The Lord's Acre

In 1922 Rev. H.M. Melton of Bluffton Baptist Church challenged his congregation to set aside one acre of farmland and donate the proceeds from crops raised there to the cash-poor rural church. Seven farmers agreed. The "Lord's acres" not only thrived but seemed impervious to the boll weevil that plagued the community in 1923. Encouraged by a Time Magazine article in 1924 and later by the Lord's Acre Plan of the Farmers Federation of North Carolina, the movement spread, becoming an international and interdenominational phenomenon that continues to provide funding for churches to the present day. The movement has grown beyond farmland to include projects of donated time and service, and to auctions and sales featuring homemade goods, arts, and crafts.