Scotty was raised in Idaho’s Magic Valley and grew up hearing about Jesus from his grandparents, and asked Jesus into his heart when he was 9 years old.  But like too many kids, he drifted away from the Lord.

Many years later in 1981, when he was a Senior at a High School Rodeo, a bull stepped on Scotty’s chest.  Realizing he could have easily been killed, he was haunted by the question, “Where would I have gone if I had died?”   It was then, that the Lord began to get a hold of Scotty and change his life forever.  Later in 1985, when Scotty was breaking colts at the famous Doc Bar ranch in California, which to most cowboys is a dream job, Scotty totally surrendered his life to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Westernsprings Cowboy Church was founded after Scotty ministered to a very ill elderly man from the Kilgore/Dubois area.  The man not only recovered but also accepted Jesus. Months later when his friend died, Scotty helped conduct his funeral and as a result the man’s family asked him to minister once a month to the hard-working farmers and ranchers in the Kilgore & Dubois area. Scotty felt a deep connection with this fledgling ministry and sought direction from the Lord about expanding this ministry.  So Scotty decided to seek GOD’s guidance through the solitude of a three-day solo horseback ride through five Idaho counties and praying along the way.  Shortly after, ministries in Mud Lake and Gooding were started, and the Idaho Falls ministry was re-established.

Over the years, Scotty kept praying and listening and The Lord kept molding.  Scotty has ministered to cowboys on the rodeo circuit, shared the word with kids at the summer rodeo bible camp, and also pastored to kids at Watersprings Christian School. Scotty feels blessed to be able go out into these rural areas and share the Gospel with country folk that live the Cowboy Life-style every day of their life, and because he has experienced it personally, they might just listen to the message a little closer. It is truly a calling GOD has for my Life.

Justin Palmer is a horse trainer, cowboy and rancher.  Justin also writes and recites a unique brand of cowboy poetry, and tailors his art to each week’s meetings.  Justin didn’t start out to be a Cowboy for Christ poet.  He just wrote poems for family members and for the occasional funeral. When Scotty Brown asked Justin to join him in his Westernsprings Cowboy ministry, he didn’t know how rewarding and fun it would be writing poems with a special message.  Justin takes an idea and prays the Lord will be glorified and it usually takes him about 15 to 30 minutes to write a poem for The Lord, but if asked to write about a cowboy and a bucking horse – it can take the whole day.

Mindy Palmer, Justin’s wife, plays the upright bass and sings at Westernsprings Cowboy Church. She began singing at three years of age and now teaches singing lessons.  During her childhood, her parents, Bob and Christy Reid, of Firth, organized bible studies in their home for adults and vacation bible school for children. They later founded Promise Ministries in Shelley.  Mindy acknowledges that all of this has led her down many different paths to seek and know God, and make Him known.