What is INFORM? mainstream religion; or sympathetic support from someone INFORM Policy with an understanding of the situation. INFORM is a non-sectarian charity (Reg. 801729), which INFORM's Board of Governors is responsible for was founded in 1988 to help enquirers by providing INFORM sometimes mediates between relatives of a member formulating its policy. A Management Committee, consisting information about new religious movements * that is as of a movement and the member and/or the movement itself. of three members of the Board, is responsible for practical accurate, balanced, and up-to-date as possible. However, no one is ever contacted unless the enquirer decisions and supervising the work of the office staff. explicitly requests INFORM to do so. The Need Confidentiality is strictly respected where individual cases INFORM organises two day-long seminars each year on a are concerned. Messages may be recorded or monitored for Anxious relatives and friends have had difficulty obtaining variety of issues concerning new religions. It has also training purposes. reliable information about the beliefs and practices of an organised large international conferences that have attracted unfamiliar religious or spiritual group that someone close to scholars from all over the world. Both these forums provide INFORM's policy of maintaining direct contact, wherever them has joined. an opportunity for participants to gain and exchange possible, with new religions does not imply that it agrees with information of both practical and theoretical use. or approves of these movements. Politicians and clergy have been besieged with requests to “do something” about unfamiliar groups with unusual beliefs INFORM can provide speakers for schools, universities, Funding and practices that would appear to give cause for concern, but religious and other institutions. they have often found difficulty in knowing how to get INFORM receives funding from the Home Office and the objective information about the groups that they were being INFORM welcomes visitors to its central London office (by mainstream Churches, and it has had generous contributions asked to do something about. appointment). Here they can talk to staff and conduct their from foundations including Smith's; J.P.Getty; Nuffield; own research, consulting a wide range of books, cassettes, Wates; and the Jerusalem Trust. As a consequence of both lack of information and videos, and files on over 3000 different groups. misinformation, inappropriate actions have been taken, Other organisations have given assistance either with grants leading, in some cases, to tragic results. INFORM provides literature, such as leaflets about or in kind. In addition, INFORM receives some donations particular movements, and articles written by scholars. from enquirers and makes small profits from its seminars and What does INFORM do? the sale of literature. New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction INFORM helps enquirers either by giving them information (London: HMSO 1989, 1995. ISBN: 0-11-340927-3) by INFORM has a policy of not accepting money from any of directly or by putting them in touch with its extensive Professor Eileen Barker provides background information on the new religious movements or any other organisation that international network of experts. the beliefs, practices, attractions and potential dangers of the might wish to prejudice the outcome of its research. movements. It also contains details of thirty of the better- INFORM's research involves the collection, analysis and known groups as well as practical suggestions for parents, *No attempt is made here to define too precisely the term dissemination of information about the diverse beliefs, clergy, teachers, students and the general reader. 'new religious movement' . It is used merely to provide a practices, membership, organisation, and whereabouts of new common-sense starting point to cover what others have called religions, as well as issues related to the movements. Who uses INFORM? cults, sects, non-conventional religions, alternative religions or self religions, as well as new movements in established INFORM's network includes scholars and organisations Anyone who has either a query or information about new religions. engaged in research; experts with specialist knowledge (such religious groups is invited to get in touch with INFORM. as lawyers, medical practitioners, clergy); those with personal Contacts from all over the world include the friends and experience (such as relatives and former members of the relatives of people who have joined one of the new religious movements); and members of the movements themselves. movements, former members, leaders of the established religions and affiliated bodies, secular agencies, schools, Although INFORM does not itself offer a counselling colleges, academics, research students, government service, it can put enquirers in touch with somebody on its departments, law enforcement agencies, the media, and network who can offer help: this could be assistance from a members of the general public. professional counsellor; pastoral care from a member of a Patrons

The Rt Revd Graham James, Lord Bishop of Norwich I N F O R M I n f o r m a t i o n () N e t w o r k The Revd David Coffey, Moderator of the Free Churches’ F o c u s O n Group R e l i g i o u s Bishop C. Henderson (Roman Catholic Church) M o v e m e n t s Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia (Greek Orthodox Church) The Lord Dahrendorf of Clare Market KBE FBA The Lord Desai of St Clement Danes REGISTERED OFFICE The Lord Ahmed of Rotherham

INFORM Board of Governors Houghton St

London Sir John Allison, KCB, CBE , FRAeS WC2A 2AE Professor Eileen Barker, PhD, OBE, FBA (Chair) England Department of Sociology, London School of Economics

Professor David Bartholomew, PhD, FBA Telephone: Department of Statistics, London School of Economics 020 7955 7654

Professor James Beckford, PhD, FBA (Vice-Chair) (+44 20 7955 7654 Department of Sociology, University of Warwick outside the U.K.) Nominee of the British Sociological Association Sociology of Religion Study Group Facsimile:

The Reverend Paul Hendricks, MA, PhL 020 7955 7679 Nominee of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster

Professor Mary Kaldor, PhD Electronic Mail: Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of [email protected] Economics Website: The Reverend Andrew Maguire, BD, MA (Treasurer) www.inform.ac Nominee of the Free Churches' Group, www.cults-sects-nrms.info Superintendent Minister of the North Hertfordshire Methodist Circuit Enquirers can write, Dr Marat Shterin, PhD telephone, or make an Department of Religious Studies, King’s College London appointment to visit

Very Revd Colin Slee, BD, AKC (Vice-Chair) INFORM’s office. of , Nominee of the Archbishop of Canterbury Outside office hours (10 am - 4.30 pm, Monday - Dr Damian Thompson, PhD Friday), messages may be Feature Writer, Daily Telegraph left on the voice mail, which Dr Robert Towler, PhD is checked at regular Former Head of Research, Independent Television Commission intervals.

Revd Alan Walker MA, MTh, LLM Parish Priest

Observer: Dr Anne Richards, D.Phil, Mission Theological Advisor, Archbishops' Council of the 12 August 2005 Church of England