The Field is a network of relationships that represent a number of community, farm, business and service projects. The Field is also a story — an important journey that has been traveled.

It began with the development of a friendship between James Johnson and Alexander Venter in 1977. The friendship was formalized into a lifelong commitment in 1985 in Soweto as part of a broader set of emerging relationships in a Christian reconciliation group that Alexander and Mokete Mpete started. The group was called ‘Johweto’ — the symbolic joining of Johannesburg and Soweto. It was an attempt to seek ways of building healing friendships and work for justice across the black/white and rich/poor divide in apartheid South Africa.

Five families in this group began to discuss a deeper level of shared life — the possibility of a geographic community to explore more effectively a shared life and witness of God’s Kingdom together. This became a reality in 1991 when they combined their resources and purchased a 44-hectare farm just south of Soweto. In the same year they moved onto the farm and so began the part of the journey that is now called The Field.

After two years of hard work and adjustments in relationships on the farm, the foundation was set for what was to come. Some ‘Kingdom Businesses’ and other projects were started both in Johannesburg and on the farm, and over the ensuing years a few other families and singles joined the community. The farm and the businesses are part of what is now called The Field Foundation.

We have a relationship of mutual support with Ron and Sandy Gold who run a smallholding in Mooi River. They have a number of involvements, including a Bed and Breakfast (see www.natalafrica.co.za)

The threefold purpose and vision of community (relationships), business productivity (work ethic) and ministry (Kingdom service and empowerment) is the unifying basis of all these operations in The Field.