Folks,
Regarding the idea that GG would be "brought down" if the women who were involved with him would just come forward...I'm not so sure.
GG was disciplined by a Plymouth Brethren assembly many years ago. I believe that what happened was that the woman admitted the adultry, and GG stubbornly denied it.
There was even a confrontation between GG and the offended husband.
I heard part of the story from GG himself, (with no admission of guilt, of course, he claimed he had been wronged), and part of it from a couple of other people who were close enough to observe some of the events.
I think that this is why GG was never recognized as an elder in the PB assemblies.
Nevertheless, GG was able to escape from the most serious consequences by persisting in his denials...and after a few years some assemblies began receiving ministry from him again.
Now he is doing it again. It worked in the past. He is counting on the fact that some people will follow him in spite of everything.
Sadly, I suspect that he is right.
God bless,
Thomas Maddux
Hi Tom,
Yes, George was disciplined for the same behavior a few times in his PB and pre-PB days. The reason he was able to get away with it is because the PB guys basically said, "Well, George is a bad guy and we don't want him around. However, what anyone does is their own business. We aren't going to trouble ourselves about it, but if anyone calls us about him, we'll give vague references that suggest that he may have done something wrong. However, the best course for us is to not rock the boat too much."
In the Assembly, we learned to excuse his arrogance and abusive tactics by reminding ourselves that God chose Him for a special ministry, namely a Testimony to Jesus. The cultists in the SF ASsembly are referring to themselves as being the Remnant. I guess they are the remnant of the remnant, which means they are extra special.
George is escaping the temporal consequences of his actions for one reason only; no one is holding him accountable.
This is not an attack on his victims, neither is it speech designed to berate anyone, it is a simple statement of fact. George defiled and destroyed several women, and countless of his followers. He has offended God's little lambs hundreds of times, and will have a millstone the size of Mt. Rushmore hung around his neck.
Nevertheless the fact remains that he is getting away with it because those that can speak up aren't doing so.
I am not going to "out" these women. I never intended to do so, and will not be changing my mind in the future.It is up to them, whether or not they will speak out or not.
Again, my whole point in this discussion is that those who complain against George's rebuilding are for the most part only complaining, and are doing little or nothing else. George is not going to be held accountable by private conversations and sincere expressions of hope and prayer sent via email and phone calls. It didn't work before and it won't work now.
However, my frustration is that I do know what will work, but I am not the one to do it.
This is merely a suggestion.
There are several ex-leaders who are on this BB.. From what I can gather, they have been very clear about George and his ministry, and have been willing to speak the truth one on one, to people who will listen.
However, they haven't made much of a public apology for what they were involved in. Remember all those LB and Worker's meetings? Remember all the horrible things that were said, and the even worse actions that were done as a result?
The nature of the ministry was such that LB's and Workers knew what guys like Testa, McCallister, and Tim were like, and what they said in private to manipulate situations. These things need to be exposed and brought to light. The website is the place to do it. This would be a huge, gigantic help. For example, I cite Kirk C's writings. They allowed people in SLO to actually believe what I was saying, because before Kirk wrote, the SLO people just repeated the mantra, "Brent is a liar. It is the Enemy's voice. Brent is a liar. It is the Enemy's voice."
Perhaps someone in San Francisco will read the story of a former LB from San Diego, a person they once repsected, and upon realizing the machinations done by Testa, will begin to break free.
Perhaps, people, upon reading the story of one of George's sexual victims, will have the lights turn on, and will realize that the victims told the leaders, and the leaders ignored them in order to protect their own pathetic little fiefdoms.
Even better, perhaps their stories will reveal that some of the little George's have been emulating their master in more ways than manner of speech and abusive control. Perhaps some of them have had some "counseling," with sisters that is innapropriate. There is every reason to suspect that if it hasn't happened already, it will happen in the future. These people are predictable, after all.
Like Mark said below, Child Molestation was covered up in the SF Valley. Could it have occured elsewhere? Of course! The whole thing is sick, and full of sick people.
Here is the blueprint for an Atomic Bomb.
My name is ___________
I am one of the women who was involved in an improper sexual relationship with George Geftakys.
Without going into great detail, here are the facts___________________.
I didn't say anything until ---/---/---, because I am a victim of what is called Clergy Abuse. Although I wanted to sue him, I can't because of ____________.
I am telling my story so that this doesn't happen again, and someone else doesn't have to experience the pain that I am.
Not only George, but these other followers of his are also predators. (Testa, McCallister, perhaps some others) I told them what happened, and they heard from the people who excommunicated George what happened, but they won't hear it. They act exactly like George, which is frightening, because George is like this________.
I want to do everything I can to get people away from this cult, and see those that are involved break free.
Again, this is a blueprint. Others have the plutonium, I don't. But I do know how to make the bomb.
Those that remain in the Assembly, and those who are drifting back into it, Like Jeff Lehmkuhl, are repeating the Mantra, "The stuff on the website is mostly lies. That is not God's way. We never followed George. Those that left were following a man, but we were following Christ." "The stuff on the website is mostly lies. That is not God's way. We never followed George. Those that left were following a man, but we were following Christ." "The stuff on the website is mostly lies. That is not God's way. We never followed George. Those that left were following a man, but we were following Christ." "The stuff on the website is mostly lies. That is not God's way. We never followed George. Those that left were following a man, but we were following Christ."
Again, I am not coercing or trying to force someone to do something they aren't ready for. I am merely stating the facts of why George is still at it, and why his sychophants are still at it. Those that can do something aren't.
Their reasons for not doing so are their own.
Brent