Biblical Families
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The Biblical Families Story
"What a long, strange trip it's been...." — The Grateful Dead, 1970
The 1990s saw the rise of the Internet, and increased access to information and relationships that were previously unavailable in geographic communities, in "meatspace". One of the many diverse topics that became a rallying point for newly-possible online communities was Christian polygamy.
We'll never know what the situation was pre-Internet for some Christian families that had reached the conclusion that the Bible did not prohibit plural marriage. For obvious reasons, those families tended to keep a pretty low profile in their communities. What we do know is that since the mid-90s, various individuals have tried to establish themselves online as thought leaders in the "Christian polygamy movement" and tried to build groups of online followers or actual communities of plural families. Some of those early ministries have blown up rather dramatically, some of them just fizzled out – from our perspective often because they were centered on one man.
Biblical Families was founded after a few years of low-key get-togethers by a few families who had known each other from a defunct ministry dating to the late 90s. In October 2007, after an initial weekend retreat near Charlotte, NC, the decision was made that it was time for a broader presence, and BiblicalFamilies.org went live in January 2008. Though those involved have come and gone over the years, the goal remains the same: ministry to Christian plural families and to Christians just becoming aware that the Bible's teaching on marriage does not support the criminalization or moral condemnation of polygamy. The focus is not on any one of us, or even plural marriage, but on Christ himself and the transforming love He has given us, to be able to lead our families in a more loving way than ever before.
Mission Statement
The mission of Biblical Families is to support and encourage all families; to teach what the Bible has to say about marriage and family and the God-given roles of men, women, and children, without bowing to tradition; and to support local groups—both existing fellowships that may come to accept this truth and those who are starting from scratch, perhaps with just their own family.
From the beginning, Biblical Families has had two primary purposes: (a) to host a site online where people from all over the world can find Bible teaching and other information on plural marriage, as well as other believers to ask questions of and bounce ideas around with, and (b) to facilitate retreats and other gatherings where like-minded families and individuals are able to meet, form relationships and friendships, and enjoy Christian worship and fellowship together.
The ministry is currently led by three families (for more information on these families, click the names or photos below). We typically host three to four retreats a year across the United States, including our national retreat in July and two or three smaller regional retreats. We also host occasional local gatherings in central Florida (Nathan) and central Texas (Andrew), while Ron, our ambassador-at-large, enjoys touring the country as time permits and meeting families on their own turf. A short term goal is to have families that can host small group meetings in many locations across the US.
2015 was something of a ‘sabbatical year’ for Biblical Families, with a reboot in 2016 starting with the 2.0 Website and Forum you are now at – we look forward to being able to offer more resources here over the coming years, and giving you lots of opportunity for relationship and fellowship and support. Please drop us an email if there’s anything we can do for you: staff@biblicalfamilies.org