Existing Assemblies

[Heide]

Talking to the existing assemblies: It is easy to call GG the evil one and put the blame on him. But remember, your leading brothers although they may have repented are still responsible for the geftakys assembly and the part they played. Although they have repented of their personal part they have not repented for the corporate part. The history they played a part in has not been revealed. And in doing so, you current assemblies are in a dangerous area. You are still putting your trust into men who have a past history of betraying you. George is not the only culprit, those men who are still in leadership who are still leading you are still responsible. Not only currently but for past failures.

Yes, they are sinners and you are a sinner. Therefore you say, "We allow George to come here and preach because we are all sinners!" The bible makes it explicit what we are to do when someone is caught in sin and excommunicated. Read your bibles, look it up for yourself. Yes, I am talking to you San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose. To allow George into your precious gathering and allow him to speak his deceit to your precious sheep is SIN. You are endangering the very lives of people you should supposedly be protecting. How can you call yourselves shepherds, Scott Testa and Dan Mattson-Boze?Those sheep who were paid with the high price of Christ's blood, you turn over so easily to the wolf. You are unfit as men and as fathers. Could you so easily turn your daughters over to pornogarphers? This is exactly what you are doing to your sheep in letting them hear GG. You are betraying them and luring them to their slaughter.

I also call Wes C. and Mike S. out of the Goleta assembly. How can you expect to breathe life into a dead decaying animal called the assembly? You men are not fit to lead. You have no formal training in how to handle problems with people. Other than assembly doctrine, do you even know the basis of love. It isn't self-fulfilling. It is selfless and sacrificing. Two words you did not learn in the assembly. The best thing you could do for the Goleta assembly is let those people go. It takes a great act of love. Let them follow you into a healthy Christ oriented church where the pastor is trained. Break apart those chains and come out into the light. Repent for the kingdom of God is in your face.

Heide

[David Mauldin]

I ran into John D. Simone yesterday, He stated that the "Assembly" has "Fallen Apart Completely"  Does this mean that there are no longer any assemblies?  Could anyone give me a picture of what if anything has survived?  Thanks!

[publicimail]

I ran into John D. Simone yesterday, He stated that the "Assembly" has "Fallen Apart Completely"  Does this mean that there are no longer any assemblies?  Could anyone give me a picture of what if anything has survived?  Thanks!

Check out this link for an update:

http://geftakysassembly.com/Articles/TeachingPractice/ContinueQuestion.htm

[mithrandir]

I just heard that the Assembly in Placentia is planning to have a "Concert in the Park" outreach at Tri-City Park in Placentia at the end of August.  This will be an opportunity for them to snare unsuspecting people into their group.  I intend to call the city governments responsible for issuing permits for use of Tri-City Park, and to mail them the advisory I wrote concerning existing assemblies of George Geftakys.  Would anyone care to join me in this endeavor?

mithrandir

[jackhutchinson]

What kind of help would you need?  I'm 4 hours away, but I'm ready to help.  I've got a wedding to shoot on Sunday 8/31, but I may be available on Sat 8/30.

I'm not sure much can be done regarding the government officials.  As evil as cults are they do have freedom of speech.  But, so do we.  We can show up and warn people.


Jack

[Margaret]

I was informed today that Sacramento did read the letter of excommunication.  Can anyone confirm that?  We would like to be accurate in what we report on GA.com.

[editor]

I was informed today that Sacramento did read the letter of excommunication.  Can anyone confirm that?  We would like to be accurate in what we report on GA.com.

Hi Margaret

This is one of the problems we have had all along.  The information you put on the web is expected to be accurate, and well is should!  However, the very people you are taking pains to represent fairly won't talk to you.

I do know this:  Sacramento continued to receive George for a long time, in spite of entreaty to the contrary.  Same with San Francisco, Pasadena, West LA and Riverside.

If they have repented, it is up to them to whisper about it, or better yet write a couple terse sentences, in order to demonstrate "zealous repentance."    

Continue to do the very best you can, under the Code of Silence, and correct things when you become aware of inaccuracy.  However, unless one of the leaders, or two or three eye-witnesses describe the circumstances under which the letter of ex-communication was finally read in Sacramento, your facts are up-to-date and accurate.  It is up to them to communicate with George's former followers as to where they stand.  

