The
Lord's Acre in Tenneessee, 1953..........Anne McKenzie
The
Lord's Acre in Tenneessee, 1953
The one-room church building was
adequate for worship services and meetings, but for four Sunday
School classes on Sunday mornings it was a different matter. The
Men’s Class teacher with his booming voice could be easily
heard by the men--and by the women, the youth and the
children’s classes. Concentration by these other class
members was very difficult.
The women had failed in their efforts to get classrooms built.
The men, who controlled the finances, insisted that it would be
impossible to raise the money needed. (Of course, they
didn’t understand the problem--they could hear their
teacher!)
During home visits one of the women discussed the situation with
my US-2 co-worker and me. We shared with her the Lord’s Acre
plan, growing a cash crop to raise funds for church needs. As
President of the Woman’s Society of Christian Service, she
decided to bring the idea to the attention of the women at their
next meeting.
We were present during that meeting. One widow had a field that
could be used; the president’s husband and son would do the
plowing and planting; another member’s husband sold
fertilizer, and she would speak to him. The women were sure that
if the men would plow and plant they could do the
"chopping" and picking, which was all done by hand in
those days.
The following Sunday it was obvious that the women had talked
with their husbands. The Sunday School Superintendent announced
that plans were under way for a Lord’s Acre cotton crop to
start a building fund for classrooms. "A field has been
donated by Mrs. A; so let’s all work together." Without
hesitation, the fertilizer, seeds and labor for plowing and
planting had been donated.
Most of the able-bodied adults, youth and older children--and we
Church and Community Workers--worked to hoe, and in September to
pick the bale of cotton, which sold for about $500. Soon a
carpenter church member started to work. Another Lord’s Acre
crop was projected for the next year; but cash contributions were
received which took care of the rest of the cost. The women got
no credit for instigating this effort, but their goal was
accomplished--never mind the credit!
--Anne McKenzie, Deaconess & Church and Community Worker