Written by Ben Cox – Near Northwest Elementary School, behind some partially-rusted arena fencing, sits a small white building with a sign hung on it that reads High Mesa Cowboy Church. Inside that building is the passion project of a pastor that had no inclination off ever being one, Todd King.
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King started out in education and also spent time in construction trades before realizing he had a gift for reaching people for God. Starting out as a guitar player, “although not much of one,” he says, King became the praise team leader at High Mesa.
Writing songs for the band to sing “because I didn’t know any,” he says, the group became so popular they were asked to come to Nashville to record an album. During that trip, King’s life took a turn towards his real calling: pastoring a church.
Walking away from a potentially lucrative recording career, King instead chose to use his gifts for local ministry and returned home to Brownwood under the tutelage of the original pastor of High Mesa, Charlie Lackey.
When it was time for Lackey to pass the baton, King was still somewhat reluctant to take the reigns but consistent prayer and encouragement eventually wore down his resistance.
King says that there was never a plan to take on the role he has been in for the last 12 years. “Everything about this whole deal I didn’t choose, it was part of God’s plan.”
High Mesas Cowboy Church started in 2000 and was “the very first Cowboy Church in the BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas), it was an idea that Charlie Lackey heard of and kind of kicked off,” says King. “There was one that was being built (at the time) in Ellis County, but we started first in an old western wear store.”
When asked how he learned to minister to people, King offers an unusual source for his training.
“Working with horses. When you work with horses, God will open your eyes to the simplicity that is in Christ. It’s just amazing what I’ve learned working with horses that makes me realize just how we really are, and how we think and how we do things.”
King’s focus is on God and not anyone in the pulpit. “I want people to be so free from religion, and so free in their relationship with Christ that everything points to Christ.”
King says that after a humbling experience he was shown a message from God while parked in the Sliger’s (now Cullen’s) parking lot.
“He said ‘whatever you add to the blood of My Son, that elevates your holiness or your righteousness just made it evil in my eyes. How dare you think you can add something to the blood of My Son to make you better. You think you can add your works to the blood of my son, or your contributions, or your money? Son, that is MY BOY. That’s the King of the cosmos, there ain’t nothin like my boy. That’s 33 sinless years on this planet, you think you can add your works to that and make you better?’ But then He said to me ‘But if you’ll honor it, I’ll honor you’ In other words, everything I do now is to honor it.”
High Mesa Cowboy Church has two services every Sunday morning, at 9 a.m. and 10:30 and Wednesday services at 6:30 at 1100 High Mesa Drive. The church can be contacted via their Facebook page or on their website.
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