Introducing The Family International - TFI Online

a loved one engaged in such a struggle. Othersare tormented by painful hurts they’ve inflictedon others, or themselves, or fight alcoholism orsubstance abuse. Making a positive difference inthe world by changing lives for the better, evenone life at a time, is the goal that we work day inand day out to accomplish.We accomplish these goals primarily throughpersonal counseling, classes, and seminars. Our goalis to help people to grow toward a personal relationshipwith Jesus, to provide encouragement andreassurance that there is Someone Who loves themand Who is personally interested in helping themin whatever area of their lives they have a need. Weactively seek out those who are in need spiritually,and we reach out to everyone regardless of his orher race, religion, culture or social standing.OUR FOUNDER AND LEADERSHIPIn 1968, David Brandt Berg (1919–1994), aChristian pastor, began an outreach ministry tothe counterculture (“hippie”) youth in HuntingtonBeach, California, USA. From these humble beginnings,what started primarily as a youth group grewto become an international Christian missionarymovement.David was the founder and pastor of the FamilyInternational. He taught that the Bible was God’sstandard, the yardstick of measurement by whichall truth and all error could be measured. Many ofour publications are based upon his writings.After leading the Family International for 25years, David passed away in late 1994. His wife of 25years, Maria, is now remarried and leads the FamilyInternational together with her husband, Peter. LikeDavid, Maria continues to publish many writingson a variety of spiritual and practical topics.FAMILY STRUCTURE ANDGOVERNMENTThe Family International’s Charter outlinesthe principles, goals, and governance of theFamily International. It also outlines the rights, responsibilities,and requirements of full-time Familymembership, as well as our fundamental rules,structure, procedures, and methods of operation.Our Charter was adopted in 1995, with amendmentsbeing made in subsequent years. Each aspectof the Charter is based on biblical principles aswell as the writings of our founder, David BrandtBerg. These guidelines also provide opportunityfor Family members to follow what they believeis God’s will for them personally, to collectivelymanage and govern their own communities, and tofreely operate according to their own initiative.FAMILY MEMBERSHIPAll Family members have received Jesus Christas their Savior and have been baptized withthe Holy Spirit. Each Family member believes heor she has been called by God to serve Him withinour particular movement in some capacity.We believe that it is a high privilege for a believerto affirmatively respond to Christ’s challengeto follow Him as a full-time disciple. We also believethat Jesus’ call to such full-time service remainsessentially unchanged from that which He issuedto the fishermen on the shores of Galilee long ago,“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”(Matthew 4:19). As was the case with the firstApostles and disciples, so we believe it is today; thatthe Lord has called us to wholly commit ourselvesto Him, to follow His teachings and His example,fully devoting our lives to Him out of love andgratitude for His sacrifice for us.Family membership is currently divided intothe following categories:Family disciples: Family members who livein a Family community, who regularly engage inmissionary outreach, tithe 10% of their income,and abide by the responsibilities of Family disciplesand Homes as outlined in the Family International’sCharter.Missionary members: Family members whomay or may not live in a communal Family Home,who regularly engage in missionary outreach, tithe10% of their income, and abide by the MissionaryMember Statues, which outline the membershiprequirements for this level of fellowship.Fellow members: members who espouse Familyteachings and tithe 10% of their income to help supportFamily operations, with a less rigorous level ofcommitment and fewer membership requirementsthan Family disciples or Missionary members.Active members: those who believe in Familydoctrine, receive our monthly membership magazine—Link,and work with and sponsor Familycommunities in some capacity.General members: those associated with theFamily International in some way, such as throughreceiving our literature regularly and/or workingwith us on missionary or humanitarian projects.There are no restrictions to membership withregards to race, color, culture, gender, or nationality.Membership in the Family International is volun-w w w . t h e f a m i l y . o r g