Let them gripe and moan, but they are accountable to us, because we were all in this together, and participted in it in one way or another.  

If they aren't willing to talk, then they shouldn't wonder at the fact that sincere people miss a fact or two.  The very act of inquiring for correction and clarification is clear evidence that you are acting on good faith.  If they really were repenting, in the Biblical sense, then they would publicly tell the truth about where they stand.

There is an excellent article by Rob Kazarinoff on the website, regarding repentance.  I think it applies to this situation quite nicely.

Brent

[M2]

Assembly Leadership and the Continuance of the Geftakys Assemblies

[/b]
by Chuck Miller

...
To those who are still gathering as an Assembly, nominally or otherwise, I would only suggest that you consider why it is that you are seeking?  What is it that binds you to this fraudulent church.   Why would you want to retain anything of the sterile "liturgy" (for that is exactly what it is) or the practices of the Geftaky's church.   Oh, I'm sure there will be some who will posture themselves on the timeworn cliche, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."   Have you considered that this baby was a child of the devil himself?

Were these scrupulously orchestrated meetings led by the Holy Spirit,  or were they orchestrated by Leading Brothers who acquiesced to the instruction to interject with a prayer when there were too many songs or to interject with a song when there were too many consecutive prayers?  Was it the Holy Spirit leading us to deny someone partaking of the Lord's supper when we deemed them as unworthy, based upon the standard of the church of George
Geftakys?

Did Jesus attempt to reform the practices of the Jews in the synagogs? No -- he instituted the church under a new covenant.   Should we attempt to reform that which was never of God to begin with?   Can we, by any stretch of the imagination presume that God was "surely in our midst."   The George Geftakys Assemblies have defiled the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and for having been a part of it, you will have to bear a stigma with believers and unbelievers alike, perhaps for your entire life.

For those who continue to  meet, have you considered the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ to unbelievers as well as other believers?  Is that of so little importance to you that you would consider continuing to meet in a manner that would even have the appearance of evil with outsiders? But rather than be dogmatic in asserting that Christ can't reform old Assemblies, let me pose a few questions to those who choose to attempt to do so.

Considering the only thing of importance -- the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Wouldn't it be better to err in exercising too much caution, than to err in assuming that you are now spiritually mature enough to discern the good from the bad?

Would you err by putting aside the old, and simply getting humbly before Him, whose church it is, and praying "Lord Jesus, we know nothing as we ought.  Please forgive us for our blindness and guide us and keep us from error as we study your word.  We desire nothing save pleasing you by
obedience to your word."

Would not Jesus honor such a prayer?  Would not the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to those who seek it with their whole heart?  Would there be some semblance's of the "old" that Christ would redefine and rightly establish?  I believe so.

Some would say, "But God hasn't led me to leave," or, "God hasn't led me to step down,"  To them I would ask, "What must God do to cause you to flee from the evil He has so blatantly exposed?  How much must He do to convince you that you are not, and have never been, an elder in His church?  What excuse will you give at His Judgement Seat?  Will you try to deceive your own children by refusing to acknowledge before them, your own complicity in the sorry events that led to the exposure of the entire ungodly system that you helped to perpetuate?

We have a merciful and forgiving God who forgives those who repent.  Will you do so today?
...

I was in the DC area last week when this was posted and have only now read Chuck Miller's post carefully.  I say Amen to brother Chuck Miller's entire post.
We enjoyed the hospitality of friends who live in Fairfax. And visited the Wiesers and Wayne and Pat Mathews(who were visiting the Wiesers), so we had some very interesting times of fellowship.  It was great.
Anyone visiting the DC area, I highly recommend a tour of the Luray Caverns, as well as DC of course.

From what I have quoted above, I have noticed that most assemblyites continue to gather primarily because of friendships with those who are still 'in', and because of "the way we meet" (ie open worship, prayer, preaching). It would have been the same for me until I realized that GG had no business doing what he did with the Assembly and its system.

Lord bless,
Marcia Marinier ex-assemblyite from Ottawa, Canada

[mithrandir]

I'd like to offer a bit of advice to those who want to write or send out warnings or advisories concerning the assemblies.  If you like my advice, I'll feel honored, but if you reject it, I won't feel too bad...after all, I'm just a bus driver...what do I know?

