Join us for the first ever Redeeming the Dirt Conference in Rockford, Alabama, August 7-9, 2014! This summer come together with other Christian farmers, gardeners, and agrarians from around the country as we seek to learn how to better express our love for Jesus through the way we tend the land. The goal of this conference is to encourage, challenge, inspire, and equip followers of Jesus to impact our communities and nation through agriculture.
Farming was the first job given to man by God, and is essential to the existence of any nation. Today we see agriculture dominated by godless humanism and nature-worship. We are also at a pivotal point in American agriculture, with more people questioning the health and sustainability of many current farming models and looking for better ones. Right now the Church has an opportunity to take the lead and provide examples of faithful land stewardship that can create opportunities to give God glory and advance Christ’s Kingdom.
We are pleased to host as our keynote speaker Mr. Brian Oldreive of Foundations for Farming. Mr. Brian is a native white African from Zimbabwe with more than fifty years farming experience and is one of the most humble, Christ-filled men I have ever met. He is an inspiring example of what God can do through a farmer dedicated to Jesus. Foundations for Farming (the foundation being Jesus) is a discipleship based ministry that focuses on teaching the poor faithfulness with the land. Over thirty years ago Mr. Brian dedicated his farm to the Glory of God and, as a result of giving up growing tobacco, lost everything he owned. The Lord used this humbling experience to bring him to a point where he cried out to the Lord for wisdom as he continued to be unprofitable even after taking over management of another farm. As a result of applying a few basic principles copied from what he saw in God’s design in nature Mr. Brian became the most successful farmer in Zimbabwe, winning prize after prize for his farm’s production. God then laid on his heart the need to teach what he had learned to the poor of Africa and as a result Foundations for Farming (then called Farming God’s Way) was born. In the mid 2000’s the economy and agriculture system of Zimbabwe collapsed due in part to the land seizure of white-owned farms by the government. Mr. Brian lost everything he owned again when the farm he managed was taken over. So he began working full time on discipling the poor of Zimbabwe and Africa in farming that is based in a heart for Jesus. Meanwhile, the government of Zimbabwe sought to rebuild the country’s food system, but nothing they tried was working. Some leaders began to notice that the only people growing enough food to feed themselves with surplus to sell were those who received training in Foundations for Farming. As a result, Mr. Brian and his team were eventually asked to teach their program into the nation’s schools, agricultural colleges, police departments, prisons, and hospitals with full liberty to point to Jesus as the foundation of good agriculture. In Zimbabwe the Church is now leading the way in rebuilding the nation’s food production system on the principles of God’s Word. Our prayer is that Mr. Brian’s testimony and non-American perspective will be a refreshing challenge to the way we view our farms. Click here to hear an interview with him.
At this conference we hope to provide for and facilitate networking, encouragement, sharing of testimonies, prayer, worship, discussion groups, hands on training, and ideas for practical application. My (Noah Sanders) family’s farm is only several miles from the camp where we will be hosting the conference and we hope to be able to do some field training there during the conference. I know it is a busy time of the year for many of us farmers, but I believe that the impact God can make on our hearts, families, farms, communities, and nation as we seek His face is worth it. Since somebody often has to stay on the farm my suggestion would be to send a representative(s) from your family, church, or community who can take back the vision and share it with others. Whether you are a Christian who is a full time farmer, wanna be farmer, or backyard gardener, I pray that you can join us as we seek the Lord’s face and ask Him to use us and our farms to shine the light of Christ to a lost world.
This will not be a large conference and space is limited so don’t wait too long to register. If you are interested in attending, please contact me using the form below and I will send you more info.
Speakers:
Brian Oldreive, Founder of Foundations for Farming (formerly Farming God’s Way)
Jack Dody, Founder of Abunduculture and Christian Homesteaders
Noah Sanders, Farmer and author of Born Again Dirt
Where: Poplar Point Camp, Rockford, Alabama
Possible Topics:
-How does a Christian worldview affect agriculture?
-How can agriculture be used to build the Kingdom of Christ?
-Honoring the Design of the Creator
-Discipleship-based Agriculture
-Farming as a Family
-Getting started in farming when you don’t know what you are doing!
-Farming in light of Eternity
-Using agriculture to serve the poor.
Possible Workshops:
-Making Compost
-Putting in a basic Garden
-Sharing the Gospel in the Field.
Cost:
-Conference: $100 per individual
-Meals: $60 for nine meals
-Dorm Lodging: $45 for three nights (local hotels are also available)
More details will be posted in the coming months. We look forward to seeing you in August!
Looking forward to going to this conference.