David---

Actually, My father was a P-38 pilot in the Phillipines during
world war 2. I think it was Terry who said his father was
a marine.

--Joe

Hi Everybody,

<<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! >>

Thank you for making it so clear! All of the assembly's boasts about following the "New Testament Pattern" involve things that can be performed by man [b:94cfc585b7]with[/b:94cfc585b7] or [b:94cfc585b7]without[/b:94cfc585b7] the Spirit of God. The one thing that man cannot achieve apart from the Spirit of God is growth. (I suppose one could pay people to increasingly populate the meeting, but anyone would be bankrupt trying to do so.) Therefore the reason that numbers are carnal to the Geftakys minstry is that they are devoid of the Spirit. For nothing else can explain their lack of growth.

I think I now have something of greater significance to share with current assembly members. Thank you!

I would like to bring up yet another issue that is very, very serious. While on the MTT in Washington State 94, We were outreaching (Remember Eric?) During one saturday afternoon we set up a volleyball net at a local park and started up a Barbaque.
The park was pretty crowded. A group of about (No more than) 50 muslims (They wore tradional clothing) Some were taking time to even pray on their knees towards Mecca right out in the open.
We invited some of these people to play volleyball with us. Three guys about 25-30 years old took up our invitation. After we invited them for lunch (They declined to eat but were very willing to debate religion with us. I could tell this was going to be a long afternoon. These guys patiently listened to the gospel all the while waiting for their chance to proseltize us. Finnaly we called a draw and they went away. About three weeks later I had returned from the MTT and was back home. One afternoon I was skimming through the Prayer Letter ( A calander and summary of events put out by the assembly) In it I was surprised to read of a tremendously successful outreach to a large group of Muslims whom we fed and preached the gospel. The article sounded like an event from the gospel of Mathew. It was extremly exagerated

Now I know that this is probably the nature of the beast to look at an outreach in the mosy positive light possible but where do you draw the line betweenreality and deception. I suspect that this kind of thing is rampant in the assembly.

Hello everyone:

To quote one of my wife's favorite sayings, 'How many millions of times do I have to tell you not to exagerate?"

It works like this:

When an outreach is a total bomb, as most are, and everyone has done a ton of leg work (not the leaders, just the "saints") then they say:

"We had a great time! The gospel went out clearly."

When an outreach results in some "contacts" they say this:

"Pray for so and so and so. The Lord really spoke to them. Pray they would be delivered from Catholicism/immoral relationship/etc. Really saints, the Lord gave us a singular time, many people's hearts were touched. Pray that the enemy would not snatch away the many seeds that were planted." If "so and so" ever visits, they usually freak out when they realize that everyone knows their name. Just responding to an invitation results in instant celebrity status in the Assembly.

If someone actually gets saved on an outreach, all the gatherings in the state find out what their names are, and the other Assemblies hear stories about how "revival" is occuring in San Luis Obispo, and they get the impression that God is working mightily on the farmers market outreach, etc. Then the saints feel inadequate, because everything seems so ho hum where they are.

The entire country hears about it when someone "comes into fellowship."

I am convinced that the source for all this exageration is very simple, the leaders, in their desperate attempts to look good and bask in the admiration of the saints, paint everything in a super exagerated light. I mean, come on, I went on MTT's where NO ONE got saved, or came into fellowship. That's a whole lot of time and money for nothing. Yet, reports about God's mighty power were given at worker's seminars, and people would pray for "follow up," even though nothing was different after the team left, except that the grocery bills were smaller for the homes that housed the team members.

In contrast, here at Calvary SLO, a team of compromised Christians visited Priluki, Ukraine 2 summers ago. Now there is a thriving church with hundreds of members and a totally overwhelming ministry to orphanages and prisons. Anyone want to help? They could sure use it. The contrast is stark, and I am so glad to be on the other side now.

Brent

Greetings to everyone:
I have a question. George used to speak of his journeys to Africa and gave the impression that all the people that gathered were there because of him. I have heard-and can easily believe-that he greatly exaggerated his importance in terms of Christian work there. Does anyone know any specific details re. his past and present role, if any, that he really played in Africa,etc? Anyone know about the "awakening brethren?"
An observation:
It is amazing as I think back to the time I spent listening to George telling everyone what a great man he was. It went something like this: Picture the enraptured saints hanging on every word proceeding out of the mouth of George. Suddenly he pauses and exclaims..." what am I doing here(amongst people like you). What am I doing here?! It must be because I love the Lord(o-wise I wd.n't be caught dead with your ilk)!" How great the condescension. Too bad he wasn't still selling life insurance, he cd. have made a killing with such an audience.