First of all, when writing a warning intended for those who have never heard of the assembly, we must focus on the things which pose the most obvious danger.  And the most obvious danger is not Assembly doctrine!  It is true that George and his gang taught many things that were wrong.  But presenting a detailed toxicological analysis of George's teaching to an outsider will not necessarily produce the desired response.  Instead, the outsider is likely to look at you with glazed eyes and say, "What on earth are you talking about?!"

There is a passage in Acts 18 which may help to illustrate this:   "When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, 'This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.' And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, 'If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.' And he drove them from the judgment seat.  Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things."

Now George isn't Paul.  Paul was a good guy.  George is a very bad man.  But there is a parallel.  You see, Gallio didn't understand or care about the Jews' doctrinal differences with Paul.  All he cared about was, "Is someone getting killed?  Has something been stolen?  Are we dealing with criminal behavior?"  

I left the Assembly in Fullerton, but not because of doctrinal differences (although I have now thrown out almost everything I was taught there and am starting from scratch).  But I left because I saw that people in high places had done some very bad things to people I knew, and I remembered some of the bad things that had been done to me.  In warning people about the Assemblies, the primary thing to emphasize is that they are abusive places where bad things are done to people.  Arguing over conditional sanctification isn't nearly as effective as telling people that George hid his son's wife abuse and refused to deal with it, or that George picked leaders who for a long time refused to stand up to him, or that money was collected from the Lord's people and the leaders refused to give a public account of how it was spent, or that leaders of some assemblies are lying to newcomers and refusing to tell them the history of their assemblies and how they got started, or...you fill in the blanks.

mithrandir

[Sebastian Andrew]

Greetings mithrandir:

I think you give some sound advice. My main focus when dealing by internet w/ various campuses was to compare the assembly with the the International Church of Christ ( Boston Movement-Kip McKean ), since there were some definite similarities and lot of info out there about them. We need to write to our audience to be most effective, just as you are suggesting. The doctrinal issues may not resonate with everyone, but emotional abuse and manipulation will always get the attention of those of goodwill.

[mithrandir]

Here's a quick update re. Southern California:

Placentia Concert in the Park: I checked with the City of Placentia regarding upcoming events at Tri-City Park, and they have no record of any private groups reserving the park for an upcoming concert in August or September.  This may not mean anything, since reservations are only required if someone is playing amplified music.  But if the Placentia assembly is still going to do a "Concert in the Park" (or should I say, "Concert in the Dark"), it will be more low-key than they usually have been.  I will try to find out more information.

Fullerton Assembly: The Fullerton assembly seems to be rapidly disintegrating.  Many even of the Hispanic brethren have left.  Also, two ex-leading brothers and their families recently left.  I don't have hard and fast numbers, but it seems like just a matter of time before Fullerton comes to an end.

Tim G: One interesting note: I have received reports from two people that Tim Geftakys has been getting more involved with the Placentia assembly.  I don't yet know for sure what this means, but I am investigating.

Does anyone else have verifiable information regarding Fullerton and Placentia?

mithrandir

[M2]

Those old wine skins are so full of holes, that there is a lot of patchwork proposed/happening.

There's none so blind as those who will NOT see.

Marcia

[BeckyW]

For all those interested in the Annandale VA assembly, it now consists of the Taylors, Zorns, Kruses, and Dass', all former workers, remaining in leadership, still united, standing together, along with one other family, the Bennetts.

I will refrain from fruther comment, because those of you who know us can draw your own conclusions.

Phill

[editor]

For all those interested in the Annandale VA assembly, it now consists of the Taylors, Zorns, Kruses, and Dass', all former workers, remaining in leadership, still united, standing together, along with one other family, the Bennetts.

I will refrain from fruther comment, because those of you who know us can draw your own conclusions.

Phill

Poor Bennetts!  When there is a leading brothers' meeting, the whole church is there, except for the Bennetts! That's gotta feel strange!

Providence was like that too.  The Assembly was the Knox's, Spivey's, Hine's, Jarrell's, who were all leaders and workers.  Then there was a sister named Yvonne, who wasn't.

One thing the Assembly can definitely boast in, they have the best leadership to member ratio of any church around!

Brent

[M2]

A friend and I figured this out for an assembly saga trilogy:

The Great Deception
The Website Strikes Back
The Return of the Great Deceiver

MM