“So, you will be potato priests there, right?” the man asked. I nodded my head. I was talking to this couple about the church-planting work we will be doing in Benin. His wife looked confused, so together we explained to her what the term “potato priests” means. Maybe we should explain it to you, too!

In the 1700s, Norwegian priests spent a lot of time in the pulpit encouraging their parishioners to grow potatoes. People’s health was poor, and potatoes are nutritious and easy to grow in Norway. Some historians say that, through the influence of these “potato priests,” many lives were spared in tough times. Now Norwegians use the term for people who are doing both missionary and developmental work. So, when the man called us “potato priests,” he was actually paying us a compliment! To American ears, being called a potato is not a positive thing, but in Norway, being called a potato is a good thing.

Potatoes have inspired other Norwegian sayings like, “He is like a potato—he can do anything.”

Potatoes are used for sweet and salty foods and have been a staple in Norway for a couple hundred years. People have survived on potatoes through times of hunger, and even today potatoes are a daily part of most Norwegians’ diets.

So, being a “potato priest” means to be a religious leader who does whatever is necessary to help people have a better life. It means giving practical help as well as spiritual leadership. If Jesus had come to Norway and called Himself the Potato of Life, people would have understood Him well.

So here we are, ready to be little “potato priests” for the Lord in West Africa!

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