The Family International is a small online only network of individuals committed to reaching the world with God’s love and assisting disadvantaged people through humanitarian and charitable programs. Founded in the late 1960s as a countercultural new religious movement, the Family International (formerly the Children of God) operated as an international missionary fellowship for over 40 years, sharing the Gospel with millions and assisting the needy in a multitude of volunteer and humanitarian efforts in over 100 countries. In 2010, The Family International disassembled its previous organizational structure, and currently functions as a small online network of approximately 1,200 people in 70 countries.
The Family International has had a zero-tolerance policy in place for over three decades for the protection of minors, and is diametrically opposed to the abuse of minors in any form, whether physical, sexual, educational, or emotional. (See The Family International’s Child Protection Policy.) Courts around the world that conducted exhaustive investigations of over 600 children in the early 1990s concluded that the children were not exposed to any kind of abuse or neglect and were satisfied with the quality of their upbringing and education. (For third party summaries of these court rulings, see https://www.cesnur.org/testi/TheFamily/se_thefamily.htm).
The Family International’s policy for the protection of minors was adopted in 1986. Regrettably prior to the adoption of this policy, cases occurred where minors were exposed to sexually inappropriate behavior. This was addressed in 1986 when any contact of a sexual nature between an adult and a minor (defined as any person under 18 years of age) was officially prohibited and subsequently in 1989 declared an excommunicable offense.
The Family International has issued official apologies on several occasions to any members or former members who were hurt in any way during their membership, and made the latest of these publicly available (see Letters of Apology). Although the Family International has issued its sincere apologies to former members, we do not give credence to tales of institutionalized abuse told by those who seek to promote their personal agendas, books, causes, or for financial gain. The findings of the courts do not corroborate such claims.
We continue to extend our sincere apologies to anyone who experienced anything negative or hurtful during their childhood or time as members of The Family International. Our sincere hope for anyone who was once part of The Family International is that they can lead fulfilling lives, and we wish them well in every way.
What Is the Family International?
The Family International (TFI) is a Christian online network of individuals committed to sharing the message of God's love with people around the globe.
The Family International
E-mail: family@thefamilyinternational.org
Web site: www.thefamilyinternational.org