Partnership Housing,
The Theology of the Hammer
& The Economics of Jesus
T
he operational philosophy of The Fuller Center for Housing is based on three basic
concepts: Partnership Housing, The Theology of the Hammer and The Economics of
Jesus. These concepts are explained in the writings of Clarence Jordan and Millard
Fuller.
Clarence Jordan was the moving force behind Koinonia Farm, a ‘demonstration plot of
the kingdom of heaven’ that was established in South Georgia in 1942. Koinonia
ministered to its neighbors in those early days, mostly poor, Black sharecroppers; this in a
time when race relations were defined by fear. The firestorm that erupted from those
interactions helped inform Clarence’s observation that “as man has lost his identity with
God he has lost it with his fellow man.” Partnership Housing was a means to help restore
that lost identity.
Millard Fuller first met Clarence in 1965 shortly after he and Linda made the decision to
repair their shattered marriage by giving away their wealth and turning to God. A half
hour visit turned into a month long stay at the farm and the Fullers returned in 1968 and
lived there for several years. It was during this time that the principles that guided
Millard’s 40 years of housing building ministry were born.
PARTNERSHIP HOUSING
ousing conditions for Georgia’s rural poor at the midpoint of the last century were
abysmal, and Clarence and Millard sought a way of improving those conditions that
was both righteous and practical, one that addressed both the significant funding
requirement to do the work and that allowed the poor to retain their dignity and have a
true sense of ownership. The solution was the Fund for Humanity and the concept of
Partnership Housing.
H
In 1968 Clarence wrote, “What the poor need is not charity but capital, not case-workers,
but co-workers. And what the rich need is a wise, honorable and just way of divesting
themselves of their over-abundance. The Fund for Humanity will meet both of these
needs.” The concept was that construction funding would come from the Fund for
Humanity and would be used to assist the poor’s own efforts at creating decent housing.
The partner family would contribute its own labor into the construction or rehabilitation
of their home and then would pay the costs back to the Fund over time and on terms they
could afford.
Of the Fund Clarence wrote, “Its purpose will be two-fold: a) to provide an inheritance
for the disinherited, and b) to provide a means through which the possessed may share
with and invest in the dispossessed. The Fund will give away no money. It is not a handout. It will provide capital for the partnership enterprises.”
8/1/13
Page 1 of 3
Partnership Housing represents a three-party agreement among the poor, the wealthy and
the Fund for Humanity (represented by the local Covenant Partner). Each party agrees to
accept certain responsibilities:
 The wealthy agree to divest themselves of their overabundance, contributing of
their resources to capitalize the construction and rehabilitation of houses;
 The poor agree to be full partners in the process, contributing sweat equity in the
construction work and then paying the costs on terms they can afford, over time
and with no interest charged or profit made;
 The Fund for Humanity facilities the process, distributing the funds made
available by the wealthy and receiving the payments made by the new
homeowners, which is then used for the construction of ever more houses.
THE THEOLOGY OF THE HAMMER
n 2008 Millard described the Theology of the Hammer as, “the understanding that our
Christian faith mandates that we do more than just talk about faith and sing about love.
We must put faith and love into action to make them real, to make them come alive for
people. Faith must be incarnated; that is to say, it must become more than a verbal
proclamation or an intellectual assent. True faith must be acted out. The Theology of
The Hammer means that we work hard until a house for a needy family is built or
renovated. It means continuing to love and having concern that is shown to the family to
ensure success as a new homeowner.
I
This theology is also about bringing a wide diversity of people, churches, schools,
businesses and other organizations together to build and renovate houses and establish
viable, dynamic communities. It acknowledges that our political, philosophical and
theological differences exist, but we can all find common ground using the hammer as an
instrument of God’s Love.”
THE ECONOMICS OF JESUS
In that same letter Millard wrote, “The biblical economic lessons that we call “The
Economics of Jesus” teach us that we can all agree on the following:
1. Building and renovating simple decent, affordable houses with and for people in
need is right and central to proclaiming God’s love;
2. We should do this utilizing principles that are found deeply rooted in many
religious traditions of the world:
 Not making a profit off the poor
 Not charging interest to the poor (Exodus 22:25)
 Taking what limited resources are available, asking God to bless them, then
going to work, proceeding with the knowledge that God’s love extends to
everyone, with a preferential concern for the poor, the broken and the
stranger.
 Acknowledging that the opportunity for service and divestment of wealth is a
blessing to people in need and to the giver.”
8/1/13
Page 2 of 3
FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
These basic tenets are expressed in The Fuller Center’s foundational principles, which are
found in the Partnership Covenant. The building and restoring of houses is done under
the direction of the Covenant Partner, a local organization of volunteers who raise funds,
select and nurture partner families, oversee the construction work, and receive the house
payments into their local Fund for Humanity to be used for more house building. The
Covenant states that:
1- The Fuller Center seeks to demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus Christ to all
people. While The Fuller Center is a Christian organization, it invites and welcomes
volunteers, donors and others who are actively committed to The Fuller Center’s Mission,
Method of Operation and Principles
2- The Fuller Center is a people-to-people partnership that brings families and communities
in need together with volunteers and resources to build decent, affordable homes. The
Fuller Center is committed to the development and uplifting of families and communities,
not just the construction and rehabilitation of houses.
3- The Fuller Center and Covenant Partners build, renovate and repair simple, decent and
affordable houses with people who are living in conditions that are inadequate and who
are unable to secure decent housing by conventional means.
4- The Fuller Center selects homeowner families according to criteria that do not
discriminate on the basis of race, creed, or ethnic background. All homeowners
contribute “sweat equity”, meaning that they work hand-in-hand with the Covenant
Partner and its volunteers to build or renovate their home.
5- The Fuller Center sells houses to selected families on terms they can afford, with no
profit or interest charged. House payments are used for the construction or renovation of
additional homes.
6- The Fuller Center is a global partnership. In recognition of and commitment to that
global partnership each Covenant Partner is asked to contribute at least 10 percent of its
cash contributions to The Fuller Center’s international work. Funds specifically
designated by a donor for local work may be excluded from the tithe calculation.
7- The Fuller Center does not seek and will not accept government funds for the
construction of houses. The Fuller Center welcomes partnerships with governments that
include accepting funds to help set the stage for construction, provided that doing so does
not limit our ability to proclaim our Christian witness, and does not create dependency or
undue control on the Covenant Partner. Setting the stage means the donation of land
and/or houses for rehabilitation, providing infrastructure for streets, walks and utilities,
and assistance with administrative expenses. These limitations do not apply to
government funds coming from third parties who have sole discretion over their use.
8- The Fuller Center supports the Greater Blessing Plan, which encourages beneficiaries of
lower-cost home repairs or renovations to repay that cost over time on terms they can
afford, but without a loan agreement. Gift “payments” are made monthly, providing the
beneficiary the opportunity of receiving the greater blessing of giving, not just receiving.
Additional information on The Theology of the Hammer, The Economics of Jesus and other aspects of this
ministry can be found in The Theology of The Hammer, The House That Love Built, and Building
Materials for Life Volumes I, II and III available at www.fullercenter.org
8/1/13
Page 3 of 3