The 'Lord's Acre' Plan, 1943

“Lord’s Acre” Plan in 1,000 More Churches” by S.C. Clapp, Burke County assistant agricultural agent, in The Progressive Farmer, March, 1943

I was delighted to see in the February Progressive Farmer the article by Dr. James G.K. McClure on “the Lord’s Acre” work in the rural churches of western North Carolina. I have been over these western churches at various times and know church organizations of various denominations (it is non-denominational) that have been greatly helped by the Lord’s Acre Plan.

Just for example, one man with six children told me he could hardly buy shoes and books to keep his children in school and had almost quit going to church because he did not have money to contribute, and that he had hardly ever paid more than $3 per year. He decided to plant half an acre of Irish potatoes and turn over his church half the proceeds. He made $36 for his church, had plenty of potatoes for his family—and his children were still in school! This is typical of how many families have been helped in their church work.

I know of one place where a children’s Sunday school class set up a cooperative project with chickens and used the proceeds to buy hymn books for the church.

The Lord’s Acre Plan certainly helped and strengthened many rural churches in western North Carolina. I wish farmers in other sections would re-read what Dr. McClure said in last month’s Progressive Farmer and try the plan in a thousand more churches in 1943!

Editor’s Note—We are delighted to print this interesting testimony from Mr. Clapp, popular assistant county agent in Burke County, N.C. We again suggest that interested persons may well send 6 cents in stamps to Rev. Dumont Clarke, The Farmers Federation, Asheville, N.C., for an explanatory small pamphlet, “The Lord’s Care Plan at Work in the Country Church.”