The Story of an Unlikely Alliance Between City and Countryside

“Much of our ministry in the world has been agricultural in nature,” Pastor Jon explains. He is the pastor of Christiania Lutheran Church in Lakeville. The church began around the same time Minnesota became a state, nearly 170 years ago.

At the time, the community was a fair bit away from the growing city of Minneapolis. These days, the city feels less distant than it used to. The area is a mix of newly constructed homes and shopping areas alongside acres of farmland that local families have tended for generations.

The church owns some of that farmland. Portions are leased out, while other portions are used for ministry. It was fortuitous, then, when Christiania’s former senior pastor, Dave Mesaros, connected with Mark-Peter at Urban Ventures (UV).

UV was looking for somewhere to grow more nutritious food that could be distributed to families in South Minneapolis. The church thought they might be able to help.

Bruce Mohn lives and farms just up the road from Christiania Church, where he has been a member for years. He was a part of the initial conversations about making space for UV to grow.

“What really stood out to me was how Urban Ventures was trying to break the cycle of poverty. That seemed like something worth helping,” Bruce explains. He and his son bought into the mission. They bring their tractors over to till the soil each spring. They offer their time and expertise to cover the field in plastic to protect it. They tend the communal land as if it were their own hungry families that depended on it.

“It’s not just us, though.” Bruce is quick to point out. There are many who lend a hand. He shares how Daron, another church member, has been incredibly involved. Expectedly, Daron shrugs off the credit, saying, “We have the resources, here’s the fields. I can source out different items, but most people just want to help.”

Bruce adds that they had an excellent example in Larry Losen. Larry lived next door before he passed and was instrumental in starting the partnership. “I give him a lot of credit. He was open minded and open to people from the city and people of color coming and he’d be out there helping them.”

Not everyone was as neighborly as Larry. As families from south Minneapolis spent more time at the Urban Ventures farm, there seemed to be a growing tension among some of the neighbors. The problem was not wat the land was being used for, but who was using it.

Pastor Jon recalls, “We had some issues with people in the community that were pretty awful. There was one person yelling and threatening families who had come down from Urban Ventures to farm some of the plots.”

It got to the point that the local sheriff had to get involved, and the church made clear they were not going to back down. They would continue inviting families near and far to use their land. The experience was unexpected for Pastor Jon, but less unexpected for Gary, who supervises the Lakeville farm for Urban Ventures. Jon explains, “He named it before any of us really saw the depths of it. Of course, as a Black man, he had experienced it. We got a chance to lean into that and have some honest conversations. I saw the congregation step forward. It was really helpful.”

The partnership has become about growing more than just food. Pastor Jon reiterates how productive the relationship has been, especially between Bruce, Daron, and Gary. “There’s clearly a polarity in the world and everybody is picking sides. Seeing the African American gentleman and these two white farmers working together, and they’ve developed a trusted relationship. They’re able to talk about things I hardly ever hear people talking about in a substantial or positive way.”

Pastor Jon also shares how the UV farm has brought new ministry opportunities. “So often, we think you need to go on a mission trip or go be in service somewhere to have a cross-cultural experience. We have a cross-cultural opportunity just across our tree line.”

Mark-Peter, Director of Farm and Nutrition at Urban Ventures, finds the connections to be central to the program. In his eyes, the division between urban and rural communities has grown, even though they often have  lot in common. “I see many of the same values in the farming community as in our urban community. Hard work, caring for your neighbor, building a better future for your family.” Mark-Peter explains.

The relationships, made through farming, seem to be fertile soil for helpful conversations. Mark-Peter adds, “We examine the biases we have about each other and begin to see each other as friends, not adversaries. There is a little spark of hope here.”

It may be more than a spark. UV has continued expanding its agricultural education options. The program hosts field trips at the urban farm for local schools. Kids in the city have a greater chance of connecting with where their food comes from and the work it takes to produce it.

Meanwhile, things are changing at Christiania as well. They have just called a new associate pastor. The new hire will be the first person of color on staff at the church.

Pastor Jon is grateful for how mutually beneficial the partnership has become. Both Urban Ventures and Christiania Lutheran are more effective because they’re working together. That approach, Jon believes, “is what is going to break down barriers and separators, things that are adversarial to God’s desires. That’s the part that is most exciting.”