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Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
Our Founding Pastor
Our beloved founding pastor,
Pastor Ron Alexander (PR), started Walla Walla Valley Cowboy Church in 2010, and faithfully shepherded
his people until his passing in January of 2026. Pastor Ron was in full-time ministry for fifty-five years and was a true shepherd to God's flock. Having grown up on a cattle ranch in Yakima, WA,
Pastor Ron always had a special love for the western heritage culture. He received the call to ministry when
he was twelve years old and at the age of twenty he married his
high school sweetheart, Pam.
From his beginning days as a youth pastor to the position of senior pastor,
PR served the Lord faithfully. In the year 2000, God gave PR the vision for
Walla Walla Valley Cowboy Church, putting the western heritage people of the community on his heart. Pastor Ron prayed for ten years, seeking God's will diligently before finally starting Cowboy Church in 2010.
PR loved Cowboy Church and
his people. He led the church with love, and spent much time investing in the lives of the people
of his church. Whether it was
ball games, animal showings, rodeos, ropings, or brandings,
PR was actively involved in participating in the lives of his
Cowboy Church family.
In 2024, PR was diagnosed with massive inoperable, incurable stomach cancer.
He fought this battle with determination, and through it all, from the beginning of his cancer diagnosis until his last day alive, he told his church that he wanted God to take this as far as He needed to in order for God to get all for glory. Pastor Ron took his entire church on a journey of learning to trust in God, no matter what circumstances might be. Through both his example and his words, he taught
his flock to trust in the Lord with all their hearts and not lean on their own understanding; in all their ways to acknowledge Him, and He will direct their paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Cowboy Church flourished through PR's cancer journey as people watched him lean hard on Jesus and allow this awful situation to bring him closer to the Lord. His example spurred others on to allow God to use their own personal struggles to bring glory to Him. This was exactly PR's hope and prayer: because of his fight with cancer, others had found their hope and peace in Jesus in the midst of life's calamities. After a nearly two-year battle with cancer, PR went home to be with Jesus in January of 2026. His last instructions to his church were,
"Tell the church, 'love one another.' They've got to love each other, and love deep.
Love is what will carry Cowboy Church through."
In loving his church so deeply, PR left very specific instructions about how Cowboy Church was to carry on after he was gone. He asked his daughter Jennifer, who has over 20 years of ministry experience, to be his personal representative until a new shepherd could come and lead his flock. Jennifer had been assisting PR for the last two years, and now has stepped into the position of Interim Administrator.
While Pastor Ron may no longer be leading us, his legacy of following Christ is continuing to impact Cowboy Church as we are continuing to grow in our relationships with God and with each other.
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