Six Members of Flock Remain in Jail
source unknown, a California newspaper
December 6, 1968, North America
HUNTINGTON BEACH—Pastor Dave Berg of the “Teens for Christ” movement here told The Register that the swix members of his flock who were arrested Friday when they invaded the Golden West College campus would “cheerfully serve their time in jail because they were doing it for Christ.”
The six members, including Berg’s son Jonathan, 19, were lodged in Orange County jail in lieu of $195 bond each after plice arrested them for interfering with college activities and refusing to leave the premises.
Members of the group were passing out religious tracts on the campus when arrested.
Berg said “They were thrown in jail and charged excessive bail like common criminals. We don’t have the bail money—we live by faith—so they will cheerfully remain in jail until they go to court.
“I talked to the kids on the phone and they said poice did not give them a chance to leave the campus after telling them to go. My son said the police gave him 60 seconds to clear the campus then arrested six of them before they could get off,” Berg said.
“We are not against organized religion, per se, but we are against its compassionless, cold approach and practices—and we are against its elaborate buildings.
“For instance,” Berg continued, “Last year the churches in the United States spent $5 billion on church construction alone. That would feed a lot of people, and it would help support a lot of missionaries trying to obey God’s command to ‘Go ye unto all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’
“In contrast,” Berg continued, “The churches spent only 5 per cent of their outlay on missionary work while spending 55 per cent of their total outlay last year on buildings. That is what we are against—and what we are trying to change.”