Terminology

Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian perspective.

Terminology

Abbreviations and expressions used in the Family

Over the years since its inception, the Family developed a large number of unique expressions and phrases that often appear rather cryptic to the outsider. Many of these phrases are simple abbreviations, some come from Bible imagery, and a few originate in the colourful phraseology of the founder. Many of these terms can take double meanings: the unique Family meaning, as well as the ‘regular’ or normal meaning.

If you have another term, please send it in.

10:36 = Relatives of Family members who are strongly and actively opposed to their Family membership. It comes from Matthew 10:36, ‘A man’s foes shall be they of his own household’.

Activated = Family magazine produced for sales. Contains Family teaching, testimonies, ‘prophecies’ and selected Bible classes illustrating a particular subject.

Babe = New Family member who does not know much Family teaching yet. New Christian.

Backslider = Derogatory term for former members of the Family, or those who no longer follow the Lord.

Berg = David Berg (1919-1994), founder of the Family.

Charter = The official rules and code of behaviour for all Family members. First published in 1995 it has undergone many revisions and covers every area of life in the Family. Examples include: the required number of hours spent reading Family material per week, the required number of hours per week children must be educated or have exercise, sex rules, marriage rules, meeting rules, financial rules, rules for accepting and rejecting new members etc.

Churchy = Derogatory term for a Christian who believes the teachings of conservative or institutionalised Christianity.

CM = Charter Member. Those Family members who are fulfilling all the requirements of the Family’s Charter of rights and responsibilities (see MM and FM).

CRO = Central Reporting Office. Office to which all Family homes in a designated area send their monthly reports and tithes. It may be given a more specific label, such as NACRO (North American Central Reporting Office), SACRO (South American Central Reporting Office) etc.

Dad = David Berg (1919-1994), founder of the Family.

Date = Intimate time spent with another Family member, often involving sex.

DFO = Disciples and Friends Only. An early designation for ML’s meaning that this particular letter could only be given to Family members and those favourable to the Family.

DO = Disciples Only. An early designation for ML’s meaning that this particular letter was not to be given to non-Family members.

Endtime = The current period of history, interpreted to be immediately before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

FC = Family Care. A Family department dedicated to producing materials for parents and children.

Fellowship = a religious service usually held in a Family home.

FFing = Flirty-Fishing. Witnessing method promoted by Berg and used by the Family during the 1970’s using sexual attraction and/or sex to win converts. This practice has been officially banned for many years. See Witnessing.

FGA = First Generation Adult. An adult member who joined the Family as an adult. See SGA.

Flee bag = small bag of essential items with which to escape in an emergency.

FM = Fellow Member. Family members who wish to remain associated with the Family, but who are unable for some reason to fulfil all the requirements of the Charter (see CM and MM).

Forsake-all = The process whereby a new full-time member of the Family donates all their possessions to the Family, including all financial savings and assets of any kind.

GBY = God Bless You.

Get Out = Physical exercise.

GN = Good News. A booklet containing one or more letters written by Berg or Zerby to the Family for instructional purposes. Family members believe these as the truth of God.

Goat = A person unreceptive or antagonistic to the message of the Family, or to Family members themselves, or to the Lord.

GP = General Public. Designation of Family writing or product signifying that it can be made available to anyone in or out of the Family.

Grandpa = David Berg (1919-1994), founder of the Family.

Home = The basic unit of the Family. One or more families who live together in the same house, and who have organised themselves according to the regulations set forth in the Family’s Charter.

IJN = In Jesus’ Name.

Jesus Baby = a child born illegitimately to a woman who may have been FFing. See FFing.

JETT = Junior End Time Teen. Family child between the ages of 12 and 13.

JJT = Jesus Job Time. A short period of time for cleaning, or performing various household chores.

Keys = The keys of the kingdom. Loosely based on Matt. 16:19, the keys are supposed to be a new spiritual power available to those in the Family who have enough faith. See ‘The Keys’.

KGFG = Keep going for God.

Law of Love = The premise that any action done ‘in love’ is legitimate in the eyes of God. Based on John 13:34. For more see ‘The Law of Love’.

Lit = Evangelistic literature

New Disciple = someone who has recently joined the Family

Mate = Spouse.

Mama = Maria Zerby, current leader of the Family.

MC = Middle Child. Family child between the ages of 5 and 7.

ML = Mo Letter. An instructional circular letter written by Berg to the Family. Family members believe these to be the truth of God.

MM = Missionary Member. A Family member half-way in status between CM and FM. Almost fulfils the Charter’s requirements.

Mo/ Moses David = David Berg (1919-1994), founder of the Family.

New Bottle = someone who moves and changes with new ideas and new methods. Flexible. See Old Bottle.

New Wine = recently Family publications containing spiritual messages.

OC = Older Child. Family child between the ages of 8 and 11.

Old Bottle = a person who does not like change, someone who rigidly adheres to the past, resisting new things. See New Bottle.

Persecution = any active opposition to the Family

PG = Pregnant.

Provisioning = Obtaining donated goods from secular businesses.

PTL = Praise The Lord.

Pubs = [Official, Family-produced] Publications. See GNs.

Romans = police

SGA = Second Generation Adult. An adult Family member who was born in the Family, or whose parents joined the Family when he or she was a child. See FGA.

Sharing = Consensual sex outside of marriage.

Sheep/ Sheepy = A person receptive to the message of the Family, or to Family members themselves, or to the Lord.

Shepherd = A Family member in a position of authority over other members. There can be home shepherds, area shepherds, national shepherds etc.

Shtick = persevere.

Souls = People who have received Jesus as their Saviour, thus getting ‘saved’. Eg: We won two souls today.

System/ Systemite = Derogatory term used for the world and its secular processes, and those who adhere to these processes, without understanding spiritual things.

Threesome = in earlier Family days, polygamy was officially sanctioned.

Tools = Products created and produced for sales. These have included over the years: posters, tapes, CDs, videos, books, etc.

TRF = Tithe Report Fellowship. An electronic report form every Family Home is obliged to fill in and send every month. It contains details of personnel, statistics of the numbers of people ‘witnessed to’, ‘souls saved’, income, tithe and various other personal details.

Tract = A short evangelistic pamphlet

TTL = Thank The Lord.

TYJ = Thank You Jesus.

Witnessing = evangelising.

Word Time = Devotional time spent either alone or with other Family members, usually spent reading Family material.

WS = World Services. The Family’s administration body, with departments including leadership, finances, production of materials for marketing, research, etc. With no central administration building, WS ‘units’ are scattered around the world, never giving addresses or personnel lists. Most Family members never visit a WS unit, and never know in which country one might be.

YA = Young Adult. A Family member in their early twenties.

YC = Younger Child. Family child aged 4 or younger.