Cowboy Church destroyed

The prayers of a Colorado City church were answered this weekend when their church burned down. A moment even those with the strongest faith might find disheartening, it did nothing, if not solidify the very foundation of the congregation’s faith. “We had been praying, asking for direction within our church,” The Reverend Greg Crawford said. Then, with a grin, he added, “We were not sure if we wanted to stay in the same building or not. Now we know we will not.” Cowboy Church on Business I-20 in Colorado City caught fire sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Sunday morning, destroying all of the church’s musical equipment and furniture, not to mention their place of worship. The Colorado City Volunteer Fire Department responded with five trucks and 16 firemen who battled the blaze until 6 a.m., but the structure was completely destroyed. The firefighters were joined by three trucks from Loraine as well. “We have been overwhelmed with offers from churches here in Colorado City to let us use their facilities for services,” Reverend Crawford said. “We cannot say enough about the people in this town and how wonderful they can be in a situation like this.” Reverend Crawford said, though he appreciated all the offers, he just did not feel right about disrupting everyone else's schedules when he knew God would provide what the church needed in His own way. One offer the displaced church did accept, however, was the use of sound equipment from Calvary Baptist Church. C-City’s Cowboy Church was founded Jan. 2, 2011 and was celebrating its first anniversary in existence. “We will use the building next door to the sale barn this Sunday for services,” Rev. Crawford said. “After that, we are looking for a new place to rent for the time being.” But for a church which does not pass an offering plate, the money has to come from somewhere. New equipment, new building, it does not come free. But Crawford has no doubts. “It will come,” Rev. Crawford said. “God knows what we need, whether we do or not.” The congregation normally meets at 9:15 a.m. on Sundays for Bible study, with regular services scheduled for 10:30 a.m. If you have any questions about where the church will meet or future plans of the church, feel free to call Reverend Crawford at (713)-408-8805. Cowboy Church wanted to express its gratitude for the fire department, police department and sheriff’s office for their help during the fire, and also all the prayers which have poured in from area churches and local residents.