w w w . t h e f a m i l y . o r gtary, and all members must sincerely believe theyare called by the Lord to work with our movementat the level of membership they choose, receive theapproval of the local Family community, and bewilling to abide by the guidelines governing theirlevel of membership. Those wishing to change theirmembership level or discontinue it altogether andpursue another vocation may do so at any time.FAMILY COMMUNITIESMembers of the Family International takeseriously their responsibility to be a livingexample of the Christian love and dedication thatthey preach. Following the pattern of the earliestChristians, Family disciples and many Missionarymembers maintain a cooperative lifestyle, sharingmaterial possessions, resources, and responsibilitieswith one another. This economical and communalway of life enhances our efforts and plays an importantpart in the furtherance of our work.Each Family community functions independently,elects its leadership, and determines itsgoals, direction, and activities, by the vote of itsmembers.Each community is also financially autonomous,and thus its members are responsible to raisethe support and finances necessary for their communityas well as their particular mission or socialwelfare projects. Family communities and theirprojects are generally sponsored by local businessesor individuals, as well as through the sale and/ordistribution of inspirational and/or educationalbooks and audio-video products. Full-time Familymembers dedicate their full time and efforts to theirmission. In other levels of Family membership,secular employment is more common.Individual members are expected to find thewill of God for themselves. They are encouragedto seek counsel from other Family members, particularlythose in their own community, but areresponsible for their own decisions. Individuals andfamilies also decide which community they chooseto live in, providing the receiving community agreesto and is able to accept them.World Services, the administrative arm of theFamily International, is responsible to receive andmanage tithes from Family communities. Thesetithes are used for the creation and publishing ofnumerous internal publications, including outreachand parenting aids, which are sent free to Familycommunities; aid to Family communities in developingcountries; sponsorship of a wide variety ofFamily projects to assist communities in their outreach,home life, and the care of their children.FAMILIES: MARRIAGE ANDCHILDRENMarriage, according to the Scripture, is theunion of a man and a woman, as husbandand wife. Members of the Family Internationalwho choose to marry enter into a covenant togetherbetween themselves and God, committingthemselves to love, care, and be responsible for oneanother and their children.In recognition of the importance of our members’care of their children, a substantial part ofour governing Charter is dedicated to outliningthe rights of children and parents, as well as theresponsibilities of the parents and the Family communitiesin which they reside, to provide a loving,safe, and nurturing environment for children.We believe that children are given to their parentsto love, care for, and raise in a godly manner.Primary responsibility for the welfare of childrenrests with their parents, but because of our faith andco-operative lifestyle, the raising of children is also acommunity affair, as parents share the child-rearingduties together with others in the Home.Family parents and communities are responsibleto ensure that each child receives a propereducation. Homeschooling is highly encourageddue to its many benefits, and therefore most parentsin the Family International choose to educatetheir children at home so the children can receivecaring, concerned teaching and supervision, whichcorrespond with our Christian values.We strive to provide our children with positivehome-study learning environments which encourageeach child to discover his or her unique gifts,talents and abilities, to come to know God in a deepand personal way, and to develop qualities in theirlives that reflect the life of Jesus. We believe thatnot only is the Christian lifestyle, environment,and education we give our children essential fortheir spiritual growth and well-being, but that weare morally obliged to train our children in thisway in obedience to God and His Word.It is our hope that as many of our childrenas possible will grow up to serve God and others.However, as they come of age, it is up to them tochoose whether they wish to devote their lives to servingGod in the Family International, or whether theyprefer to pursue other careers. We believe and expectthat parents should do what they can to make theirchildren’s transition to another lifestyle as smoothas possible, assisting them within their availableresources and extending to them unconditional loveand support, so that they can be productive membersof society in whatever career they choose.

CONTROVERSYIt is a sad commentary on the world todaythat believers of many faiths are subject tointolerance, discrimination, and persecution.Such problems also exist for adherents of newreligions, popularly labeled as “sects” or demonizedas “cults.” The Family International, beinga non-traditional Christian group, has been noexception.Opponents of our movement—includingapostates, anti-”cult” organizations, and media factions—havemade sensational allegations about us,which even led to civil authorities in several countriescarrying out violent raids on our communities inthe early ‘90s. In some instances our members andtheir children were brutally mistreated and childrenforcibly separated from their parents and placed ingovernment institutions. However, after extensivephysical, psychological, and educational testing,each and every child was returned to the care of hisor her parents, the courts decisively concluding thatall had been well cared for.Subsequent investigations exonerated ourmembers, indicating clearly that the allegationswere false. Some courts went further to decry thisunwarranted horrific treatment of Family membersand the violation of our rights.The findings of courts who have investigatedour movement are documented in our publication“Religious Freedom on Trial: A review ofjudicial findings on The Family” (available atwww.thefamily.org).BUILDING A BETTER WORLDIn an increasingly multicultural and multiracialsociety, where national borders have becomeblurred and ethnic disputes more common, theneed for tolerance and respect towards all people,regardless of race, ethnicity, cultural or religiousbackground, or place in society, is crucial.As Christians, we consider it an inherent componentof our faith to extend a hand of acceptanceto all, offering them a Gospel that makes no distinctionsas to color, race, culture, or nationality.Jesus Christ said that God has given us two greatprinciples to live by—to love God and to love ourneighbor (Matthew 22:36–40).Through sharing God’s words of hope, love,and salvation, we believe that we can work towardsbuilding a better world; firstly by growing closer toGod ourselves, and secondly, helping those aroundus likewise establish a personal relationship withHim—changing hearts one by one. May you andyour loved ones be blessed with the precious giftsof God’s love and peace.If we approach the Family without a strictscientific or policy agenda, we see that it is anextremely fascinating part of the contemporaryreligious world. In an era when business andgovernment leaders urge themselves to “thinkoutside of the box,” here is a group that livesits entire life outside the formal structures thatconstrain most people. Yet it has found a coherentand apparently satisfying way of life for itsmembers. More than a mere counterculture, theFamily is an alternative society. Even if we areunprepared to embrace the faith of the Family,we can be inspired by it.— William Sims Bainbridge, in The Endtime Family: Childrenof God, State University of New York Press, February 2002.FOR MORE INFORMATIONThe Family International’s activities are documented in themonthly newsletter titled The Family International WorldwideActivity Report, as well as found on the International Familywebsite at: www.thefamily.org. The website also hosts asampling of our publications.Other sites highlighting the Family International’s work invarious countries, or in other languages, can be found at:www.thefamily.org/links.A list of scholarly examinations of the Family International andits beliefs by respected academics can be found here:www.thefamily.org/about/thirdparty.phpHOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH?Australia..................................... aus_fam@bigpond.net.auBrazil.......................................... afamilia@afamilia.orgEurope and Africa....................... info@thefamilyeurope.orgJapan......................................... mail@family.gr.jpLatin America............................. familia@lafamilia.orgTaiwan........................................ mail@thefamily-chinese.orgThailand..................................... family@thaifamily.orgU.S............................................. family@thefamily.orgFamily Information Desk27 Old Gloucester StreetLondon WC1N 3XXEnglandE-mail: info@thefamilyeurope.orgThe Family International2020 Pennsylvania Ave NWPMB 102Washington, D.C. 20006–1846USAE-mail: publicaffairs@thefamily.orgw w w . t h e f a m i l y . o r g