Pilgrims Provisions Ministries Background
Originally
conceived as "Pilgrim Ventures" in 2005,
"Pilgrims Provisions
Ministries" was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2008 by Tim and Ginger Geftakys, Mark Miller and Mike
Struven. The stated purpose is to support international Christian ministries,
particularly in connection with education, orphans and missions.
They
solicit financial contributions, volunteer talent, and long and
short term on-site workers.
It is heartening to see that these former Geftakys Assembly leaders have made a break with the Assembly mindset in regard to registering with the government, and at least in that way are being aboveboard in soliciting funds. Unfortunately, non-profits are not required to file a Form 199 Exempt tax return if donations are less than $25,000, so there may be no way to determine how PPM is administering funds, i.e. how much is actually being distributed versus how much goes to board member salaries and expenses, such as travel.
Geftakys Background
The history page of "Pilgrims Provisions Ministries" does not mention that all the board members met in the 1970's and continued their association together through 2003 in the cult known as the Assemblies of George and Betty Geftakys.
Timothy is George Geftakys's son. Tim was a full-time Worker in the ministry, and an elder in the Fullerton Assembly, as was Mark Miller. Mike Struven is still a leader in the former Geftakys Assembly in Santa Barbara.
The Geftakys Assembly ministry ended abruptly in 2003 with the revelation of George's serious moral lapses. Subsequently, the cultic nature of the group came into focus as the code of silence was broken and things that were hidden came to light. One of the issues raised was the secretive and highly questionable handling of finances.
Although Tim apparently severed ties with his father after the ministry collapsed, neither he nor the other board members have ever publicly stated where they stand on the issues raised about the teaching and cultic practices of the Assembly system. They have not publicly acknowledged nor apologized for abuses they perpetrated.
Livingstone Academy
With the backing of the Geftakys ministry Samuel Ochenjele began a private school in Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria, in the 1980's. A closer look into the PPM website shows that Livingstone Academy is the sole named recipient of aid.
As an instructor of teachers at Cal State Fullerton, it is supposed that Ginger Geftakys is an advisor to the school. She was the director of the Geftakys Assembly school, Cornerstone Academy, from 1982 to 2004, and was deeply involved as a family mentor in the Geftakys Assemblies.
Ginger and Betty Geftakys devised a system of child training incorporating the principles of the Ezzo's, Fugate, and Michael and Debi Pearl, which included 'first time obedience' and spanking, that was implemented at Cornerstone, as well as in Assembly families. Ginger has not publicly repudiated any of these methods nor apologized to students for abuses. Presumably Livingstone Academy operates on these principles.
Comments
A former Assembly member discovered the PPM website and had this comment: "I just googled "Ginger Geftakys" on a whim and wondered if you had seen this link, Pilgrims Provisions Ministries? I've never heard about Tim publicly apologizing or repenting (I could be wrong), and now here he is with a website asking for donations...Well, you can rest assured that I would never give a penny to a so-called ministry bearing the Geftakys name!"