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From the desk of Dr. Eric H. Jones Jr.,

Founder and Senior Pastor

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​​​​​​​​When I reflect on the beginning of the vision which the Lord gave me for the church, I realized some time later that building strong marriages was the seed that was to blossom and bear fruit. Historically speaking, I can truthfully say that when Sonya Harvey contacted Sister Jones and I to counsel her and her husband Edward as a result of their marital problems, starting a church was not the intent.  Our marriage counseling eventually became a bible study and from the bible study we began the Koinonia Worship Center.

 

Since that first counseling I have performed over 1000 marriages and myself or one of our Pastors counsel couples at least five days a week.  We also formed our C.U.T.I.L’s Marriage and Family Enrichment Ministry which meets every Second Saturday to strengthen and enrich marriages.

 

Many other ministries branched out from that initial beginning but marriages remain the core.  God started it all with Adam and Eve and later he compared His church to the bond that is to exist in marriage. I believe that the church can have many ministries but the effectiveness of their operation begins in strong homes fueled by Godly marriages.

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After founding Koinonia Worship Center in 1983, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Eric H. Jones and the education committee realized the need for a ministry that would minister to the needs of married couples in the church and the surrounding communities, who were struggling daily to make their marriages survive.  The founders were led by the Holy Spirit to establish a ministry that would spiritually and biblically guide husbands and wives into saving their marriages.

 

A survey was taken of the congregation to determine the needs of the couples in the church.  The education committee met at the home of Deacon and Sister Albury to formulate the goals and activities that would focus on God's biblical principles for marriage, thus the ministry. "Marriage Conference" was born January, 1985 with Minister Clarence Gallagher as the minister over this in-reach ministry, and Deacon Arnold and Sister Rosita Albury as the facilitators.  Marriage Conference met faithfully every second Saturday in each month from 1985 until 1995, with Pastor Jones as the Teacher.​

 

​​​In September, 1995, the Holy Spirit guided Pastor Jones in establishing a Marriage Enrichment ministry which would have its primary focus on marriages, thus the Marriage Conference was reborn in the "CUTIL's/Marriage Enrichment Ministry" (Christians United Together in Love) with Pastor Alfred and Sister Mary Taylor as the spiritual leaders of the ministry and Deacon and Sister Albury as the directors.

 

​In 1997, Pastor James W. Byrd and his wife, Sister Elaine Byrd, of "Byrds of Paradise for Christ Marriage and Marriage Enrichment Ministry" joined the Koinonia family, and merged their vision with that of Pastor Jones and thus evolved the ministry, Marriage Enrichment and CUTIL Marriage Enrichment Ministry, with Pastor James and Sister Elaine Byrd as the Pastor/Teachers of the ministry.

 

In 2003, Pastor James Walden and his wife Tammy Walden were appointed as Spiritual Advisors with Deacon Ricardo and his wife Tracie Bonnick as the Directors.  In 2013, Deacon Andray Simmons and his wife Janice Simmons were appointed Directors of the ministry.