The articles on this page are Assembly-specific. They describe and evaluate the teaching and practice of the ministry of George and Betty Geftakys in the Assemblies, and the effects on the members, under the following categories. Click Glossary link at left for definitions of Assembly terminology.
Assembly Teaching Evaluates the
teaching in the Assembly, as well as the books and pamphlets
published by the "Torch and Testimony".
Assembly Practice Describes the
behavioral problems with the Assemblies.
Reflections on Assembly Life Attempts
to understand what happened to us.
Collusion in the Assembly Frames
David Geftakys' unchecked domestic violence and G. Geftakys' sexual
abuse in terms of collusion among Assembly leaders.
Alphabetical
Index of articles
in this section; key articles are marked in red.
Photo: Indonesian fish trap
Assembly Teaching
Many "saints" never read George Geftakys' books. His seminar lectures were convoluted and confusing. Consequently many people don't know what he actually taught. Full Salvation by Devout Effort shows how George confused God's gracious and free privileges in Christ for the believer and turned them into rewards for faithful obedience to God. Lee Irons provides an excellent summary of the mistaken teaching in George's published writings. Both these articles are extensively documented with direct quotations from George Geftakys.
An email discussion about the Handbook to Happiness shows how Dr. Solomon's teaching was distorted in the Assembly to become a tool of bondage.
This bookmark is a snapshot of the Assembly's twisted and lopsided teaching on the cross.
In 2001 George published a "spiritual poem" entitled Apocalypse XII. Steve Irons comments on the preface.
Two of George's published pamphlets contradict each other. Which one are we to believe?
Steve Irons takes a look at the book Jesus is the Son of God and learns what George means by "sonship". George taught a form of "sinless perfection". For related articles see Is God's Grace Suspended Until We Act? and The Two Natures.
What was George's purpose in teaching us the cycle of devotion (or heavenly ladder)? Was it possibly to give us an "altered state of consciousness" to enhance George's ministry?
Mark Campbell points out that the Assembly's understanding of holiness was doing rather than done. A condensed version of this article is also available.
Dave Sable looks at the problems with "getting back to the book of Acts". Here is a link to the Four Anchors study that is used on college campuses to show the supposed inadequacy of other churches.
Brent T. explains how George equated the "Heavenly Vision" to his own ministry ("this ministry"). This is illustrated by a hand-drawn diagram.
Full Salvation by Devout Effort is the result of Steve Irons' struggle with the issue of rewards and how rewards are related to sanctification. It was written in 1991, a year after the Irons left the Assembly. George distorted every aspect of salvation as "rewards" and taught that the believer must earn these blessings of salvation through diligent effort. George placed the emphasis on our effort to achieve this "so great salvation" rather than God's gracious working in our lives.
Adoption becomes a reward.
Inheritance becomes a reward.
The kingdom becomes a reward.
Membership in the body of Christ becomes a reward.
Election becomes a reward.
Resurrection and rapture becomes a reward.
Heaven becomes a reward.
Beholding Christ's glory becomes a reward.
In 2002 Brent T. wrote Glasnost, Perestroika and the Assembly, and put together Statements Collected from the Published Writings of George Geftakys.
Read the Galatian Crisis for a Scriptural answer to the teaching that fuller obedience will result in a fuller salvation.
Answers to FAQs on Assembly "overcomer teaching" are provided by Tom Maddux--a great overview.
In the 1990s George Geftakys preached that the "Beginning of Sorrows" mentioned in the Book of Revelations had begun.
In 1990 Margaret wrote a letter to Dr. Charles Solomon expressing her concern regarding George Geftakys' teaching on the inheritance. Here is the reply she received from a colleague of Dr. Solomon.
Steve Irons reported on his meeting with Samuel Ochengele when he visited Fullerton in 2003.
Betty Geftakys' nephew and niece came across this website. They wrote up their perspectives on the effects of Betty's family history on the Assembly. It's a fascinating analysis which shows that the roots of the "death to self" teaching went deeper than doctrine.
A Message to Wives, notes from a talk given by Betty G., shows some of the elements of Assembly mind control: A wife is to be a servant to her husband, willing to be inconvenienced, obedient, accountable to him. In a word, wives were to be dead to their own feelings, plans and wishes. In the casket, as Betty says.
Assembly Practice
The article, Assembly Weddings, addresses a question that has been raised by a former member about the legality of Assembly marriages. We have outlined the basic elements of the situation, and attorney Bob Anderson has weighed in reassuringly. There is probably nothing to worry about, in most cases, but everyone who was married in the Assemblies should read this article.
Brian Steele analyzes the Assemblies using the eight criteria for thought reform developed by Robert Lifton. "Anonymous" relates this incident on brainwashed prisoners of war from the Korean War. A fictional dialogue shows mind control in action in the Assembly.
"Could There Have Been a Sociopath or Two Among Us?" This article focuses on the implications of this possibility for all former Assembly members. There have been effects on children, on singles, on the consciences of many. Becoming informed is the first step to a remedy. The Relationship Checklist is a tool for recognizing people like this. One practical consideration among ourselves is the ongoing need for apologies. The article, Apology, based on the writing of Beverly Engel, gives some helpful information and pointers. These three articles should be read by everyone who was effected by the Assembly.
