Preacher, Papa, Pimp
The Children of God murder
Preacher, Papa, Pimp
By S.M. Elliott

The Preacher

In 1967, the Huntington Beach Pier in southern California was awash with beautiful, happy kids who had tuned in, turned on, and dropped out. Or at least dropped out. Into this melee of tie dye, bare feet, and folk guitar stepped a gawky, clean-shaven Southern preacher with big ears and guileless blue eyes. His name was David Brandt Berg. In years to come he would be known as Moses David, Mo, Father David, or just Dad. Nearing 50, Berg had lived the traditional life of a small-town American preacher, for the most part. He was married to a demure, handsome woman named Jane. (They had fallen in love at a revival meeting in the midst of WWII.) He had two sons and two daughters, all of whom had married young and come to assist their dad in his ministry. He wore sports coats with ties and kept his hair short. Soon after arriving in Huntington Beach, he was wearing sunglasses and sporting a long, scraggly beard.
David Berg quickly attracted a large following of hippies and street kids. He established a church called The Children of God (COG) and set up communes in various parts of California. Before long, "Children of God"

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