“I’m the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Farmington (New Mexico) going about my work on an ordinary day when my secretary puts the phone call through to my office. If it is a joke, it isn’t a very good one. This guy says he’s the chaplain at the racetrack in Ruidoso. He’s telling me they need someone to serve at our track in Farmington. I’ve never heard of such a thing – a minister at the racetrack?

“Fine, I’ll play along. He said they had riders down there who were coming to Farmington and were concerned that they didn’t have anyone to pray for them. It’s starting to sound like something I could be interested in so I asked what he wanted me to do. ‘Just help us find someone who is willing to minister to people who work at the track and need some spiritual care,’ said Darrell Winter, the chaplain at Ruidoso.

“So, it’s not a gag. I immediately felt convicted. I’ve driven past our track a hundred times and never gave a thought to what went on out there. Never gave a thought to all the people and their families working long, hard hours, many of them missing out on having a chaplain. Never considered that some of them could actually have been wishing for someone to pray for them, lead a worship service on Sunday, a Bible study during the week and just offer some spiritual encouragement in the midst of an often difficult and stressful work week.

“ ‘Brother, I’ll be glad to help you find a chaplain,’ I finally told Darrell. ‘And if it’s something you think I can do, I’ll be there until we find someone else.’

“Darrell thought that was a great idea. I’ve since learned how his burden for the racetrack ministry goes far beyond the confines of Ruidoso Downs and his thriving church there.

“Darrell won’t rest until every racetracker in New Mexico has the opportunity to participate in an effective and compassionate Christian ministry, even if he has to enlist a local pastor and try to make a chaplain out of him.

“Would you believe we’re still looking for a chaplain here?

“But not really. It’s an old trick we use in churches. We ask a half-willing volunteer, ‘Will you do this job just until we find someone else?”‘

“When they say yes, we stop looking. I’m more than happy with the way it turned out. And First Baptist Church is just as happy to have this extension to our ministry in Farmington. They support it wholeheartedly. They share their pastor, their minister of worship and several other church members to lead Bible studies, coordinate cookouts, clothing and grocery drives and bring vans to pick up kids for Bible School.

“This is our third meet now and my wife and I have come to know and love hundreds of people who otherwise never would have crossed our paths.

“I never would have imagined I’d have a half-dozen pictures on the wall in my office of me in the winner’s circle with trainers and jockeys who have become close, personal friends. Who would have thought we’d have a member of the gate crew living in our spare bedroom? And we love every minute of it. People at the track tell us we’re a blessing to them. I tell them it has worked both ways.

“Our church has adopted SunRay Park as kind of a daughter congregation and a mission field.

“Instead of sitting in our downtown building wondering why they don’t come to church, we’re more than happy to take church to them. We’re also thrilled to tell our story, hoping to encourage other churches to come alongside the track in their town. Even if they already have a chaplain, the support of a loving church family will be invaluable to them.

“I always tell them, ‘Just do it until they find someone else.’ ”

The above was written by Kenneth Berryman, who still serves as Senior Pastor at the First Baptist Church in Farmington, New Mexico. And he still serves as Chaplain at SunRay Park, the little track tucked into the far northwest corner of New Mexico.

If you grew up in a part of the world anything like where I grew up, you probably have a hard time thinking about a Baptist preacher hanging out at a race track. Especially a race track that has a casino attached to it.

But if you hang around these guys affiliated with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA), you get to looking at things a little differently.

Three or four years ago, former AQHA Director of Racing Dan Fick got me a little more involved with the RTCA. I had attended a few services held by the RTCA and Christine and I had made a financial contribution from time to time.

I knew Dr. Enrique Torres, who heads the Chaplaincy’s national office, through Dan. And I knew Ed Donnelly, the former jockey and sportswriter in Dallas who is now the Director of Development for the Chaplaincy. I knew Lone Star Park Chaplain Sam Ed Spence . . . we go back to the early 1960’s when he was running the American Paint Horse Assn. and I operating a Linotype machine while working my way through college.

The next thing I knew I was going to conventions in Louisville and in Houston. I got to visit with Pat Day and hear him preach. And I became friends with the RTCA president Edward Smith, who in March was succeeded in that job by my friend Waverly Parsons.

Several years ago, I promised my wife that I would accept no more jobs as a director. With her permission, I broke that promise when I became an RTCA director. And I promised her that I would take no more jobs as chairman of anything. And, with her permission, I broke that promise a few weeks ago when asked to serve as the chairman of the Quarter Horse Task Force as the RTCA expands its reach further into this side of horse racing.

On this task force, I have joined Dr. Torres, Edward, Waverly, Darrell, Sam, Chaplains Eston Leonard, Aurio Bermeo and Daniel Corte and Johnny Trotter, J.E. Jumonville, Jr., and Frank Lamb.

Our first meeting was a telephone conference. In a few weeks, we’re going to get together. I don’t know where this Task Force thing is going but if you’ve ever been backside of a race track or at a big training center, you know what needs to to be done.

The RTCA wants to help these people have a better life. A better place to live. A better education. Better communication skills. Better health care. Help with drug and alcohol problems. Chaplains help the riders, the trainers, the grooms, and the women and the kids that often have those windowless tack rooms as their homes. They need to know that someone cares about them. And they need to know God.

Recently, the RTCA had a 5-horse aluminum trailer donated. It can be used when the White Horse Riders participate in disaster relief such as they did in the Parker County, Texas, flooding of the Brazos River; in the Holly, Colorado, toronado; and in Hurricane Katrina. If you have a used vehicle such as a truck or van or SUV that you’d like to donate, the RTCA can put it to good use. And probably can provide you with a receipt for your donation.

The RTCA is not like some political candidates we’ve seen lately on TV. It’s not going to pretend that it can solve all the problems. But with your help, your prayers and the direction of God, life on the backside can improve for many.

If you want to do your part, please contact us

We’re just going to “do it until they find someone else.”