When they left habitat in 2005, millard and linda made certain that the first board meeting of their new organization the fuller center for housing took place at koinonia farm. Shop koinonia farm s biologically grown pecans, fair trade chocolate, handmade bakery specialties, jewelry, books, and partnership products. In fact, theres a fascinating and distinguished history of social activism in southern history, and the story of south georgia s koinonia farm ranks up there with the highlander folk school as an incubator of the civil rights movement. Koinonia farm history founded in 1942, koinonia farm has a wealth of history to exploreclarence jordan, community living, sustainable agriculture, local african american history, the civil rights movement, the birth of habitat for humanity, the fuller center for housing and other organizations, involvement in many peace and justice movements, and much more. A series of attacks on koinonia property and its members culminated in a 1956 ku klux klan rally denouncing the farm and supporting segregation.
The best introduction to the story of koinonia farm is the cotton patch evidence by dallas lee. Koinonia farms delicious pecans are premium quality, full size halves, biologically grown and handselected at koinonia farm. After graduating from uga, jordan attended the southern baptist theological seminary and beca. The 75year and counting christian interracial farm. He was also instrumental in the founding of habitat for humanity.
Clarence and florence jordan and martin and mabel england bought koinonia farm. Since 1956, our mailorder business has supported the life and work of koinonia farm. Koinonia farm is an intentional christian community located in americus, ga. It would be easy to miss the entrance to koinonia farm. Koinonia farms, in americus, georgia, is today better known for the organization it spawned, habitat for humanity. Interracialism and christian community in the postwar. It spans 75 years in this little corner of southwest georgia as well as reaching all over the world.
The ministers also hoped to teach improved farm practices. The housing ministry evolved into habitat for humanity international under the leadership of millard and linda fuller, who were members of koinonia. He was an authentic product of the bible belt, of the rural, agrarian heartland, of the peoples. Clarence jordan july 29, 1912 october 29, 1969, a farmer and new testament greek scholar, was the founder of koinonia farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest georgia and the author of the cotton patch paraphrase of the new testament. Explores the events at koinonia farm, established by clarence jordan, whose residents faced persecution and violence in the 1950s for their stand on racial equality. Clarence jordan and his wife, florence, founded koinonia farm with the mission of a. These practices were a break with the prevailing culture of jim crowera georgia, and were challenged by many citizens of sumter county, most intensely during the 1950s, and with diminishing intensity for years thereafter.
The 2012 celebration is a month long and opens with the first clarence jordan symposium followed by a blitz build at the farm and ends with a koinonia family reunion. Since 1942, people from all backgrounds have been visiting koinonia pronounced coy no knee uh and since the 1950s weve been shipping. The local chamber of commerce met with the full members of the farm to request that koinonia. The koinonia community carried on clarences legacy. View all attractions near koinonia farm on tripadvisor. Saturday, february 29, was the culmination of this years black history month. Official youtube channel for koinonia farm in americus georgia, founded in 1942 by clarence jordan. Koinonia partners officially renamed to koinonia farm. Established in 1942, koinonia farm is a christian community located in americus, ga. Jordan committed his ministry to racial reconciliation and economic justice. With a background in theology and agriculture, georgia native clarence jordan 19121969, along with his wife, florence, and martin and mabel england, founded koinonia farm in 1942. This selection of books reflects our values and our desire to study as a community. But long before millard fuller and his wife stepped onto the farm, koinonia. The englands soon returned to burma, leaving the jordans to work the farm.
We will open again as soon as it is safe to do so and we look forward to welcoming you to the farm then. He attended the university of georgia to study agriculture. Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on facebook for the latest updates. He was an authentic product of the bible belt, of the rural, agrarian heartland, of the. Brief history of koinonia farm from 1942 to present. A gifted preacher and teacher, he was a popular and frequent speaker at. Folks of all backgrounds, faiths and those struggling with faith have been visiting koinonia farm from all over the world since our founding in 1942. Hewn from the massive baptist denomination, known primarily for its conformity to culture, clarence stressed the anticultural, the christtranscending and the christtransforming, aspects of the gospel. Koinonia farm is currently closed to the public due to covid19. At koinonia farm in americus, sumter county students, their families, veterans of the civil rights movement, faith community leaders, business and civic leaders, educators, county government leaders, koinonia farm members and interns, and visitors from far and near gathered to celebrate the richness. Interracialism and christian community in the postwar south succeeds not only as a history but as a primer for social action. In its early existence, koinonia s very presence challenged racism, militarism, and materialism. Article on koinonia farm in americus, ga, founded in 42 as nondenominational commune devoted to teachings of jesus.
Black history month awards celebration at koinonia farm. A portrait of koinonia farm, an interracial christian cooperative founded in 1942 by two white baptist ministers in southwest georgia. Narrated by director bren dubay, this short film gives you a look into the community as it lives out the vision today. A boycott of the farm occurred during the mid1950s. Both violence and a local boycott of koinonia farm products in southwest georgia prompted the organization to sell its produce through a mail order business that continues to this day. Jordan was born on july 29, 1912 in talbotton, georgia.
Clarence jordan was a strange phenomenon in the history of north american christianity. Based on over 50 interviews with current and former koinonia read more. Tracy elaine kmeyer captures the intrigue of koinonia farms history in her eloquently crafted book her research is solid, the writing is. Koinonia farm struggles for survival christianity today.
When you say southern history, people think either civil war or civil rights. Koinonia farm offers books by and about clarence jordan, koinonia authors, koinonia s history, intentional community, theology, sustainable farming, and peacemaking and social justice. Nine miles south of plains, georgia, on a quiet stretch of georgia state route 49, past rusted tractors, houses fluctuating between stateliness and disrepair, and innumerable baptist churches, the sudden pulloff to koinonia is marked only by a plain wooden sign, embellished with the name of the farm, a cross, and an. The georgia historical society has been awarded its tenth consecutive 4star rating from charity navigator, the largest charity evaluator in america, for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency, a distinction that places the society among an elite 2% of nonprofit organizations in america. Area farmers, merchants, and stores began boycotting koinonia farm. Koinonia farm, a christian commune started a halfcentury ago in rural southwest georgia, has survived arson, bombings, and driveby shootings in a stand against racial intolerance. Cofounder clarence jordan was born in talbotton, georgia.
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