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Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Rancher Spotlight on Service | Religious Part-time Pastor, Full-time Rancher Hereford cattleman Gordon Jamison answered a “calling” from his church to be a minister. by Sara Gugelmeyer “We feel like God gave has continued the tradition of raising and selling top-quality Hereford bulls and females. us this ranch and gave And, Gordon has continued the tradition of being a pastor at us the things we do for a the Dunkard Brethren Church in Quinter. purpose and we need to Now, the Dunkard Brethren denomination may not be as share it. There’s still a deep well-known as say the Baptist denomination, but Gordon says its theology is similar. The Dunkard desire across all America Brethren is an Anabaptist religion, which includes Amish, to see the cowboy life. Hutterites and Mennonites. The “dunkard” term comes from the — Gordon Jamison way that believers are baptized, which is by immersion. Pastors in Gordon’s faith are not nlike a typical pastor, still the headquarters of the Jamison full-time employees. Rather, the Gordon Jamison didn’t Ranch. He farmed, raised horses congregation chooses a member or U necessarily aspire to and served the church as minister. members of the church whenever be a minister. In his religion, Owen’s son Dale bought the there’s a need to take on the duties the Dunkard Brethren, it works family’s first Hereford in about of minister, Gordon explains. In a little differently. But, both his 1940. He, too, served as a minister his church there are three “lay employment as a rancher and of the church. By 1970 Gordon had pastors,” as they’re called. his calling as a pastor are roles joined the family operation. The “In our church, it’s not he comes by naturally. In his next year the Jamisons purchased a something that you volunteer to, hometown of Quinter, Kan., he is group of half-blood Line 1 Hereford it’s an appointed position and the third generation in his family cows, and by 1975 the entire something like an election is held to do both. Jamison herd was of L1 genetics. and the church elects individuals In 1890 Owen Thomas Jamison Together, Gordon and whenever they feel there is a need,” stepped off the train in Quinter Dale grew the Jamison herd’s Gordon says. “It’s by popular after a long ride from Virginia. The reputation. Although Dale passed vote, so to speak. After a great land he claimed as a homestead is away in 2007, the Jamison Ranch deal of prayer and soul searching 128 / July 2013 Hereford.org on the financial side, according to And the extra help can’t hurt Gordon. Wade, who also lives in as Gordon works double-duty. It is Hays, helps out when he can, and considered a special honor to be a Cody lives on the ranch and works lay pastor in the church, but it’s not there full-time. without its challenges. Also, one way Gordon and his “I would be completely wife, Marsha, help out the church dishonest if I said it was never is by providing opportunities a burden,” Gordon admits. for young people from the “But I don’t view it that way. congregation to come work on It’s something that I can do to the ranch. justify my existence. I know that “We feel like God gave us this at one time or another every ranch and gave us the things we do rancher thinks to himself, ‘What for a purpose and we need to share in the world do I accomplish?’ it,” he says. “There’s still a deep Because all it is sometimes is desire across all America to see just trying to meet the next bill, the cowboy life. Sometimes we are make the next payment and In addition to raising cattle, the ranch probably a bit overstaffed, but we’re keep our banker out of our markets Quarter Horses as well. creating more of a job opportunity hair. This puts a whole different for young men, usually, to get away element into life and so I find it everybody submits a name. You do and come interact, and have some very fulfilling and rewarding. have the option of saying no, if you new experiences. Some do it for a “It’s taken a lot of my focus don’t feel that it fits. We call it a few weeks, others a year or more.” off my own individual wants and calling from the church.” Most of the congregation is not needs and helped me to see the In just this way, Gordon was directly involved in agriculture, needs of others. A Christian’s first called to be a lay minister when and Gordon also sees hiring responsibility is to see beyond he was 29 years old. “Honestly, I outside help as an opportunity himself, because we all tend to be was very intimidated by the task,” to educate the public about what so self-centered. I feel like we’ve he says. “I still am. But, I grew happens on a farm or ranch. been blessed with a lot of things up with that. My father and my “Probably the majority will not that I maybe wouldn’t have given grandfather shared that same spend their lifetime in agriculture, proper credence to if I wouldn’t position ahead of me.” but there are so many lessons to be have been able to see the other Gordon’s responsibilities include learned that you just can’t learn in side of the picture.” everything a traditional pastor other jobs,” he says. One of Gordon’s concerns is to would do, including giving avoid the sort of “in-your-face sermons at church, conducting religiosity” that some can find weddings and funerals, intimidating. “I don’t like to counseling congregation come across to people in a way members, and the like. that they think because I am Gordon admits, “There are a pastor I am a step up from three of us, so it spreads it out the rest. I am just one of the a little bit. But in addition to guys working out here on the the work we have in our local ranch day by day by day, but congregation, I do quite a bit where I find meaning is my of traveling. I spend about relationship with God. When three weeks a year traveling I go deliver a bull to someone, to speaking engagements at I want it to be more than just other churches. That does cut a financial reward for me. into the ranch life.” I really want to be involved Luckily for Gordon, his sons in their life. But that’s my Daron, Wade and Cody have challenge — to be very real taken an interest in the ranch. Gordon says he likes to be viewed as just another and able to influence people’s Daron lives in nearby Hays, guy working on the ranch but he finds meaning in lives in a subtle way.” HW his relationship with God. Kan., and is involved more Hereford.org July 2013 / 129.
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