Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple Jim Jones was born in Lyn, Indiana in 1931 during the Great Depression. Jim’s parents were so caught up in surviving because of the depression, Jim was allowed to go off and explore the world around him. He came upon a Pentecostal congregation and joined it is known as the Gospel Tabernacle, here the members “dwelt on the fringes of the community”(crime library). After finding out how interested he was in religion. Jones decided he wanted his own temple a more powerful temple. Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple is a perfect example of a counter cult