How The Lord's Acre Movement Founded in Asheville Has Helped, 1940

From the Farm Journal and Farmer’s Wife, Nov. 1940 issue

Harvest had a new meaning for hundreds of county churches this fall. In Bear Wallow, N.C., it meant a new roof. At East Jewett, N.Y., it brought firewood for the winter’s services. Harvest meant paint for worn pews in Missouri and a new carpet for a Sunday School room in Northern Iowa. New cash went into the benevolent funds and added to the slender pay of the country preachers.

Cause of it all is The Lord’s Acre Movement, founded 11 years ago by the religious department of the Farmers Federation of Asheville, N.C. Quietly, its homely, practical idea has spread across the nation.

The Rev. Dumont Clarke has been the spark plug of The Lord’s Acre plan from the beginning. He traces its origin to the verse in Genesis that reads “The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.”

Principal fault of the old church tithe, many a country preacher has found, is that farmers transformed the gift into cash, then found that they could not spare the cash. Rev. Clarke’s idea eliminates the cash. Chicks, eggs, fruit trees, land, seed and labor instead of money, are donated directly to the church. The church sells the produce at market prices, pockets the proceeds.

Corn is the most general Lord’s Acre crop although nearly every other agricultural commodity is represented in the returns. Children like to raise chickens for the church. Women donate all the eggs their flocks lay on Sunday. Older boys and girls raise calves or pigs as their annual contribution to the church. Buddy Pace, 8, made $23 for his church at Dana, N.C., this year by cultivating a raspberry patch.

Pastors have found that The Lord’s Acre brings folks back into the church. “We ministers have been riding a white horse,” one New York pastor told a district conference this summer. “But when I take my coat off and hoe corn with my parishioners, the men have a whole lot more respect for me. By twos and threes this year, they have started coming to church again.”

The Movement is in name only. It has no field workers, no promotional campaign or drive beyond Rev. Clarke’s small office staff at Asheville. Yet last month, as Lord’s Acre came to its 11^th harvest, churches in more than 20 states were reaping benefits.

“Last year two or three churches in New York used the plan,” Rev. Clarke said. “This year there were 20 New York churches with Lord’s Acre projects. In Missouri, the number has increased from one to 25 churches.”