Praise God! 465 watched online (our biggest online crowd)!! God is so good!!!!!!," Solid Rock Church posted on its Facebook page Sunday evening.
"Whole family watched from Vancouver, Wa. We were blessed," Frank Bratcher commented on Facebook.
Another user, Shawn Frost, credited the service with helping his child.
"My son rededicated his life to Christ and so did my friends daughter, that's what it's all about, Praise God!!" he wrote.
In addition to the publicity it received for its latest event, Solid Rock Church is already known in the community for a 50-foot statue of Jesus in front of the church. The church, will be hosting a Christmas music event, Solid Rock'n Christmas, the weekend before Christmas.