A little history (a little long)

Remembering and Tying Loose Ends

In the early 70s, Berg had convinced a few hippies from Huntington Beach to join him in a trip, because he had to leave. He lost his job and cannot stay there any longer. He would used the hippies as a showcase to ask for donations.

The pitch went something like “we provide shelter, food and other needs to ex-drug addicts”. The Road Days were a difficult adventure. It continuously weeded out people but would also bring new members into the fold.

With lots of turnaround, longevity in The Team was an important factor for leadership and seniority. Berg was the main trainer and members of his own family and tribe were in similar teaching positions. Jethro, Big Josh, etc. would soon be important figures along with Mother Eve, and the fab four (his four children). The hippies were the help and the traveling example of Berg’s good ministry.

The doors and contact opportunities that had been opened while being on the road allowed the Bergs to replicate their success not only across the US but in other countries. This expansion into Canada, South America and Europe was not only due to organic growth but a way to avoid the legal problems that had started surrounding David Berg.

He knew that living in exile would leave him out of his main source of income and so decided to repeat the hippie story in England. The explosion on new disciples was great and soon TF was enjoying a lot of publicity. The problem was lack of funds, and that is when Steven had the inspiration of asking donations in exchange of literature.

Litnessing was born as a way to obtain money and support the “ministry”. Donors (also known as kings) were still pursued but money giving was not as important. FFing was already a mature source of income but more relevant to Berg’s ambitions was gaining contacts with social power and influence.

In the early 70s, the message was still very anti-System and anti-American but within the American mind set; that is, The Family had a mid-stream radicalism attractive only to mid-class or rich people, not to the real radicals of the world. This suited Berg's intentions perfectly. The prevalent attitude in TF was one of being free from system-like bondage of regular jobs. We were serving the Lord. Little did we know, or care, that Berg was using us for monetary gain.

But internal strife was surfacing. Jethro, the king of the South (because he, his people and his operations were in South America) seemed to be growing too strong. Berg saw him as a threat. The solution was the RNR.

The late 70s was a time of purging who he considered to be bad apples, including Jethro and his people. A byproduct of the FF revolution was a fish Faithy had fished, the son of a prominent Peruvian family who had studied in the US and was willing to be indoctrinated. Things started to change then. Similar people all around the world started appearing across TF. Berg saw their utility.

By the end of 70s, a new organizational structure was emerging. People were told to go back home for a visit. The idea was to visit relatives, invade churches, make contacts and produce mailing lists or even become supporters themselves if they didn’t want to return to “the field”.

The plan was good but it also disguised the re-shuffling of leadership. Old timers in one place were being moved into selah positions or to became new trusted leaders in new places. Berg announced a big shake-up but it was mostly of those who were not totally loyal to him. The RNR was a blueprint of future power shake-ups that would come later.

The 80s appeared as The Family International started adopting new practices. It was a new age, one of consolidation. There were now over 2000 colonies, now called Homes, around the world. A minimum tithing amount (I believe it was 100 US dollars) had been established for homes in rich countries. Total income was in the 6-7 digits monthly.

It was truly a multinational, multilayered enterprise with many complex practices. It maintained its hierarchical structure with Berg and Maria at the top. No decision, large or small was made without their approval, tacit or explicit. Those who dared, even if the decision was right, would be removed to undergo retraining because it showed independence and willingness to exercise initiative.

Some of the practices of consolidation were weekly meetings, sometime during whole weekends. Long prayer sessions and long communion sessions, which included sex, were part of the weekly rituals. Berg’s birthday in February had long been considered a sacred holiday.

There were other dates and rituals but Sunday meetings were reminiscent of any other church meetings. The Family cult was adopting some of the same practices it had abhorred. Berg was finding those practices to be an important tool and component of manipulation. He had already discovered the power of sex, the power of sharing limited power with others as long as they recognized his absolute dominion. He was at the top of the food chain, together with Maria. Ritualistic ceremonies were there since the beginning but he was now instituting them as weekly events. Brainwashing and mind manipulation, the tools of the trade, had now become institutionalized as doctrinal practice.

The replacement of leaders in the early 80s was only superficial. Berg wanted to appear supportive of the little people, the street missionary, the lowly home member, but in reality he was replacing only those that threatened his power. While many of the original hippies were let go and pushed away, he kept those who he believe were totally loyal to him. From this group, he handpicked for positions of authority and access only those who he had direct control and first hand knowledge.

A new layer of people had emerged over the last years called World Services. WS homes were mostly populated with trusted people, which included a few nationals who were used to contact the main population of outsiders and serve as possible buffers in case something happened. These people were invisible and for the most part unknown to the average common home member.

The raids in Argentina and in other places at around this period of time found this structure. That is why investigators weren’t able to penetrate too deep. Much of this methodologies have happened over and over again in TF, and things have only gone deeper, further and more secretive.

This is why I don't trust anything that comes from TF spokesperson or anybody who is in TF. I am even suspicious of people who have been in TF and say they have left but are unable to spell out disgust against the ways of TF. It is not enough not to be in a home. One must also have an independent mind that is away from the deception of Berg's doctrines. This takes interest on self discovery, and time to reflect.