The Traditions of Cowan Ministerial Association

Ash Wednesday: an evening service that marks the first day of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and preparation for Easter. 

Maundy Thursday: A time of worship that recalls the last supper Jesus held with the disciples the evening before he was arrested.  In this service, we celebrate the Lord's Supper and share in the Washing of Feet as Jesus did with the disciples in the Upper Room.

The Hours of Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane:

Based on Matthew 26: 30-56, this is an all-night vigil to recall the hours of agony Jesus had in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested.  The vigil takes place in a local church and people in the community sign up for one-hour shifts in order to keep watch with Jesus in his greatest time of fear.

Good Friday Stations of the Cross:

Stations of the Cross recalls when Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified.  The service involves a procession across town with "stations" that recall specific moments mentioned in the scriptures.

Easter Morning Sunrise Service:

Every Easter morning just after sunrise, the community gathers again to celebrate the empty tomb and the realization that Jesus overcame death and the grave.  This service takes place at Cowan Montgomery Cemetery.

Annual Brush Arbor Meeting:  every year the churches in Cowan gather at Boiling Fork Creek to commemorate the faith of our pioneer ancestors.  Before any churches were built in our area, our ancestors gathered once per year on the creek at a brush arbor.  The annual services turned into powerful revivals with dozens of people getting baptized into the Christian faith.  The Annual Brush Arbor that we hold today celebrates the faith and perseverance of these early settlers. 

Community Thanksgiving Service: a festival service where we celebrate our faith and heritage as Christians in the United States of America.  We recall the bonds of love that our early pilgrim settlers formed with the Native Americans in what became Thanksgiving - one of our country's most beloved holidays!  CMA usually holds this service on the Sunday evening prior to Thanksgiving.

Cowan Ministerial Association is sponsored by the Apostolic Church of the Resurrection, Cowan Fellowship Church, Cowan Cumberland Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, First Church of the Nazarene, Goshen Cumberland Presbyterian Church, New Hope Church of God in Christ, and St. Agnes’ Anglican/Episcopal Church