Planting Faith. Cultivating Sustainability.
On March 14, 2013, by the grace of our Lord and Savior—and through the faithfulness of dedicated partners—the vision of SEED became a reality. With the support of ministry partners who generously shared their expertise in land acquisition, contractual guidance, financial counseling, and sacrificial giving, 125 acres were secured and purchased for LEAD Liberia’s SEED Farm.
This marked the beginning of a transformative journey. The development of the SEED Farm launched a strategic training platform designed to equip pastors with practical skills, agricultural knowledge, and sustainable resources they could carry back to their own communities—strengthening both local economies and ministry impact. Located just over 40 miles from Monrovia, the farm rests between the towns of Woodie, Main, and Gbalatuah, along the banks of the Main River.
Today, the SEED Farm represents more than land or training—it reflects a deeper commitment. SEEDFARMS exists to help raise up truly indigenous churches and pastors who are self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing. By addressing the often-missing element of economic empowerment, the SEED Farm serves as a sustainable, local source of support—strengthening ministry from the inside out and enabling communities to thrive long after outside assistance has faded.
THE INSPIRATION
Pastors seeking to lead church communities in Liberia face immense physical and spiritual challenges each day. Their calling is demanding, yet the resources available to support them are often painfully limited.
For many, ministry is carried out with little to no access to basic life skills training—let alone formal pastoral education. Church communities, struggling themselves, are rarely able to provide consistent financial support. Without practical skills or sustainable means of provision, these devoted men and women are left unable to fully serve their congregations or meet the needs of their own families.
As a result, countless pastors are faced with an impossible choice: to continue in ministry without the means to survive, or to step away from their calling in order to secure work that will provide for those they love.
While LEAD Liberia’s more than 23 years of ministry have borne much fruit, they have also revealed an important question: will this fruit endure? This reality has led to a purposeful and intentional initiative focused on delivering holistic and sustainable pastoral care—one that supports both ministry impact and long-term viability.
Our vision is to empower pastors to lead strong, healthy churches through comprehensive ministry training combined with essential life and vocational skills. We believe that when pastors are equipped to provide for their families, they gain the stability and freedom needed to remain focused, effective, and faithful to their God-given calling.
Through SEED, LEAD Liberia is planting work designed not only to grow—but to last.
FARM HOUSE Construction & DEVELOPMENT
The first step in responding to the needs of Liberian pastors was to develop and construct a self-sustaining place of refuge and training.
This would essentially be in the form of an operational farm and conference center. Here pastors will receive vital life skill training in areas of agriculture and pastoral theology.
This will allow them to return to their villages and regions better equipped to minister holistically to their church communities in poverty.
SEED seeks to accomplish this by providing a centrally located teaching facility (i.e., SEED Farm).
Eight (8) major purposes include:
Developing a sustainable farm and structure to serve as a focal training ground for pastors which will provide resources (agricultural seed and livestock) for them to take back to their communities to stimulate their local farms and economy.
Providing life skill training in the areas of agriculture (cash crops, animal husbandry, and poultry, etc.) and other relevant programs to equip pastors in make a living, thus finding the freedom to engage in full time ministry.
Establishing an alternative approach to poverty alleviation for the local church.
Providing pastors the deeply impacting experience of pastoral training in a concentrated, communal setting similar to a retreat.
Developing a model for ministry support to strengthen partnership both locally and internationally.
Providing a self-sustaining model of ministry for the team at LEADLiberia (resources from the farm cover the operational and staffing costs).
Providing a best practices model for farming that is eco-friendly, high yielding, and cost-effective using appropriate technology.
Promoting local food processing projects to add value to locally produced crops for economic empowerment.
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
With utter dependence upon God for the accomplishment of this venture, the hope is that what begins with a single SEED grows into maturity and spreads to additional SEED Farms taking root in other regions of West Africa.
We believe through SEED that little by little, churches will be strengthened, farms re-built, and communities will move forward from paralyzing poverty into a healthy life, physically and spiritually.
We also believe that the SEED that can change the tide of poor economics does not come from a single fundraiser, a single campaign, a single donor, or an army of short-term summer projects. It requires a commitment to a longer-term sustainable effort that takes root and grows into a strong and enduring crop that gives hope to a nation — and in the process, illuminates the glory of God.
Please contact us to learn more about SEED and how you can get involved to keep the mission of Christ in motion in Liberia.