Greetings Joe and others:
Joe, your post about the guest that came to a tape meeting brought the following to mind. George, and therefore the rest of the leaders here in the Midwest, had a real problem with charismatic Christians. The charismatic movement was frequently hammered, and individual charismatics were made fun of even to the point of scorn. Woe to the guest if they were found out to be charismatic/pentecostal, for they wd. be confronted! A young (19) AOG fellow came out to hear George preach one night and you can guess what happened. During the meeting Geo hurled barbs in his direction(someone told George about him before the meeting), then tried to force this kid after the meeting in front of everyone to admit that George was right and that he was wrong. Thank God this young man never came back! The leaders themselves, and one in particular, acted as if charismatics were the enemy. He had a theory that in the Last Days the charis. mvmt. wd. persecute the Church- I personally heard him say this! I also heard him more than once date the Second Coming when we were out on Sun. afternoon outreach. I approached ano leader about this dating, and was simply told "...well he is a godly man, so...." This is only one example of var. groups the assembly belittled. I went to a charismatic church after my conversion and later left and joined the assembly. I quickly lapped up the dispensationalism and "pattern" teaching, and as a result became arrogant. Because of this arrogance I lost my friendship with the dear couple who told me about Jesus, which led to my conversion. Small wonder that joy evaporates in that kind of climate, eh?
Terry

Hi Terry, Joe, Others & the lurking masses--
Just before leaving the Assembly I had a remarkable situation that I talked about to Enroth and is in his 2nd book, "Recovering from Churhces That Abuse." I relate the story of how an old man poured out his heart to me at a lunch counter and how was keeping me from working on my chapter summary. He had a very sad story and God opened my eyes to the importance of individuals vs. "faithfulness" to Assembly functions. ( this next part is not in the book)
The point I want to make is that after I left the restaurant my next delivery (I'm a truck driver) was where a pentecostal man did the receiving. I told him about the old man and he listened intently, said let's pray, and then poured out his heart in real concern in prayer.
The Assembly reaction to my experience was to scold me for "teaching the Saints that it's more important to talk to people in restaurants then it is to be prepared for the meetings!"
This forever changed my view that "other" Christians have less of a vision, heart, and even knowledge than us Assembly folks had.
Joe, I remember the doctor and went there as well. I didn't buy the heart mumur stuff and had a much more immediate need to take care of which was the same thing that the Philistines were stricken with when they stole the Ark Of The Covenant! I took his pills for several years for this problem. Last I heard the Doctor left town quickly and was never heard from again.
God Bless, Mark

I apologize for so many postings but it's amazing what floods back to you when you look back at your years in the Assembly. The absurdity of things that happened makes me wonder how I could possibly have stayed there as long as I did. I remember how in Al's house he instituted a "morning time" that all must attend. He did this because some brothers were missing there morning times or falling asleep during them. It was in effect a "forced" meeting with the Lord each morning. So, instead of the morning time being something someone chose to have in order to be close to God, it was something You "had" to do. But, added to this was the fact that you must be there by 6:00 A.M.---or there was a fine. Believe it or not the fine was that we all HAD to have a morning time together a half hour earlier the next morning!! Imagine that!!! Making the punishment for being late to morning time with the Lord HAVING to meet with him a half hour earlier the next morning! So a time you were supposed to be enjoying and fellowshiping with the Lord was turned into a legalistic meeting with fines attached! There are so many examples of this that I could write about. It simply amazes me each time I read what I have just typed and realize that YES this all did happen and I stuck around for years there. ---Joe

Greetings;
I can't resist sharing this after reading David, Joe, and Mark. One day I was in the living room of the bros. house listening to music. I had an album on (yes, its been awhile) by Phil Keaggy. For the unfamiliar Phil is a Christian musician going back to about 68-69. He is one of the best guitarists I have ever seen or heard. His albums often are a mix of acoustic and electric. When he is electric, its rock. A bro. and his wife came home and immediately the leading bro. came up to me and "let me have it" for playing rock, etc., even though he knew the artist. It was great theatre, and when this couple left the room I cd. hear the wife saying "...that was great honey...." Since I was on the same floor in the home and across the hallway I knew what some of his music collection consisted of- George Benson, Ry Cooder, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, and so on. Even though this is a rather small and in retrospect, even humorous episode, it illustrates that hypocrisy is unavoidable in groups like the assembly where accountability is from the bottom up. Some things go over like a lead balloon, don't they?
Terry:confused:

