A pioneering interracial Christian community advocating peace, equality, and simple living.
Religion: Christianity
Founder: Clarence Jordan
Founded: 1942
Location: Georgia, United States
Size: Approximately 50 members
Website: koinoniafarm.org
Koinonia Partners, originally known as Koinonia Farm, was founded in 1942 in rural Sumter County, Georgia, by Clarence Jordan, a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, along with Martin and Mabel England. This intentional Christian community aimed to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ, emphasizing pacifism, racial equality, and communal living in the spirit of the first Christians. The foundation of Koinonia was built on principles such as treating all human beings with dignity and justice, choosing love over violence, sharing possessions, and living simply, as well as stewarding the land responsibly.
The community was established amidst the poverty and racism of the rural South, aiming to be a “demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God.” It sought to embody an interracial community where blacks and whites could live and work together in partnership. This was a radical stance in the Jim Crow-era South, leading to significant opposition, including boycotts, acts of terrorism, and threats from local citizens and the Ku Klux Klan. Despite these challenges, Koinonia persisted, supported in part by a mail-order business selling pecans and peanuts, which helped them survive economically during boycotts.
In the late 1960s, as threats of physical violence dwindled, Koinonia found a new focus with the help of Millard and Linda Fuller, who had previously visited and later dedicated their lives to Christian service. This new direction led to the establishment of Koinonia Partnership Housing, a program that built affordable homes for low-income families. This initiative laid the groundwork for what would become Habitat for Humanity International, a global nonprofit organization focused on building homes for those in need.
Over the years, Koinonia has been involved in a variety of ministries and causes, including civil rights, prison ministry, racial reconciliation, peace activism, early childhood education, sustainable agriculture, and more. Despite facing financial challenges and organizational changes, including a shift away from a “common purse” communal living model to a more corporate nonprofit structure in the 1990s, Koinonia has continued to adapt and pursue its mission of living out the teachings of Jesus in community.
In 2005, the community sought to return to its roots, re-embracing the model of communal living envisioned by its founders, while continuing to address contemporary social and economic realities. Today, Koinonia Partners remains committed to its foundational principles, striving to apply the teachings of Jesus to the challenges of the 21st century.
image via Gregory Rosenberg
