Chaplains' ministry continues at Oklahoma State Fair

Randy Reasoner, with New Hope Cowboy Ministry in McLoud, said he and his wife have been chaplains for the rodeo crowd at the fair since 1992.

Reasoner said over the years, he has forged friendships with many of the rodeo and stock area crews.

He said he sees his chaplaincy as an opportunity to be a stable faith-filled presence for people who constantly travel from place to place.

“We help provide an anchor for them,” Reasoner said. “We care about them.”

Reasoner said he also reaches out to the vendors and, often, the temporary workers who perform such tasks as cleaning the restrooms and sweeping up litter.

“What we find is that people sometimes ignore them,” he said. “We talk to them and they know that people care about them. We all want to be acknowledged,” Reasoner said

Linda Reasoner said visiting people at the fair is exciting to her because it is ministry in its most basic form: caring for another.

“I think ministry should not just be to people who sit in the pew,” she said.

Her husband agreed.

“Jesus did that a lot of times — He saw somebody and let them know He cared about them,” he said.

The Oklahoma State Fair continues through Sunday.