<<Eric remember me David Mauldin MTT 94? I am courious to know whats been happening in your life? I always felt you wold leave someday. How is your wife? Any kids? What happened in the Valley assembly these past 8 years? I remember it was pretty small? Is it still? Any one I know still around?>>

David & Others,

The greatest thing that has happened since being saved and married, is leaving the assembly. Speaking of marriage, the assembly is tightening its grip on the singles in So. California. There are many singles going into their 40's simply because the assembly will not approve of them spending time (I hate that phrase) with anybody. Of the ~44 in the assembly (28 excluding kids), there are 14 eligible singles greater that 28 years old. The oldest in his 50's, some in their 40's, most in their mid-late thirties. The assembly is now teaching (courtesy of Betty), that a single 'saint' is of more value to the assembly (oops,...I mean the Work of God), than if they were married. Most of these desparately want to get married but have been warned not to go out to the backslidden churches to find a wife. The assembly has not seen anyone added in the last 10 years except for a few who come out on Sunday. With two families gone, there is a net loss of 5 people.

Back to what's going on. Life is new now since I left. Once the stress from being in the assembly was removed, most of my health problems went away. I really think this sickness syndrome by the 'saints' is part manipulation and partly caused by assembly induced stress.

My wife stands with me 100% in my decision to leave. She is doing well and we have a [u:c649ec02da]joyful[/u:c649ec02da] daughter. She was never 'trained the assembly way' for which I was often rebuked. But she was always the happiest baby.

Hi Everyone,

I remember when I first came out to the meetings in the Valley in 1984, there were 40 people in fellowship. In 1985 we became an official assembly breaking bread on Sunday morning. After that, every few years we would see a mass exodus of people, ending with Mark when he left. During those times, the assembly would grow to ~60 people, only to be beaten down to 35-40 people. After Mark left, only 2 people came into fellowship over a 10 year period. We were told that only a few would enter the kingdom of heaven. Of those who left, "all fell away from the Lord some into immoral relationships, some back to their families", etc.
As I came across these individuals, I found out that we were all lied to by those in leadership. On top of that, I noticed the sins placed on others was often being committed by those in the assembly and not the other way around.

Mark said, <<Re. the Valley attendance level:..The brother put it at about 25, but according to him 90% didn't want to be there!>>

Isn't that a bit too high of a number? Actually that was accurate before the two families left. From what I've heard from those still in the assembly, about 20 cosistently come out now. Pretty sad for an overcoming church when half the people don't come out, and those who do, don't want to be there.

It's also sad how the leadership is not concerned with numbers. If God's people are discouraged, it's o.k. because they are not a threat to the image of the assembly. The thinking goes like this, Discouraged and missing the meeting? That's o.k. But if you come to the meetings, be an encouragement by putting on joy.
One individual was told more than once to lie about how they were doing so they wouldn't be a discouragement to others. Translated: "Don't be discouraged so we, who are in leadership, don't have to be shepherdly and build you back up."

It's so good to be out from under that hypocrisy!!

God Bless,

Eric

Hello Everyone

<<It's also sad how the leadership is not concerned with numbers. If God's people are discouraged, it's o.k. because they are not a threat to the image of the assembly. The thinking goes like this, Discouraged and missing the meeting? That's o.k. But if you come to the meetings, be an encouragement by putting on joy.
One individual was told more than once to lie about how they were doing so they wouldn't be a discouragement to others. Translated: "Don't be discouraged so we, who are in leadership, don't have to be shepherdly and build you back up."

It's so good to be out from under that hypocrisy!!>>

I think it was a compromised preacher named C.H. Spurgeon who said, "Those who claim that statistics are not important usually have none to report."

