Table of Contents
Who runs The Family International?
David Berg
| The Family International | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Karen Zerby (1994–present) |
| Founder | David Berg |
| Branched from | The Family |
| Other name(s) | Teens for Christ The Children of God The Family of Love The Family |
Does Family International still exist?
The sect, which later became known as The Family International, told BBC Scotland Lincoln was “excommunicated” in 1999. In 2010 The Family International disbanded its previous structure and now describes itself as a “small online network” with 1,500 members in 80 countries.
How many members does The Family International have?
In 2010, the Family International disassembled its previous organizational framework and currently exists only as a small online network of approximately 1,800 people in 80 countries.
What does the family International believe?
It teaches a message of Christian love based on scripture and Berg’s prophecies. The focus of the first anticult organization—the Parents’ Committee to Free Our Children from the Children of God (FREECOG)—it attracted attention for alleged child abuse and for its use of sex in missionary work.
How many people are in Children of God?
Berg’s cult spread and claimed to have 10,000 full-time members in 130 communities around the world by the 1970s. Hollywood stars Rose McGowan and Joaquin Phoenix were born into the cult.
Who is Karen Zerby married to?
David Bergm. 1970–1994
Karen Zerby/Spouse
What was the original name of the family international?
It was originally named Teens for Christ and it later gained notoriety as The Children of God ( COG ). It was later renamed and reorganized as The Family of Love, which was eventually shortened to The Family. It is currently named The Family International.
When was the family International Missionary network founded?
Founded in California during the late 1960s, the Family International expanded into an international missionary network in nearly 80 countries, until its reorganization in 2010 as an online network. TFI is a network of globally-minded locally-focused individuals.
Is the family international the same as the Fellowship?
Not to be confused with Family, The Fellowship (Christian organization), or The Family (Australian New Age group). The Family International (TFI) is a cult that was founded in Huntington Beach, California, US in 1968. It was originally named Teens for Christ and it later gained notoriety as The Children of God (COG).
What did the family international do for a living?
TFI initially spread a message of salvation, apocalypticism, spiritual “revolution and happiness” and distrust of the outside world, which the members called The System. In 1976, it began a method of evangelism called Flirty Fishing that used sex to “show God’s love and mercy” and win converts, resulting in controversy.