[1] The farm was founded in 1942 by two couples, Clarence and Florence Jordan and Martin and Mabel England, as a "demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God.
[4] Based on their interpretation of the New Testament, Koinonia members committed to the following precepts: Other families joined, and visitors came to "serve a period of apprenticeship in developing community life on the teachings and principles of Jesus."
Koinonians, visitors, and neighbors farmed, worshipped and ate together, attended Bible studies and held summer youth camps.
The local Chamber of Commerce met with the Full Members of The Farm to request that Koinonia sell its property and disband.
The 1950s also saw acts of terrorism such as dynamiting Koinonia's roadside produce stand, firing shots into the compound, and threatening phone calls and letters.
As a way to survive in hostile surroundings, Koinonia members created a small mail-order catalog to sell their farm's pecans and peanuts around the world.
Threats of physical violence dwindled in the late 1960s, but the population of Koinonia Farm was greatly diminished due to the stress of previous years.
[citation needed] Founding member Clarence Jordan held an undergraduate degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia and wanted to use his knowledge of scientific farming "to seek to conserve the soil, God's holy earth" and to assist Koinonia's neighbors, most of whom were African-American sharecroppers and tenant farmers.
Though the demands of farming in those early years did not allow time for formal training of others, Jordan used these visits to both black and white churches to offer guidance.
[citation needed] Koinonia members and ministries since 1969 include civil rights work, prison ministry, racial reconciliation, peace activism, early childhood education, youth and teen outreach, affordable housing, language training, sustainable agriculture, economic development, home repair, elder programs, and more.
Current ministries include affordable home repair for neighbors, an elder program, a summer youth camp, welcoming visitors and guests in hospitality, and educating the public about Koinonia history and legacy.
During this period the organization was known as Koinonia Partners, Inc. A board of directors and staff and volunteer positions were established to govern and operate the community, in place of the former community-based structure.