A Wisconsin Pastor Is Developing A Church That Doubles As A Community-Oriented Farm

Ben Johnston-Krase, a pastor in Racine, Wisconsin, has stepped down from his role at the First Presbyterian Church to set up a new church that will be based on a farm and will be called Farm Church.

The idea, which came to Johnson-Krase in a dream, "will have a primary premise of feeding people, both urban and rural, through produce raised on the farm," according to the Racine Journal Times.

Though the new ministry setting is somewhat unconventional, pastor Johnson-Krase noted that the Presbyterian faith has often made efforts to connect with worshippers outside a traditional setting, with some ministries meeting in individual homes or even doubling as running groups.

Though the pastor has no previous experience in farming, he will be assisted by a fellow Presbyterian pastor in Kentucky who has worked in organic farming. Eventually, the church will serve as a ministry for local families who are interested in helping the community through agricultural initiatives.

"Central to the Farm Church will be to establish programs like farm to food pantry programs, farm to elementary school cafeteria programs, and perhaps providing food to senior living facilities and prisons," reports the Racine Journal Times. "The ministers also want to set up shop in an area near food deserts — urban and rural areas lacking adequate access to fresh produce."