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Even monks need to pay the freight

Monks may be committed to prayer and good works but their monasteries don’t pay for themselves. Since someone has to pay the bills, more and more monasteries are getting into artisanal businesses.

“Keeping a religious community fed, clothed and operational is costly, and it’s common to find American monks running enterprises in a Sarah French and Mary Fehr aren’t variety of industries,” writes Jacob your typical 20-somethings — nor Davidson in Money magazine. As an is their upcoming adventure. Both example he cites the Trappists at St. recently served as MEDA interns: Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Mass., Sarah on an agriculture project in who operate a 36,000 square-foot Nicaragua, Mary on a health project brewery. in Tanzania.

Davidson says there is an ele- After seeing the impact of helpment of hipness to the monks’ of- ing women get out of poverty and ferings, like gourmet coffee live healthier made by Carmelite monks lives, they wanted in Wyoming and a South to get more Carolina Abbey that sells involved. In May trendy dried mushrooms to the pair will fancy restaurants. Monks in embark on a fourLouisiana make coffins and month bike ride Benedictines in Missouri sell across Canada to greeting cards. raise $150,000 for

He notes that monks MEDA’s GROW have to operate within cer- project in Ghana tain theological constraints, (Greater Rural Opsuch as being careful not to make too portunities for Women). much money. One governing body “The GROW project is assisting insists output be produced by the 20,000 women farmers and their monks themselves and income must families to sustainably emerge from be proportionate to the needs of the poverty,” says French. “Mary and monastery and its charities. I wanted to support a project that

“That means if Spencer Trappist focused on women because we saw Ale started flying off the shelves,” the gender inequalities while on our says Davidson, “St. Joseph’s couldn’t own internships. It couldn’t be more manufacture more beer unless it first symbolic: Two women cycling across recruited a bunch of new monks to Canada representing independent, work at the brewery — monks are self-sufficient women.” the only people allowed to oversee Bike to GROW began in mid-May operations — and vastly expanded in Victoria, B.C. and will conclude in its charitable activities in proportion early September in Leamington, Ont. to the increase in revenue. Even if On the way, the bikers will stop at none of those restrictions existed, MEDA chapters, churches and comproduction would still be limited by munity centres to talk about MEDA, the monastic schedule, which signifi- the GROW project and their experience.

cantly limits the workday.” year. It makes up for some slack with Accordingly, St. Joseph’s has premium prices, selling a four-pack capped output at 10,000 barrels a for up to $16.99. ◆

Former MEDA interns cycling for a cause

“I love to take on a challenge and prove to myself that absolutely anything is possible with willpower and determination,” Fehr says, adding that they are biking on behalf of MEDA, its supporters and the women and families in Ghana. GROW is helping women soybean farmers in northern Ghana increase agricultural production, strengthen links to markets, diversify the food they produce and understand more about nutrition. Funded by Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), the six-year project aims to improve the incomes and food security of 20,000 women and their Intrepid interns: Cyclists families. Sarah French (left) and “We’re so blessed and honored Mary Fehr. that women like Sarah and Mary want to support our efforts to empower women as entrepreneurs here in Ghana,” says Catherine Sobrevega, GROW country project manager. “These women work hard and persevere every day to provide for their families. You can see their smiles when they learn new things, produce a good harvest and have income because of our support. It’s exciting to know their life-changing stories are going to be shared across Canada.” To follow the bikers’ experiences visit www.biketogrow.com. ◆ Comments? Would you like to comment on anything in this magazine, or on any other matters relating to business and faith? Send your thoughts to wkroeker@meda.org

Mushroom treatment boosts church economy

What could fungi possibly have to do with the future of the Colombia Mennonite Church?

Plenty, says Hippolyto Tshimanga, who leads African and Latin American ministries for Mennonite Church Canada.

He is on a quest to bring economic sustainability to churches in Africa and Latin America. One of his preferred ways to do that is through small enterprise, such as growing mushrooms.

Last November Tshimanga attended a workshop on how to use readily available organic materials to grow a variety of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. He learned how to plant mushroom spores in alternate bedding materials, like used coffee grounds. Straw, often used for this purpose, isn’t always available to city churches. Now, congregations are growing mushrooms to sell.

Tshimanga has a long-held interest in finding alternative approaches to sustainable food production, such as aquaponics, rabbit breeding and other forms of agri-business.

He says the idea of nurturing economic support for the church finally began to take root abroad when two young African men from Congo and Burkina Faso became intrigued with the idea of sustainable development for the church. Entrepreneurship seminars for youth and women that were held in 2010 and 2011 led to the creation of several small businesses, such as raising rabbits in Congo and cultivating sweet potatoes in Burkina.

Last year Tshimanga addressed the Colombia church’s general assembly on the theme of self-reliance and economic initiatives. Shortly thereafter the church created a fish pond 15 metres in diameter to provide fish for their annual retreat camp and for sale to the general public.

In order for churches to become self-sufficient and eventually grow, Tshimanga says, they must first tend to the well-being of their members and help them find ways to earn an income that can also sustain the church. “The church can only support itself when her people are economically stable,” he says. (Mennonite Church Canada news service)