History of the Children of God: 1968-1977

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The founder of the Children of God movement was a former Christian Missionary Alliance pastor, David Brandt Berg (1919-1994), also known within the group as Moses David, Mo, Father David, and Dad to adult group members and eventually as Grandpa to the group's youngest members.

Members of the Children of God founded communes, first called "colonies", but now referred to as "Homes," in various cities around the world. They would proselytize in the streets and distribute literature. New converts who joined the movement memorized scripture, went through a course of Bible knowledge classes, and were expected to emulate the lives of early Christians while rejecting mainstream denominational Christianity. (See Religious conversion)

In common with converts to some other religions, and in keeping with Biblical custom, most incoming members adopted a new "Bible" name. (See Name change)

Berg communicated with his followers through his more than 3,000 published letters written over 24 years, referred to as "Mo Letters" by members of the group. By January 1972 David Berg introduced through his letters that he was God's prophet for this time, further establishing his spiritual authority within the group. Nonetheless, Berg freely acknowledged his failings and weaknesses. (See also, James D. Chancellor, Life in The Family, pp. 64-67, Syracuse University Press, 2000.)

Up to the end of 1972 COG members had distributed approximately 42 million Christian tracts, mostly on God’s Salvation and America’s doom. Street distribution of Berg’s Letters (called "litnessing") became the COG's predominant method of outreach--as well as support--for the next five years.

The Children of God ended as an organizational entity in February 1978. Reports of serious misconduct, financial mismanagement, and abuse of their positions by a number of the established leaders, including the opposition of some to FFing, caused Berg to reorganize the movement. He dismissed over 300 of the movement’s leaders and declared the general dissolution of the then existing COG structure. This shift was known as the "Reorganization Nationalization Revolution" (RNR). A third of the total membership left the movement, and those who remained became part of the reorganized movement, dubbed the "Family of Love," and later, simply the "Family." Most of the group's beliefs remained the same. [1]