SALT LAKE CITY, UT, June 13, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Karen Zerby and Steve Kelly, spiritual and administrative leaders of the Family International, presented a paper at the 2009 Conference of the Center for Studies on New Religious Movements, hosted in Salt Lake City, Utah from June 11th to June 13th, 2009. The paper, entitled: "The Future of the Family International: Establishing a Culture of Innovation and Progress," outlined organizational changes and evangelistic goals.

The Family International (formerly known as the Children of God) is a non-traditional Christian movement founded by David Brandt Berg (1919-1994) in Southern California during the late 1960s. Active in over 90 countries, the movement engages in evangelistic and humanitarian endeavors.

The Family International has undergone much change and progress throughout its 40-year history. In their paper, Zerby and Kelly (known to Family members as Maria and Peter) comment, "Our primary objective in redirecting the vision and impetus of the Family is to enable it to prosper well into the future as a thriving religious community that is relevant to today's world, while preserving its uniqueness and unconventional doctrines. . . We trust that the Family's missionary zeal, coupled with its commitment to our unique brand of Christianity, will empower the Family to successfully transition into the future."

Contact:
Claire Borowik
[email protected]
202-298-0838
http://www.thefamily.org

New leader distances communal church from the past while planning a broader, brighter future.

By Peggy Fletcher Stack

The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/25/2009 12:57:24 PM MDT