Introduction to the Movement
"The Assemblies" currently consist of about a dozen
small Christian gatherings, mostly in the U.S.,
that were founded by George Geftakys, beginning in 1971. In 2002,
there were more than fifty Assemblies world-wide. Most of them
disbanded in
2003 following the revelation of Mr. Geftakys' sexual involvement with
women in the group and the cover-up of his son's long history of
domestic violence. (Click Glossary link at left for
definitions of Assembly terminology.)
Who Are George and Betty Geftakys?
George Dmitri Geftakys and Betty Olive J. met in the mid-1940's as students at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and were soon married. After George graduated in 1952, he became pastor of Sunkist Baptist Church in San Fernando, CA. Differences soon arose with the elder board, and George resigned the pastorate. He and Betty joined with the Plymouth Brethren assembly in Pomona. Betty supported the family as a teacher while George took graduate courses at Talbot Seminary and USC.
Plymouth Brethren Background
The Plymouth Brethren are a non-denominational Bible-based group that began in England in the 1830's. In the beginning, they did not have paid clergy. They believed all denominational churches had fallen away from the New Testament ideal and become compromised and worldly.
Originally, the Brethren did not own church buildings, but met on Sundays in rented facilities in a very simple manner, with chairs set in a semi-circle around a table. All the men were encouraged to preach, and there were usually two or three messages on Sunday morning. The Lord's Supper was celebrated weekly.
Women were not allowed to speak, and were required to wear head coverings (generally a scarf or lace mantilla), but this custom is changing among them. Their local churches are called assemblies.
The original Plymouth Brethren have since split into many factions. Many of them have become more like evangelical churches, but some still adhere to original Brethren distinctives. The Geftakys Assemblies most resemble the branch known as the Exclusive Brethren.
For more about the Brethren: The Plymouth Brethren, by Miles. J. Stanford; Wikipedia; and PlymouthBrethren Heritage on this site.
Problems with the Brethren
By the time George and Betty had been with the Brethren for about fifteen years, problems had developed. George was unhappy with the Brethren leadership because they would not allow him become an elder.
They were unhappy with him because he was too domineering. There was also an allegation of adultery against him by a neighbor, which was apparently unproven. The leaders insisted that George get a job and support his family.
George was highly offended, and George and Betty stopped attending church completely for about two years. But by the late 1960's George had a job selling insurance, and he and Betty had returned to the Brethren.
The Brethren allowed George to be a visiting preacher to the various Brethren assemblies in Southern California, but would not give him a place of leadership. He was critical of the Brethren, asserting they had "lost the vision" and become worldly.
History and Development of the Assemblies
In 1969, as the Jesus Movement was gaining momentum, the Geftakys'
met several young couples who were part of this search for something
"better" than the denominational churches, something more spiritual and
more serious. They invited him to visit their weekly home Bible study in
the San Fernando Valley, CA, and soon he was the teacher.At the same time, the Geftakys' younger son, Timothy, was a high school student whose friends also wanted a Bible study. In response George began a Saturday morning Bible study in his home in Fullerton. During this period, the Geftakys' met the widow of C. J. B. Harrison, pastor and missionary from the T. Austin-Sparks movement in England which had connections with Watchman Nee and the "Higher Life" teaching of the early Keswick conferences. Mrs. Harrison introduced George and Betty to many Sparks-affiliated groups across the United States and Europe.
The role of
George's introduction to Sparks’ ministry in the development of the
Assemblies was crucial.
Without it, his sphere of ministry would have remained limited to the
Plymouth Brethren and young people in Southern California.
George was invited back to speak in many of these groups, both in the USA and Europe. He was able to take over the leadership of several Sparks-related groups in the USA for awhile. These groups, along with the Bible studies he was leading, formed the nucleus for his ministry. By 1972, George had quit his insurance job and had begun several small Assemblies--Fullerton, CA; Norfolk, NE; Tuscola, IL--all separate from the Plymouth Brethren and Sparks, but along the same lines
He was also regularly visiting Sparks' groups in France, Austria, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. He conducted four weekend seminars a year in Fullerton that were attended by 300-400 people from across the USA and Europe. His aim was not high numbers, but devoted loyalty from a solid core of elite Christians. The movement eventually included Assemblies across the USA, as well as several in Canada, Mexico, England, France, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Iceland and Indonesia.
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Assembly Locations, Including Outreach Bible Studies
This list includes existing Assemblies, and long-standing Assemblies
that disbanded in 2003, as well as outreaches,
Bible studies,
conference locations and Assemblies of lesser duration.
Some of these groups were extremely small, even just one family in some
cases. We feel it is important to list them all so the Geftakys
influence can be traced. Highlighted locations link to pages with specific information.
Locations with an asterisk (*) have renounced George
Geftakys and are still meeting, to the
best of our knowledge. The two Assemblies marked with a double asterisk
(**) maintain ties with George Geftakys. Everyone is invited to help update this
information and fill in the history for each
Assembly and outreach.
USA
Arcata
Fresno
Fullerton*
Goleta/Santa Barbara*
Huntington Beach
Pasadena*
Placentia*
Riverside*
Sacramento**
San Diego
San Fernando Valley/Northridge
San Francisco**
San Jose
San Luis Obispo (SLO)
West Los Angeles (WLA)*
Illinois
Altona (Galesburg)
Anchor
Bloomington
Champaign*
Charleston*
Chicago/Oak Park*
Lombard
Oakland*
Springfield
Tuscola
Iowa
Atlantic
Minnesota
St. Paul
Missouri
Saint Louis
Nebraska
Hastings
Lincoln
Norfolk
Omaha
Oregon
Salem
Rhode Island
Providence*
South Dakota
Sioux Falls
Virginia
Annandale*
Washington
Seattle
Spokane
Wisconsin
Delafield
Madison
Eau Claire
Osco
St. Paul
OTHER COUNTRIES
Canada
Calgary
Estavan
Ottawa*
China
Beijing*
Changsha*
Nanchang*
Hong Kong
England
Oldham/Manchester*
France
Le Vesinet*
Paris*
Chatou
Ghana
Hohoe
Greece
Athens
Katerini (Annual conferences
in the Greek Evangelical Church of George Kantarzis)*
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Reykjavik
Indonesia
Bandung*
Kenya
Eldoret*
Kesses*
Nyaru*
Korea
Seoul
Malaysia
Mexico
Cuernavaca
Tequesquitengo
Netherlands
Middleburg*
Wageningen
Nigeria
Otukpo and outlying villages*
Makurdi*
Peru
Lima
Spain
Olesa, Abrera, Cobrera*
Tanzania
Korogwe*
Venezuela
San Cristobal
South Wales
Copyright © 2003-2007 Margaret M. Irons
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