Michael Spencer's blog post, "With Regrets, All My Love", was a public apology from the bottom of his soul to his family for what his ministry has cost them. It is profoundly to be hoped that former Assembly leading brothers have made similar apologies to their families. They need to do likewise to the flock, including the 550+ on the Assembly bulletin board, and especially David G's family and the women involved with George....Michael's essay is no longer posted on the Internet Monk, but it is available from him by request.
A Message to Wives, notes from a talk given by Betty G., shows some of the elements of Assembly mind control: A wife is to be a servant to her husband, willing to be inconvenienced, obedient, accountable to him. In a word, wives were to be dead to their own feelings, plans and wishes.
A former member of the Spokane Assembly exposes some of the errors found in the doctrine and practice of the Assemblies.
A former worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, wrote An Open Letter to Assembly Folks a month after G. Geftakys' excommunication in 2003. He said he "hopes it would be helpful to someone who might still be stuck in the Assembly, or confused about what happened in their Assembly experience. I also found this link extremely helpful: http://www.watchman.org/profile/abusepro.htm." The perspective of this article is a valuable contribution to the whole picture, and we hope that it may even reach some who are still in Assemblies.
In 2002 Brent T. wrote a summary of Assembly life and practice for the Rick Ross website called What It Is Like To Be Fully Committed To The Geftakys Group. This piece is intended for people who are not familiar with the Assembly.
The Role of the Leading Brothers is a discussion excerpted from the Assembly bulletin board.
Brent T. published a piece written by the Local Church of Los Angeles describing their outreach techniques. Amazing similarities to the Assembly.
Mark Campbell wrote a brief article, Defense Mechanisms of Addicts, about how criticism is deflected in the Assembly.
Brent T. wrote a short piece on Assembly misinterpretation of the Bible, called "Three Filters". The example he uses is the too-familiar verse from Hebrews, "Submit to those who rule over you.."
In November, 2002, Brent T. wrote Fear, Pride and False Virtue: The Weapons That Protect the Assembly. The message is relevant to the decision by the West Los Angeles Assembly in 2006 to again receive George Geftakys at the Lord's table.
Tom Maddux explores the inversion of the proper priorities of loyalty in the Assembly, and the results of this inversion in the Assembly.
Tamilla P. wrote an article on how her view of God had changed after being out of the Assembly for a year. She titled it A God Unlike the Assembly God, because the Assembly system immersed us in fear, but our God truly is a God of love. Tamilla names some of the fears and how they were ingrained in us. And she shares some insights into the wonderful love of God.
Nancy N. provides historical and sociological context for the Assemblies. Actually, many fringe church groups, with authoritarian and legalistic traits like the Assembly came out of the Jesus Movement of the late 1960's and early 1970's. When Nancy did the research for the essay, she referenced the Irons story that explains why the Irons left the Geftakys' ministry in 1990.
Brent T. writes about the unspoken code of silence rule in the Assemblies, and describes the pharisaical spirit: an actor, appearing beautiful without, but filthy within.
George's Abusive Methods, written by Steve and Margaret Irons in 1990-1991, quote verbatim from George's published writings, notes taken at leading brothers and workers' meetings in which George presided, and a transcription of a tape recording from a workers' meeting dated December 27, 1986. Steve and Margaret concluded back in 1990 that abuse was operating in the Assemblies. They wrote these articles out of concern for the individuals being abused. In the quotes from the worker's meeting you will see how George demonstrates amazing insensitivity to people's personal dignity, convictions, opinions, and feelings. By contempt, labeling, shame, and discipline, George emotionally and spiritually wounds people.
What George Believes About His Ministry, written by Steve Irons in 1990-1991, shows how George believes he is "the Lord's Servant" and as such has the right to hold a position of power and authority over others. And because he has the "mind of the Lord" he is not to be criticized or spoken against.
Many of the cultic practices of the Assemblies in the USA have been exported to Geftakys Assemblies overseas. The report on the Geftakys Assemblies in Nigeria shows the effects in one country.
Leaving the Assembly was written by Eric B., a former San Fernando Valley Assembly member, in 2002. He discusses excommunication, shunning, and other methods brought into play when people left the Assemblies.
Brent T. wrote about Assembly finances in November, 2002--the secrecy and the failure to pay taxes. Did you know that the Assembly was never a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, like most churches, and that all donations were received as personal gifts by George Geftakys?
Kimberly T. wrote Of Gnats, Camels and Televisions in November, 2002. In this article she shows the dynamics of Assembly control through legalism that majors on the minors.
The Plymouth Brethren heritage of the Assemblies is important background to understanding Assembly teaching and practice. Answers.com has an informative overview of the Exclusive Brethren. In 1981 Bryan Wilson wrote a scholarly article on the Brethren, "The Brethren": A Current Sociological Appraisal. The BBC produced a documentary on the Exclusives, which is currently unavailable.
