The Jesus Christians.
David McKay – Founder and Leader.
By Miguel Hayworth
If you analyse their practices and teachings, you will find how much the Jesus Christians are very much like the Children of God cult. The only real difference is that the Jesus Christians have removed themselves from David Berg’s teachings on sex, but they accept and practice Berg’s writings on much else. With Dave McKay, the Children of God’s influence never really left him; it still remains.
A 1989 Magazine/Newsletter TACL (Take a Closer Look) Page 12 and 13 reported that in the September TACL “we had a brief article on seven silent secretive men who called themselves ‘Voices in the wilderness’.
We had some suspicions about this group and their identity. Our suspicions have been confirmed by several sources.
The secret of the silent seven is no longer a secret!
They are none other than members of the weird and way-out ‘McKay’ family group. This extreme Christian fringe group has been involved in numerous publicity stunts in their reaction against the ‘sins of the system and systemics’.
They have walked across the Nullabor, using reverse psychology and playing on the emotional pull of using a young girl, to ensure that ‘the Lord’ would meet their needs through sympathetic givers (and used verbal comments to make people feel guilty if they don’t want to give).
They have thrown away money; glued money to pavements; painted and chalked graffiti on subway walls and footpaths; staged well-publicised ‘walks’ (including the Bullabor walk) claiming to be totally dependent on God, (but making sure many people knew about it – and freely accepting money and accommodation from people, rather than God.)
The extremes in thinking, as well as publicity stunts, have opposed the sinful society in which we live.
They have caused division in families and have tried to manipulate young people into total commitment to their cause, rather than helping them find life and freedom in Jesus Christ.
The group travels around Australia from time to time (and always seems to have more than enough for their lifestyle and travels). Some of the group’s members have also been active in India and in the Birmingham area of England.
In England, the group was financially able to afford a good flat and to purchase a TV and a car.
The ‘Secret silent seven’ have been through Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Some of the members of the group (at least) live in Medowie, New South Wales.
We have reported on this group in more detail in previous TACL articles, including in the issues of June 1985 and March 1987.
Page 13 The Mckays have done it again
The Mckay Family, Apparently using the names ‘Mendowie Christians’ and Mendowie Christian Volunteers, have managed to get their names in some of the news papers again with some of their outrageous antics.
In the past this group has been known as the ‘Rappville Christians’, the ‘Sydney Christians’, the ‘Nullabor walkers’, the ‘Voices in the Wilderness’, and just ‘Christians’.
They have been to Australian States, handing out their leaflets and trying to entice young people to join them. They have also turned up in Birmingham, England, and travelled to India (where a couple of them found wives), and been to America (where Dave McKay came from).
In March 1987, the group commented on:
‘That Small controversial group that made the headlines in mid-1985 [with their walk across the Nullabor] is still trying to make the headlines. For some years. In the process they have broken minor laws, been hypocritical themselves, confused a number of idealistic young people, and have caused heartache and hurt in families. They have thrown money away, glued money to pavements, painted and chalked graffiti on subway walls and footpaths, and staged well-publicised ‘walks’ claiming to be dependent on God. While making sure a great number of people knew about it and quite readily accepted gifts of money, accommodation etc. McKay has produced newsletters (Much like the children of God materials) in which he has lampooned others (especially critics); accused people of hypocrisy, lying and persecuting his group.’
At one stage, McKay announced that the whole group was going to join the Roman Catholic Church – but that announcement was either premature or short-lived.
Late last year, seven members of this small extreme Christian fringe group dressed in rough robes and went about bearded and barefoot, carrying placards and handing out pamphlets, while remaining silent. They refused to give the police their names and addresses.
(Editor’s Note: This is one of the things the Children of God used to do in the 60’s, reference Photos from Family history article on the Children of God)
In October this year, 6 members of the group were arrested and charged with wilful and malicious damage.
According to their apparently media-fed publicity, they slept in their cars during the day and painted slogans on approximately 2 km of walls in Sydney at night during September. They claim it took about 72 hours and more than $1,000 worth of paint to spread about 50 different slogans in huge lettering on walls and bridges along the railway.
Their slogans apparently angered other graffiti artists, who painted over them. The railway estimated that the cost of removing the graffiti would exceed $100,000.
While some of the group were vandalising, supposedly in the name of Christ, others were on their way back from America after distributing tracts there on the ‘fall of America’. McKay claims that some of them had gone to America after the group had a vision that America would be destroyed by a Russian nuclear strike across the North Pole.
According to McKay, the American response to the message of doom and gloom was ‘pathetic’. He had once said much the same thing about Sydney, and had symbolically wiped the dust off his feet, rejecting Sydney and vowing never to return there again. He seems to have a short memory.
He also seems to ignore his own hypocrisy.
For years McKay has been preaching against money, whilst working for money, telling people they need to trust God to provide. But last year, the group clashed with Social Security over its members receiving unemployment benefits when they were not seeking paid work.
The Group claims that it is looking for unpaid work, work that they can do ‘for love alone’ – but they want taxpayers, through the government, to foot the bill and pay them, while preaching against money. Reports indicate that they have also readily accepted monetary donations from those for whom they have worked ‘for love alone’.
Like many extreme fringe groups, this group rewrites the dictionary and writes up its own rules – ignoring those of society, and of what the Bible has to say in context.
Footnote on the Children of God, law of love document.
The Family International‘s current 2026 statement is worded differently. It states that God’s Law of Love, as explained in Matthew 22:35-40, should govern every aspect of a Christian’s life and interactions withAus others. What is important to note is that this statement does not explicitly mention David Berg’s earlier application of the Law of Love to sexual ethics or his teaching regarding sexual relationships outside marriage.