Hi All,
In light of outreach I do remember a humorous story from a Sunday afternoon in a park in Fullerton. I went out with another Brother and we tried to strike up a conversation with individuals who were in the park and noticed Bob Anderson (presently Assembly lawyer in Fullerton) standing at the end of a long series of tables where a family reunion was having a picnic. Bob was open air preaching from about 3 feet away! He wasn't just talking; he was shouting at the top of his lungs!
It was the most comic thing to view as the entire family reunion tried to ingnore him and continue with their BBQ. I thought for sure one of the larger men might get up and punch him out, but they figured sooner or later Bob would get tired and leave. Bob made a favorable impression on the outreach leader as he showed "boldness"! Even at the time I thought it a distasteful and unproductive method. I doubt the gospel was viewed favorably by the outreach victims, but apparently that was not a major concern. Bob's "boldness" was a feather in his Assembly cap and a chance for promotion(who cares about the unsaved)!
Re. Africa: I do know that George was introduced to the President (dictator) of Kenya and was hoping to receive government favor with his outreach there (we prayed about this at the prayer meeting). The President had been implicated in the murders of certain vocal opposition leaders and discovering this I mentioned to leaders that George should be careful with his association with him. I was told that the news was incorrect and that the President (dictator) was a godly man.
Re. new Web site: Brent, great article in the issues section! Very clearly shows the errors in doctrine at the Assembly by using George's own books. Also very easy read.

<<Does anyone know any specific details re. his past and present role, if any, that he really played in Africa,etc? Anyone know about the "awakening brethren?"
>>

funny you should ask. I have several contacts who are well connected with Christianity in Kenya. One of them, a Brethren pastor, who also happens to have a large computer concern in Kenya, is VERY well connected. This person used to be in the Omaha assembly back in the late 70's, early 80's. When I told him that George was in Kenya every year he was quite surprised, because he knows these people.

Don't misunderstand, George really does go to Kenya, but he does not make much of a splash. In fact, some of you may recall some names:

Katy Gloeckler, Brother Godfrey, Bro. Bethwell, and a few others, whose names I will recall later. These people have all come to seminars in Fullerton.

These people all have nothing to do with George. In fact, they have actively spoken out against him.

Ed Limo, I THINK, has little to do with George, except as a person who shows him hospitality. Tim G. himself told me a few years back, when all the names I mentioned above stopped being listed on the prayer requests, "East Africa is Dead."

What really happened is that "East Africa" did not want to be controlled by George. The awakening brethren are still around, and doing OK without George, who never played much of a role besides guest speaker anyway. A good friend of ours from Calvary Chapel goes to Kenya for months at a time, as a missionary, in Eldoret, where Limo lives. She knows when an american preacher comes to town, and she has never heard of George...

George has a very lax schedule in Kenya, but he always manages to go on Safari.

I seems that Herbert and Emily are always, "struggling." I don't know why, but we all know that in the Assembly, struggling need not mean that someone's faith is weak. It often means that there is a problem with control.

I don't know anything about Nigeria, except that I have met Samuel, and he seems like a GREAT guy. When a person is isoloated from day to day control by the Assembly, things are different.

All in all, from what I have discovered, Africa serves mainly as a forum for George's ego. Also, in spite of himself, George really does have a desire to do great things for God, and his trips to Africa may help him convince himself that he is doing just that.

However, whirlwind speaking tours are not the same as taking up residence and working with the people, which is what the real missionaries are doing.

Terry, you are absolutely correct. The greatness of the African journies have been greatly exagerated.

With regard to life insurance. Did you know that there is no record of George ever "managing" a New York Life office? That is what he says he did.

I worked as a gopher in construction one summer...did you know that before I was a leader in the national Chiropractic profession I was a contractor?:D

Hello Mark and the many others....1100 page views? Wow, this is the most read thread in the whole sight. Who are these people!

I remember very well George's exploits with the president of Kenya. I wonder why he doesn't speak of him any more? He had the one audience, which I believe was set up thru the school that Katy Gloeckler worked at, and that was it.

Did you know that my mother knows President George Bush? Well, she met him at some function or other and he made a point of shaking her hand. My family has connections!:D

I am in a very sarcastic, energetic mood today. Must be the rain. Look for some new stuff.

BTW, we are fixing things and are closer to unveiling the new website.

Brent

Mark and everyone else:
I didn't know that about Kenya. Also, if anyone might know more details about Africa, it wd. be great. From a different angle, cd. Geo be throwing money around there to buy influence?
Terry