In 2006, the continuing West Los Angeles Assembly invited George Geftakys to visit on a Sunday morning. He was not allowed to preach, but he was was allowed to partake of the Lord's supper. Mark Campbell and Brent T. commented on this event.
During the collapse of the Assemblies in early 2003, a former member of the Lombard Assembly wrote a brief piece on Assembly Friendships.
Tim, from Ramona, CA, filed a " Rip-Off Report" about Geftakys Assembly practices.
Reflections on Assembly Life and on Leaving
These articles reflect on what happened to us in the Assembly, and after leaving.
Tamilla P. wrote an article on how her view of God had changed after being out of the Assembly for a year. She titled it, A God Unlike the Assembly God, because the Assembly system immersed us in fear, but our God truly is a God of love. Tamilla names some of the fears and how they were ingrained in us. And she shares some insights into the wonderful love of God.
In Who's Your Daddy? Dave Sable provides a plausible explanation why Brother George became to some of us the father we longed for.
These journal entries on prayer are from a sister who relates how her prayer life was changed (for the better) after leaving the Assembly.
It is helpful to go back and re-read Recovering From Churches That Abuse, by Dr. Ronald Enroth. Here are some excerpts from chapters 2 and 3 where Dr. Enroth details some of the damages and outlines three stages of recovery. You might find that what has been going on with you (or not going on...) is not weird, but normal, given what you've been through. Patrick Zukeran has written an excellent summary of Dr. Enroth's book. Some of the cases described are taken from interviews with former Assembly members.
The article Stress Making Churches, by Dr. Ronald Enroth, first appeared in the magazine Christian Counseling Today, August 1996. Dr. Enroth graciously sent us a copy of this article, along with a memo letting us know that the article contains material from interviews with post-Assembly folks.
Al Hartman entreats us to not come down so hard on those who still use the old vocabulary of the Assembly.
Joe Sperling shares a brief and funny anecdote as a young man in the Assembly hoping to get a promise from the Lord for a wife. In two separate articles, he underscores the truth from Romans 8:30 that we are already glorified and that we do nothing to save ourselves but simply trust in what Christ did for us.
Wayne and Pat M. provide these anecdotes (puzzle pieces) that fit very nicely into the Assembly puzzle. Here are a few more insightful pieces to the Assembly puzzle.
Robb M. tells us what impressed him the most as a young man when he heard the announcement from the leadership in the Assembly in Tuscola not to have anything to do with the McCumber's and Matthias'.
Margaret Irons writes, "One of the things that makes the dissolution of Assemblies painful is that we miss each other so much, because we really do love one another. The pattern of Christ's love in us is something of lasting value and significance and it abides."
M. Irons develops the metaphor of the green bay tree from Psalm 37 to describe the effect of George Geftakys' sudden disappearance from the Assemby.
Al Hartman explains that in following George's example we became something God never intended. The antidote is to come to Christ, take his yoke and learn of Him alone.
Dave Sable takes a look at the underlying assumptions and emotions we bring into new church situations and helps us understand what is healthy Assembly afterlife.
A former ten-year single Assembly member from the West Coast has some observations about child "training" in the Assembly.
Collusion in the Assembly
Collusion is the conscious or unconscious collaboration of two or more individuals to protect those engaged in unethical practices. Collusion allowed George's sexual abuse and David's domestic violence to go unchecked for 25 years. The following links show that collusion around the issues of clergy sexual abuse and clergy domestic violence happens in many churches.
Basic Facts About Domestic Violence and Collusion
Collusion Just a Symptom Parallels With Family Dynamics of Addicts A Two-Fold Treatment Approach for Collusion
In view of Judy Geftakys' story, we want to frame the domestic violence issue with some brief excerpts from an expert on the subject. This should help to explain why a victim of domestic violence does not speak up when given the opportunity.
In the timeline there are repeated attempts to counsel David and Judy about their relationship. A policy statement by a public agency, the Volunteer Counseling Service of Rockland County in New York, clearly explains the adverse effects of couple counseling on domestic violence.
The timeline article was written, of necessity, from within the Assembly frame of reference, because that is where the documentation was. The totalism of the Assembly can be viewed as a sort of biosphere, a self-contained system. The values, perspectives, considerations, motivations, and actions were organically unrelated to the real world in many ways. It's like Seahaven in the movie, The Truman Show, with George Geftakys, like Christof, running the show from behind the scenes. The timeline takes us back into the controlled environment of the Assembly.
In contrast, a real-world view of domestic violence considers that the uppermost concern in a domestic violence situation is to provide safety for the woman and children. The Faith Trust Institute has a number of articles on domestic violence and clergy sexual abuse that are worth reading.
An excerpt from a speech given by Dr. Marie Fortune shows what people need in order to recover from abuse and get on with life. It provides an appropriate model for healing in our circumstance. Some of us have experienced some of these elements of healing already to a certain extent. Our hope and our prayer that there will be a great effort on the part of former leaders to see these things experienced among us all.
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