A Brief History of a Cult that took hold of me.

An Issue of Baptism Cleared Up.

Last week, while I was laying the groundwork for my upcoming testimony, I set out to distinguish between the Kingdom Gospel and the Gospel of Free Grace, both found in the New Testament of the Bible. A question from one of my readers touched on the believer's baptism, and before I go any further, I wish to clear up any confusion that might have arisen from last week's blog before beginning on the rise of the Children of God cult.

I was baptised as an adult believer in 1975, aged 22, just over two years after initial conversion. I was fully submerged in water at Bracknell Baptist church. The key verse of Scripture used for the occasion was Acts 2:38, which reads, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (KJV). 

When considering two other verses, one spoken by Jesus himself when he said, He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:16), it seemed that baptism played a role in the remission of sins. The other verse was spoken by Ananias to Saul, soon after his encounter with Jesus Christ. Ananias said, And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptised, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16).

Since Saul (that is, the Apostle Paul) was a Jew from the Tribe of Benjamin, he still preached the Kingdom Gospel, which indicated that Baptism did wash away sins (although some theologians insist that when Peter said, Repent and be baptised...for the remission of sins, he meant, Repent and be baptised because by believing, your sins are already forgiven. The same as, for example, John was awarded a trophy for winning the cross-country footrace.)

Interestingly, the practice of Jewish baptism, although initiated by John the Baptist, looks to have originated from the Law of Moses, that the Jewish priest from the Tribe of Levi must wash by submergence before performing his rites at the temple, as depicted in Leviticus 16:23-24, also 2 Chronicles 4:2 and verse 6. Washing for purification from sins was practised by Jews long before the days of John the Baptist.

Stepping into a Jewish purification bath, Masada, 1993.

So, what I should have added last week was that in this age of Free Grace, baptism does not wash away sins, as it's carried out after conversion. The testimony of Cornelius and his house highlights this. Peter was given "the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 16:15-19. The first non-Jews to receive the Gospel were delivered by Peter, thus "unlocking the door to heaven" for the Gentiles. While Peter was still preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard his words. Then afterwards, Peter baptised all of them. The baptism followed conversion, not preceded it.

When considering that the Philippian jailor, a Gentile, was baptised by Paul after his conversion (Acts 16:30-34). When reading about these conversions, a pattern emerges. Baptism no longer washes away sins. Rather, the believer's baptism is to testify before others that the candidate has already believed and is saved. In short, baptism profits those witnessing it.

David Brandt Berg and the Children of God Movement - A History.

Around 1944, a missionary for teenagers was established by Fred Jordan, who opened the American Soul Clinic and evangelised on TV. He pastored his churches around the USA and opened a ranch in Texas to accommodate campers. He had a close associate whom he met in 1952, David Brandt Berg, who co-pastored Jordan's church and was employed by him. However, in 1967, Jordan fired Berg over a dispute, and at that time, when a group of Berg's followers were camping at Jordan's Texas ranch, they were ordered off his property.

Berg developed a strong dislike of all churches in America, and the fruit of the dispute between Berg and Jordan was seen and felt among his followers, even if his newer recruits were unaware of the original dispute. This was the reason why COG members used only the KJV under Berg's orders. There is one word found in this version of the Bible which most modern versions don't have. It's in Hosea 8:14:

For Israel hath forgotten its Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

To David Berg, all the church buildings in the Western world stand condemned by God, especially in the United States. After all, a temple is a place of worship, is it not? This is the dispute the leader of COG had with Fred Jordan of the American Soul Clinic. The hostility between the two leaders has percolated throughout the entire cult membership, and every COG member has always spoken against the mainstream church with a high level of disdain.

COG members don't use any other translation of the Bible. In these modern versions, the word Temples is replaced by the word Palaces. Here, the meaning of the verse changes. It's no longer about a place of worship, but a rebuke against the accumulation of wealth without acknowledging the goodness of God. That would have been enough to weaken the fabric of the COG cult.

By 1968, Berg made his way to the Californian coast, in those days, a haven for hippies and social dropouts. Many of these youths were on drugs, and they rejected the mainstream life of work, war, and the impersonal machine society, and focused on an in-depth spiritual experience, a longing to return to the garden where, according to the song, Woodstock (1970), by the band Matthew Southern Comfort, the lyrics contained the lines:

And I dreamed I saw the Bomber.

Riding shotgun in the sky

Turning into Butterflies above our nation.

The garden referred to was the original Garden of Eden, the home of our first parents. David Berg approached a group of these hippies, and indeed, he was able to convince them that he could lead them to their cherished garden by following him and surrendering all to Jesus Christ in the same way the Twelve followed their Lord before his Crucifixion.

Many of these hippies and other young men and women followed Berg, and colonies were set up, where the followers, now disciples, lived together under the banner, Children of God (COG). Many of Berg's followers claimed that they were miraculously delivered from drug addiction, and at last, had a proper purpose in life as a dropout without returning to society, or as Berg referred to, "The System". From each colony, the Children fanned out onto the city streets, always in twos, to approach a potential convert, and invited him to return to see the Family, as they also called themselves, for recruiting. They search for anyone alone and looking dejected, or lacking purpose or direction. Such were sitting targets for new recruits of the Family.

There was one prize star converted to the Children, the lead singer of the band, Fleetwood Mac, Jerry Spencer. While he was lounging around Hollywood Boulevard, he was approached by two of the COG members, and returned to the colony with them.

By 1972, Berg began to take his followers out of the USA and set up colonies around the world, especially in the UK. Other colonies were set up as far away from the USA as Europe and even as far as India. This was due to Berg's belief that the USA was on the brink of demise due to social unrest, such as the 1962 Cuba Crisis, the aftermath of the Vietnam War, and other issues. By this, exiting the States was dubbed "The New Exodus", and David Berg acquired the name Moses, shortened to Mo. This exodus was linked to another pop song, this one by Don McLean, American Pie (1971). Yet, the song had nothing to do with the demise of America, but had to do with the demise of singer Buddy Holly in the 1959 plane crash. Despite that, Don McLean's American Pie became the theme song for David Berg's exodus.

David Brandt Berg.

By late 1972, a colony was established at a disused jam factory in Bromley, Kent. Before the COG colony settled there, the canteen was used as a nursery, and lifesize murials decorated the walls.

Each day, each member paired up and boarded a train to London from Bromley North terminus station. They fanned out along the Strand, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and probably Oxford Circus, looking for new recruits to take back to Bromley.

One rainy Saturday night, December 9th, 1972, a sad, 20-year-old young man strolled along the Strand towards Trafalgar Square. His long hair was dripping wet, and he looked dejected as he looked at the wet ground a little way in front. He caught the attention of two young men approaching in the opposite direction.

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Next week, I begin my Testimony.