You know, the Assembly follows the "New Testament Pattern," correct? When I read the chapters in Acts that show this pattern in practice there is something that stands out to me even more clearly than setting up chairs in a semi-circle and having pre-prayer and head coverings. It's explosive growth! Part of the New Testament Pattern is growth! " I am the Vine, you are the branches...bear much fruit." The reason the Assembly isn't growing is because they have quenched the Spirit, due to sin, hypocrisy and Pharisaic leaven.

I think the reason the leaders "force" everyone to look joyful is because they themselves are under pressure when the owner of the flock comes to town to inspect his sheep. If the assembly isn't looking too good, the leaders may incur a dressing down from George himself. If George gets a negative opinion of them, it could put off a promotion for years! All the leaders and workers have witnessed the way George treats those he doesn't like, and they don't want it to be that way for themselves, so they crack the whip and train the sheep in order to make a good showing. All they are doing is mimicing what they have been taught. George has reproduced his chief character traits in his workers, and they have passed it on in their own way to many of the saints. It's just one big dysfunctional family, with all the trimmings!

Eric, I am also glad you are out from under that hypocrisy.

Website update:

We are having a little trouble with the new format, so please be patient. In the mean time, I am updating the old on a daily basis. Currently, one of the other guys helping out is scanning plenty of documents from the past, as well as the restraining order. These will be placed on the site, but I ask you all to pray, and to give me your opinions on the best way to do this. I want the website to shine GRACE and TRUTH, not just truth. In my opinion it is a form of evangelism as well as apologetics.

Please email me, and please send me your stories/testimonials. BTW, the new bulletin board is almost identical to this one, although slightly simpler to use. Do you all think that we would use it, or would people pretty much stay here?

Brent

One last post and then I'll keep quiet for a while. After I left the Assembly it took a while before I attended any churches at all. But when I moved to Orange County I began to attend Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. Because of all I had heard in the Assembly I expected the people to be very shallow Christians, because Calvary chapel had 5000 members at that time. How untrue this was!! It had been ingrained in me that the Assembly was small because God had winnowed the wheat to a group of very faithful people. We were the elite so to speak. We were following "God's Pattern" while other "shallow" churches were worldly and not following what pleases God at all. But what I learned was that the people in the Assembly are faithful to the Assembly, not necessarily faithful to God. Calvary chapel was an explosively growing church, with other Calvary chapels springing up everywhere, with dynamic people who really wanted to reach others for Christ. they began the "Harvest Campaigns" in Anaheim stadium. I had the privilege of being one of the people down on the stadium floor praying with people to receive Christ. As another just mentioned, part of the TRUE pattern of the Church is GROWTH. After all of that time I happened to be driving through Fullerton and saw a tent set up beside the road--it was the same tent that had been used for years by the Assembly. To me it stood like a ghost, unchanged by time. I knew in my heart that the Assembly was probably the same size if not smaller, because I knew that the legalistic patterns there left little room for the Holy Spirit to really work. As I've mentioned before the patented reply(at least when I was there) in defense of little growth was "Despise not the day of small things"--it was a basic statement of "Be proud were small because we are the truly faithful ones". -Joe

Hey Joe " (I'm having a hard time keeping up with reposes) You mentioned your Dad was at Iwo Jima? My Grandpa was there. He was in the first division to hit the beach. It took 24 hours for these guys to move 100 yards! (So much for Private Ryan)I talked to a guys who Knew George from Biola He said that George said He was a marine but never saw action and that George was in an accident a nd hurt his back in which he recieved a medical discharege.

In reguards to the "New Testement Pattern" a doctrine developed by J. N. Darby, a book by Gene Edwards points out that during the early church we see a continuous dynamic of self discovery and expression. In the first few chapters of acts we see "Drawing lots" as a method of determining the will of God, yet this seems to have been used only once. What happened to the "New Testement pattern"? I believe the principle we see at work in the New Testement is that we are discovering ourselves, who we are in our own unique generation. This means that every gathering is as different as the people and the culture they find themselves. (Of course I am not allowing for heresy) while I was amongst the George Geftakys Assembly there seemed to be a "Hush" "Hush" attitude concerning that "we were the only true expression" yet it was a practiced belief. "We don't think we are better, we know we are better" Georges constant mantra. When considering the evidence that this group is really "The Group" it is a joke.