I believe the time has arrived

[Rachel]

Here is what I grew up being told:

Official Assembly Idea of Autonomy:

Local Assembly:

• The assemblies are a seperate entity from the Work and are each autonomous.
• Every assembly has their own leading brothers picked by exisisting leading brothers.
• Every assembly makes all their own decisions and the LB are in charge of those decisions.  Supposedly this would include what happens to the money.  The LB would decided how the money was to be spent locally and the money sent to Fullerton is only at the prompting of the local LB and they get to decide how much would be sent.  

The Work:

• The"Work" is George's work that he believe God has called him to create.  The Workers invited to be in that work by George.  Theroreticly they could come from any church not just assemblies.
• Workers are sent to assembly only when they are requested.  
• All workers would not be leading brothers where they were sent and not all leading brothers are workers.  Theoreticly, a worker would not necessarily be a leading brother in the assembly he was sent to.  (This of course would be true in the case of a single woman or a man who has been divorced and so can not be a LB.)  A long time ago this was true.  I was told that my father was not a LB when he lived with the Mathiasis although he was a worker.
• The Workers are either part time or full time.  Part time means they are still to hold their own jobs and support their families and that the Work will only pay for things deemed "Work" related.  Full time means they are paid according to their needs each month so that they may commit all their time to the "Work of the Lord".

[/list]

The Reality:

The Assemblies:

• Most (not all but most) of the LB are workers so decisions on future LB are discussed and approved at workers meetings by George or by phone call to George after the local (midwest or west coast) joint workers have approved the future LB choice.  George has the authority to veto any decision.
• Each assembly does make their own decisions but they are always subject to review by George or a full-time worker like M. Zach or T. Geftakys.  The money from the LT pays for certian things on a monthly basis such as rental of a hall for meetings, etc.  However, everything else, including paying for equipment rental for outreaches, etc. has to be approved, usually by Betty or Mark Miller.  All the rest of the money is then sent to Fullerton.  Sometimes a local full-time worker's money is taken out before it is sent and sometimes it is sent to the full-time worker from Fullerton.  

The Work:

• All worker are taken from assemblies.
• Workers are sent where George and Betty think they are needed and since there is usually one other worker there as a LB the LB's agree.  Generally the Workers in the LB's meeting are viewed as the unofficial "head LB".
• All workers that I know of, who are sent someplace, are LBs in that place.  This is of course with the exception of the single sister workers but they are not often sent somewhere.  The only worker I know of who cannot be a LB, because he was divorced, has never been sent anywhere and has remained in his local assembly the whole time of his involvement.
  
• It is true that part-time workers are to have their own jobs.  However my father was a part time worker for a long time and only held intermitent jobs.  Full time workers are paid what amounts to a salary.  It is a pretty consistant amount based on a budget the work up with someone like Betty.  As far as I know, that salary is not reported to the IRS neither does the full-time worker pay income tax on that money.  They may pay taxes on other money they recieve, (ie: rental income from a home they own, inheritances, side jobs they may have) but never on money from the "Work".  The way the argument goes is:  The saints pay taxes on the money so the government got its share already and the worker should not have to pay taxes on it either.  Also they are not to tithe from that money.  Since the idea is they are only getting enough money to cover their needs, if they tithed they would have to be given extra money to cover the tithe which would be repetative.

[/list]

This is how I know it to work from watching the money being handled when I was growing up and from having the set up explained to me as I grew up.  If I am wrong, I welcome correction.  Maybe Tom could give me insights if I am wrong.

[TGarisek]

If GG is exiting from "full-time" service, then who pays for the 8 month travel schedule? Why would they allow the upcoming China trip? What kind of a fit representative can he possibly be? The tickets should be cancelled right out from under him if that's the only way to get his attention.  

Where is the money

[trockman]

HI Tony!

Since the Assembly members usually don't answer these types of questions, I'll take a stab at it, using what I hear from them to give what I think is the best Assembly answer to your questions.

• If GG is exiting from "full-time" service, then who pays for the 8 month travel schedule?

  The Lord is providing.  Our brother can still be useful to minister, but he is no longer an Elder.  He has repented, and part of his repentance is to preach the word.

• Why would they allow the upcoming China trip?

