From its inception in 1968, the Family International (formerly known as the Children of God) has had a colorful history. Members circled the globe spreading the Gospel message in literature, song, and multimedia productions, and establishing a presence in over 100 nations. The Family International has surmounted the challenges of building a worldwide Christian fellowship of self-supporting, autonomous communities, while reaching out to the needy through personal counseling, seminars, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and sharing the message of God’s love around the world.
The Family International traces its origins to 1968 in Huntington Beach, California, where our founder, David Brandt Berg (1919-1994), also known as “Father David,” together with his wife and teenage children, began a ministry to the counterculture youth that congregated in that seaside town. Many of these experienced dramatic changes in their lives as they came to develop a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (To read some of the writings of David Brandt Berg, known as the "MO Letters," click here.)
As a result, many decided to dedicate their lives to the service of God and fellow man. In late 1969, when the group had grown to about 100 members, it was dubbed the “Children of God” by the news media. By 1972 there were 130 communities of full-time members scattered throughout the world. In early 1978, the Children of God was reorganized and became known as the Family.
The Family International underwent numerous changes in structure throughout its history, as it developed into an international organization. In 1995, a membership charter was adopted, which codified the beliefs, rights, and responsibilities of full-time Family members. Family members and communities operate according to their own decisions and initiative within the framework of the Family’s Charter.
Our movement has been characterized by our missionary and humanitarian activities around the globe. As of 2010, Family members have shared the Gospel message with over 298 million people, and over 35 million people have prayed with our members to receive God's gift of salvation. During the past 42 years, over 1.1 billion pieces of Gospel literature in 61 languages, and over 2.2 million videos and 12.8 million audio tapes/CDs/DVDs in more than 20 languages were produced and distributed by the Family International.