Charter of the Family International

I: Core Purpose
II: Membership
III: Administration
IV: Mission Works of TFI Members
Addendum

I: Core Purpose

The core purpose (mission) of the Family International is to

Share the good news of God’s love, truth, and salvation. Translate God’s love into action in a way that brings a touch of the divine to someone’s spirit, and leads people to the discovery of a personal relationship with Jesus.
Seek to improve others’ spiritual quality of life. Share God’s Word and truths to enrich others’ lives. Apply spiritual principles so as to help meet others’ needs, whether spiritual or practical.
Provide an environment that nurtures faith. Support and assist individuals in growing in their personal relationship with Jesus, and in their efforts to share God’s love and truth with others, according to their unique calling.

II: Membership

Article 1

The combination of the Family International’s core beliefs, core values, and core purpose make up the guiding principles that direct and inspire the Family International (TFI) as a community of faith and members as individuals. The guiding principles represent members’ motivation in living their faith and dedication to God in response to the call of the Great Commission. These principles give members the inspiration and confidence to act on God’s will for their life; to grow in Christian faith, belief, discipleship, or missionary service; to participate in and facilitate the mission of the Family International.

Article 2

A member of the Family International:

Has received Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior.
Is 18 years of age or older.
Accepts the collective beliefs that define the faith of the Family International as listed in the Statement of Faith of the Family International and commits to grow in his or her understanding of those tenets of faith.
Participates in and otherwise facilitates the mission of the Family International.

Article 3

The Family International reserves the right to deny membership to an individual whose activities are incompatible with Family membership or who is deemed ineligible to be a member of the Family International.

Article 4

A member of the Family International is responsible to:

Model his or her life around the principles embodied in the Core Values of the Family International.
Cultivate a personal relationship with God through reading God’s Word, personal communion with Jesus, and prayer.
Conduct him- or herself ethically and with integrity in his or her personal and professional life, and refrain from activities that reflect negatively on the Family International or its mission.
Tithe or give of his or her income monthly to the Family International or to a member of the Family International who tithes directly to the Family International.
Report monthly, directly or via another member who has agreed to report for him or her.

Article 5

A member of the Family International who is a parent is responsible to love and care for his or her children; raise them in a godly manner; impart to them a knowledge of God; see that their physical, educational, spiritual, medical, and emotional needs are supplied to the best of their ability; and protect them from all forms of harm or abuse.
The welfare and protection of children is of vital importance to the Family International. All members are expected to abide by the policies outlined in the Child Protection Policy of the Family International.

Article 6

A member of the Family International must receive the consent of the public affairs desk before engaging in a legal agreement on behalf of the Family International, or participating in a national or international media interview, documentary, website or forum, movie, book, written or verbal rebuttal, press release, or article on behalf of the Family International.
A member of the Family International must receive the consent of the public affairs desk before distributing or republishing any publications published by the Family International prior to 2010 that were not reinstated in TFI’s library. All such publications were officially removed from circulation in 2010 and only publications in the Family International’s TFI Online Library are part of its literature.

Article 7

A member of the Family International is personally responsible for his or her actions, decisions, and conduct. Members are subject to the laws of the country in which they reside. It is the responsibility of individual members to be knowledgeable of, and in compliance with, their civic and legal responsibilities as per their country of residence.

Article 8

A member of the Family International may have his or her membership revoked for:

Persistently contravening the responsibilities of Family membership as outlined above in Articles 4–5.
Conduct or activities that are damaging to the Family International or its mission, or to TFI members’ mission works.

Article 9

A member of the Family International will be permanently excommunicated from Family membership for:

Sexually or physically abusive mistreatment of a child.
Committing an egregious crime or life-threatening violent act.

An individual who has been excommunicated will not be eligible for reinstatement to TFI membership at any time.

III: Administration

Article 1

TFI Services is the administrative body of the Family International, committed to providing administration, mission, public affairs, and publication services to TFI’s membership.

TFI Services will:

Manage the tithes and gifts sent to the Family International to support publications, services, and structure, and to assist mission projects and members.
Create and produce resources that provide inspiration, spiritual feeding, and Christian outreach publications.
Build and maintain Family International websites and online services, for members and for the public.

Article 2

The directors of the Family International are entrusted with the oversight of the Family International in matters of administration, faith, mission, and doctrine.

In this capacity, they are responsible to:

Provide publications that teach and promote the beliefs, mission, goals, and values of the Family International.
Determine the services provided by the Family International.

IV: Mission Works of TFI Members

The Family International (TFI) is an international Christian community committed to sharing the message of God’s love with people around the globe. We seek to bring hope and spiritual renewal through the unconditional love of Jesus Christ that knows no borders or boundaries of race, creed, or social status. We strive to make a difference in our world by offering spiritual solutions for the challenges of life and translating God’s love into actions that manifest kindness and compassion and improve the lives of others. (Mission Statement of the Family International)

Article 1

Members of TFI are encouraged to engage in mission-focused activities, referred to in this document as mission works. A TFI member’s mission work is a project, mission activity, congregation, association, or organization, incorporated or otherwise, founded and/or managed by a member of the Family International.

Article 2

A TFI member’s mission work:

Maintains a standard of professionalism as outlined in Professional Standard for TFI Member Works.
Strives to align itself with TFI’s core values and mission statement.

Addendum

Official documents of Family International policy which supplement and support the Charter of the Family International are:

Back to Charter documents