  They are allowing it because it is God's will.  Brother George has repented

• What kind of a fit representative can he possibly be?

  Tony, your behavior is incredible!  You just want to see the destruction of the ministry.

• Where is the money  

  All of the money is used for the work of the Lord, both here and abroad. That is why George must go abroad, especially to Hong Kong and Greece.  As far as the money goes, brother, let me encourage you, much is happening.  Things are happening and the brothers are really taking steps to see things change.

I think this pretty well sums it up.  How can you justify your behavior, brother Tony.  You are bitter, and YOU must repent.  Don't stand in the way of what God is doing.

Brent

[TGarisek]

Yep, you nailed it. I'm suffering from temporary amnesia so I couldn't conjure those responses myself. However, I will run the same questions by the insiders still in the thick of it just the same.

What is true repentance? Is it determined by the LB? Is there a time factor? Demonstration? Does the service commensurate with penalty entail preaching the word only or can I have him clean my fish pond or rearrange the pebbles of the path in my back garden?

[TGarisek]

Oops! I forgot again. Cleaning the fishpond and rearranging the pebbles is a privelege and stewardship not a consequence...

[Nancy Newswander]

This is my first post on the Bulletin Board - but Tony's reference to George's "garden" triggered some old memories.  When I would visit Fullerton, I would usually stay at George and Betty's.  George was always preoccupied with improvements to his garden.  At least once during each visit, I would purposely refer to his "garden" as the back yard.  I loved doing that!!!  George would nearly jump out of his skin, and then spare no words chewing me out and telling me that his back yard was a garden.  I still laugh about that.  

[Kimberley Tobin]

Hello Everyone:

If you haven't checked the main page on the website for the new article from Judy Geftakys, go there now and read it.

After you have read Judy's article, for those of you who are guests, who simply monitor this website and are still in the "Assembly", how can you stay?  How can you live with your conscience?  If you stay in a place of fellowship where the leadership has known of this abuse for DECADES and has done nothing about it, you are now party to it!  You are condoning it by your very presence.  And what is the fruit of this ministry in your own life?  Are you walking in liberty?  Or, are you walking before men, are you in bondage?  Ask the question: the "Leadership" is "quote unquote" calling George to account, where is their repentence in the whole matter?  

The Lord gave us the parable about the new wine in the old wine skins.  This place is corrupt at the very core.  The only thing that must be done is for it to be totally brought down!

This is not the rantings of bitter, grudge holding ex-members.  This is the plea of friends and family members who love and care for the state of the souls of men and women who have chosen to allign themselves with a corrupt system.

[Emma]

Anne Marie,

Hey, it's me Victoria I was a sister in Tim's home for several years before I ran off to Vegas and married a unsaved man.  I can only praise God for His mercy He has shown me in the last ten years.  Not only did my husband discover our Savior, but we have been actively involved with a Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente, where we currently live. This family of God has been so instrumental in my spiritual healing and growth that I can only praise God for His faithfulness to me and my family.  We have two boys Ellis 6 and Evan 4, and I am so pleased to see them grow up in a healthly, bible teaching, loving, growing, family of God.  Please feel free to contact me Sally Humphreys has my phone numbers.  Lord Bless, Victoria

P.S. I am pleased to say there is an abundant life of fellowship after you "leave fellowship".

[MichelleDJ]

Silly outsider question #421:  When you all say that George "chewed you out," are we talking about a rebuke?  Yelling?  Putting you down?  Cursing your mama?  Calling down hellfire?  What kind of chewing did he do?

[Railrider]

If GG is exiting from "full-time" service, then who pays for the 8 month travel schedule? Why would they allow the upcoming China trip? What kind of a fit representative can he possibly be? The tickets should be cancelled right out from under him if that's the only way to get his attention.  

Where is the money

!!!Amen. Why shouldn't we question any 'improvements'?? Not questioning helped to get us where we are now!

[Kimberley Tobin]

"Chewed Out"=entreaty

This is a daily routine that is encouraged in the assembly.  We are taught to "go the way of the cross", so even if the entreaty was WRONG, "take it like a man" and "go the way of the cross", this is godliness (HAH!)

[Randal]

if godliness is shown by frustration and therapy bills.