Monte Christo History
Monte Christo is an 800 acre farm located near Porterville, about 140 km (100 miles) north of Capetown, South Africa. Originally granted by the governor of the Cape Province in the early 1700's, the historic farm has long been the site of cattle, citrus, grains and vegetable farming.
The farm is unique in many ways by being partly mountainous and located in a highly desirable camping and recreational area north of Cape town. The Monte Christo farm is also uniquely blessed by having a ceaseless year round supply of pure fresh water coming from "fountains or springs" in an otherwise very dry, arid agricultural climate zone..
From the beginning in 2003, the farm has been the foundational element of Monte Christo Ministries based in nearby Paarl, which derives its name from the farm. Over the years, it has been used for agriculture, Christian camping, numerous recreational uses and now is the site of the Monte Christo Trusts' sustainability projects like Promise Olives.
In addition to the agricultural or sustainability projects now underway, the farm has been in continuous use, since its ownership by Monte Christo Ministries, as a Christian gathering place where numerous churches, community organizations and missionaries have come for camping, retreats, rest and to have a quiet, intimate experience with God's beautiful creation. In the future, the trust has plans to grow the farm as a center for ministry programs aimed at meeting the ministry needs of the surrounding farm worker communities and will be used by supporters world-wide to help uplift those in need.
The farm is unique in many ways by being partly mountainous and located in a highly desirable camping and recreational area north of Cape town. The Monte Christo farm is also uniquely blessed by having a ceaseless year round supply of pure fresh water coming from "fountains or springs" in an otherwise very dry, arid agricultural climate zone..
From the beginning in 2003, the farm has been the foundational element of Monte Christo Ministries based in nearby Paarl, which derives its name from the farm. Over the years, it has been used for agriculture, Christian camping, numerous recreational uses and now is the site of the Monte Christo Trusts' sustainability projects like Promise Olives.
In addition to the agricultural or sustainability projects now underway, the farm has been in continuous use, since its ownership by Monte Christo Ministries, as a Christian gathering place where numerous churches, community organizations and missionaries have come for camping, retreats, rest and to have a quiet, intimate experience with God's beautiful creation. In the future, the trust has plans to grow the farm as a center for ministry programs aimed at meeting the ministry needs of the surrounding farm worker communities and will be used by supporters world-wide to help uplift those in need.
Ministry at the Farm
2003... Purchase of the Monte Christo Farm in Porterville for hosting Christian Camps for youth and families and to initiate income producing agricultural projects.
2004... Founding of Monte Christo Ministries (MCM) in nearby Paarl, named after the farm, with emphasis on ministering to people's basic needs, discipleship, youth intervention programs and community development.
2005... Hosting of first youth camps and international ministry teams at Monte Christo Farm; rapid growth of the MCM team with people joining to help from across South Africa and many countries internationally.
2006... MCM receives South African PBO (public benefit organization) and Section 21 (non-profit) status; the farm is used mainly as a youth retreats center.
...
2007... The farm begins a relationship with the
Western Cape Royal Rangers Youth Program and launches rustic camping facilities at the farm to serve children from poverty affected communities near Capetown and the Boland.
2008... MCM develops the Promise Olives project as the center of its new "sustainability strategy". The new goal is to make MCM a new model, economically self-sustaining ministry project while creating jobs, teaching jobs skills and funding community focused feeding and discipleship projects across the area.
2009... Promise Olives is launched first in South Africa and then in the USA to raise funds to plant thousands of olive trees that are aimed at yielding a ministry income for over 100 years all to support local ministry programs.
2010...After wonderful local and international response, ground breaking and planting of the first 2000 Promise Olives trees. The Monte Christo Farm trustees donate a portion of the farm land for the building of the permanent camping center for the Western Cape Royal Rangers...
...
2011...The farm is transferred into a protective trust and its sustainability projects are expanded with the start of intensive agriculture, an attractive recreational camping facility and beautiful guest house and Promise Olives phase 2 begins to raise funds to plant the next 18,000 trees.
Buy a Promise Olives Tree
2004... Founding of Monte Christo Ministries (MCM) in nearby Paarl, named after the farm, with emphasis on ministering to people's basic needs, discipleship, youth intervention programs and community development.
2005... Hosting of first youth camps and international ministry teams at Monte Christo Farm; rapid growth of the MCM team with people joining to help from across South Africa and many countries internationally.
2006... MCM receives South African PBO (public benefit organization) and Section 21 (non-profit) status; the farm is used mainly as a youth retreats center.
...
2007... The farm begins a relationship with the
Western Cape Royal Rangers Youth Program and launches rustic camping facilities at the farm to serve children from poverty affected communities near Capetown and the Boland.
2008... MCM develops the Promise Olives project as the center of its new "sustainability strategy". The new goal is to make MCM a new model, economically self-sustaining ministry project while creating jobs, teaching jobs skills and funding community focused feeding and discipleship projects across the area.
2009... Promise Olives is launched first in South Africa and then in the USA to raise funds to plant thousands of olive trees that are aimed at yielding a ministry income for over 100 years all to support local ministry programs.
2010...After wonderful local and international response, ground breaking and planting of the first 2000 Promise Olives trees. The Monte Christo Farm trustees donate a portion of the farm land for the building of the permanent camping center for the Western Cape Royal Rangers...
...
2011...The farm is transferred into a protective trust and its sustainability projects are expanded with the start of intensive agriculture, an attractive recreational camping facility and beautiful guest house and Promise Olives phase 2 begins to raise funds to plant the next 18,000 trees.
Buy a Promise Olives Tree
