Perry Bulwer
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Perry Bulwer (born 1955 in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada) is a former member of the Children of God (later known as The Family International), a Canadian lawyer, author, and activist. He is the author of Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life In A Doomsday Cult (2023), a memoir about his life in the cult.
Contents
Early Life and Recruitment into the Children of God
In 1972, at age 16, Perry dropped out of high school and left his family to join the local Children of God commune. He was quickly sent to a "Babes Ranch" in Nanaimo, British Columbia, where he and other new recruits underwent intense indoctrination.
Following brief stays in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia communes, Perry was transferred to Burlington, Seattle, and Honolulu communes, and later sent to the Far East, living for years in Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, and Beijing, China, working as an undercover missionary teaching English.
While living at the Heavenly City School (HCS) in Japan, Perry's wife was recruited to join David Berg and Karen Zerby’s team as a childcare helper, under the condition that they legally divorce. Perry left HCS during the divorce process but later returned. In 1991, Perry planned and executed his escape from the group, returning to Canada in September 1991.
Education and Legal Career
One year after his return, Perry resumed his education at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, earning a B.A. with distinction in 1996. He then moved to Vancouver and became involved with advocacy for drug addicts and street sex workers, work that led him to study law at the University of British Columbia. He earned his law degree in 2002 and was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 2003. He now holds "retired member" status with The Law Society of British Columbia.
Misguided Memoir
In 2023, Perry published Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life In A Doomsday Cult, a memoir recounting his experiences in the Children of God and its successor groups.
Misguided is notable for:
- covering the entire history of the group, from inception to its decline;
- including a chapter on David Berg's origin myth (David Verses and Letters) and Endtime predictions;
- exposing the role of academic apologists who defended the group against child abuse allegations;
- highlighting the efforts of Second Generation (SG) survivors in exposing the group’s crimes.
It is also unique for its extensive documentation, with over 400 endnotes, many linking to primary sources, which Perry has made publicly available: Misguided Endnotes.
Media Contributions and Public Advocacy
Perry has archived thousands of news reports on religion-related child abuse at his blog, which includes:
- A dedicated section on The Family International: The Family International section;
- A comprehensive list of books about the group: Books about the Children of God / The Family.
In 2005, following the Ricky Rodriguez murder-suicide, Perry met with second-generation survivors affiliated with Safe Passage Foundation to discuss support strategies and media advocacy. He subsequently authored a critical article responding to James D. Chancellor’s work:
- "A Response to James D. Chancellor’s Life in The Family An Oral History of the Children of God" (2007).
Perry was also a contributor to the docuseries Children of the Cult (2021), providing background information and appearing in several episodes.
He has participated in various podcast interviews and media reports, which are listed here: Misguided - Reviews and Media Reports.
Press and Historical Sources
Perry has preserved 1972 newspaper articles about the Children of God in British Columbia, published both before and after his recruitment, available here: 1972 Newspaper Reports. These are potential additions to the Category:Press archive.
Publications
- Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life In A Doomsday Cult, New Star Books, September 2023.
- "David Berg's Perversion of Biblical Bridal Theology in the Children of God/The Family," International Journal of Coercion, Abuse and Manipulation, Volume 8, 2025.
- "A Response to James D. Chancellor’s Life in The Family An Oral History of the Children of God," Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2007.
- "A Response to Perry Bulwer’s Evaluation of Life in the Family," Chancellor, James D., Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2007.
- "A Rejoinder to James Chancellor’s Response to My Article," Bulwer, Perry, Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2007.
- "Former Cult Leader, Michael Hawron, Hiding in Plain Sight in New Boston, Texas," 2019.
Apology to Second Generation Survivors
In the acknowledgements of his memoir, Perry issued the following apology:
First, I must offer my deeply sincere, unequivocal apology to every person who was born and/or raised in the Children of God/the Family International for the systemic child abuse you all suffered in many ways. No matter how misguided, misinformed and indoctrinated I was, my membership in the cult makes me partly to blame for that institutionalized abuse. I am forever remorseful for not recognizing during my involvement with the cult that its doctrines, policies and way of life violated many of your rights as children and were extremely harmful to your childhood and adolescent development. Only after I discarded my religious indoctrination that blinded me to the abuses you suffered, and began to re-evaluate Family life from a child’s point of view, was I able to recognize that what you all experienced was not a righteous life, but was in fact systemic, institutionalized child abuse. Once I awakened to that fact, I dedicated myself to supporting you child-abuse survivors. Words alone are inadequate to express how sorry I am for the abuses and crimes perpetrated against you all, so I continue to speak out publicly to confirm the experiences you suffered, expose the cult in various media, and advocate on your behalf in any way I can.
External Links
- Perry Bulwer’s Blog
- Religion-related Child Abuse News Blog
- James D. Chancellor (for context on Perry's academic responses)
