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What should a lifelong pastor do when they encounter hostility towards the church that they can’t seem to overcome? Discover the twists and turns that took Chris Battle from ministering in a typical Baptist church to growing food and exploring discipleship with his neighbors.
Join Heather Jallad and Chris Battle as they discuss new ways of being the church, connecting with neighbors, and addressing significant issues like loneliness and food insecurity.
Chris Battle is an alumnus of Morehouse College and holds Master’s degrees in Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and in Hebrew Bible from Cincinnati Bible College. He has served as pastor in several cities. His journey took a pivotal turn in 2018 when he launched a community garden in Knoxville, which led him to tackle food disparity and connect more deeply with his community. This initiative expanded into Battlefield Farm and the establishment of the Eastside Sunday Market at Dr. Walter Hardy Park. Currently, he is the Lead Pastor at Harvest Fellowship and a father to 19 children with his wife, Tomma.
In season 5 of the Fresh Expressions podcast, we’re exploring the loneliness epidemic that is sweeping across North America and learning how new kinds of Christian community can help.
Related Resources:
Battlefield Farms & Garden: A Fresh Expressions Snapshot
Email us: podcasts@freshexpressions.com
Interview Summary
“There’s something about the soil that equalizes us.” – Chris Battle
Chris Battle remarks, highlighting a profound truth about human connection and the essence of community. In this episode of the Fresh Expressions podcast, Chris shares his transformative journey from pastoral ministry to community gardening, shedding light on how new forms of church can combat the loneliness epidemic through common, everyday spaces.
Originating from Cincinnati, Ohio, and enriched with extensive religious and pastoral education, Chris Battle now cultivates both soil and souls in Knoxville, Tennessee. As both an interim pastor and a farmer, Chris integrates his deep theological understanding with practical community engagement, illustrating his commitment to meeting people where they are.
Engaging the Community Through Gardening
Building Bridges in Unexpected Places
Chris’s path to community gardening began with a desire to make a tangible impact on his community, leading to the revitalization of a local cemetery. This effort sparked a pivotal moment when Chris realized the church’s traditional boundaries could be expanded:
“I told the truth, said, we’re going to go clean this cemetery… And about 30 of us went out… and this brother pulls up… he stops me and starts thanking us for what we’re doing.”
From Soil to Sanctuary
Observing that people who typically avoided church were drawn to the garden, Chris had an epiphany: “Maybe somehow we need to make the garden the church.” This shift not only brought diverse groups together but also fostered a space where “atheists, agnostics, Muslims, LGBTQ everybody” could engage freely. “Everybody’s coming to the garden, but they’re not coming to my church,” he noted, recognizing the garden’s unique role in uniting disparate groups.
“Maybe somehow we need to make the garden the church.” – Chris Battle
The Impact of a Community Garden on Loneliness
The community garden evolved into a dynamic hub for social interaction, significantly addressing local loneliness. Chris reflects on this transformation: “What I’ve tried to do at the farm… is just connect with people, and not just on a surface level, but to try to develop relationships.” This approach highlights the garden’s role not just as a place to cultivate plants, but as a vital space for cultivating human connection.
Chris’s journey underscores the potential of faith communities to innovate and connect in meaningful ways. His story demonstrates that stepping outside traditional boundaries to meet the community can lead to profound personal and communal transformation.
Reflection Questions
- What common spaces in your community could become centers of connection?
- How can your passions lead to impactful community engagement?
- In what ways can faith communities broaden their approach to include those who feel marginalized by traditional structures?
- What barriers exist that prevent your community from connecting, and how can they be overcome?
- Can you identify a personal transformation experience similar to Chris’s shift from building churches to building community?
- What does it mean to you to “make the garden the church”?
