Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003

The Evolution of a Cult and a Support Group for the Families of It’s Members: The Jim Roberts Group and The Roberts Group Parents Network

James Foster
Ronald Loomis
Joseph Szimhart
Larry Wilcox

Abstract

The Jim Roberts Group (JRG) is clearly one of the most unusual groups that have come to the attention of cult researchers. The group has never been given a name by its founder, who is elusive and paranoid and rarely interacts with his followers. Despite enduring for over 30 years, the membership has remained small, apparently never more then 100 at any time. Members are nomadic and forsake all material things. They spend most of their time reading the bible, praying and singing together, and recruiting new members. There is no evidence of physical, sexual, or financial exploitation in the group. Nevertheless, over the years many young people have had their personal lives, their education, their careers, and their family relations severely damaged by this group, in some cases for several decades. Many members have suffered physiological and psychological damage, and a few have died. In 1996, a small group of families who had loved ones in this cult created a family support group, now called The Roberts Group Parents Network (TRGPN). In just seven years, they have developed a system for locating cult members and arranging surprise family visits. As a result, some 50 members have left the cult. This paper presents the perspective of a typical family with a loved one in this cult, a brief history of the JRG and of TRGPN, and a description of the thought reform techniques used by this group.
 

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