Ji 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?
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Terry--- It's funny you mention your father and his distrust. I remember when I had to sell my car my father had left a note inside of it which read: "Dear God, once you get approval from the Assembly leaders, please let my son have his car back." It was sarcastic to say the least, but hilarious. My father had warned me about the Assembly, especially after this occurrence wit
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Greetings: I finally got my folks to come out to hear George one evening. As was/is his wont, George made many references to his past experiences, spinning out many stories that tended to cast him in a very favorable light. During the sermon he mentioned several times "when I was a young marine...." It just so happens my Father was also a marine, enlisting at 17(said he was 18) and goi
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Greetings Mr. Buchmann and everyone else: I was told by a current assembly member that one shd. give the benefit of the doubt to others (in context it was re. George Geftakys). I very much agree with the principle, and believe it to be the christian thing to do. But when someone's behavior too often belies their words, they remove enough of the doubt and the associated benefits. One must
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hello Eric! It was so good to see your post. I also was very angry at the "brothers" when I first left, but consider: They're still there and you are out! The joke is on them; cruel joke that it is. Of course our greatest concern is for those trapped under the burden of the Assembly system. I think the Leaders must know that they are wrong and yet their ego's are so i
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

<<Although I no longer believe in a "personal God" It is my dream to see truth win out in this situation. To comment on Joe's topic of suicide, it is my belief that the suicides and attempted suicides in the assembly are numerous.>> Unfortunately this is a common theme I hear from those who have left the assemblies. Many are depressed and some refuse
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Brent + others: My apologies Brent, for assuming that you were the author of the article. Also, I didn't mean to suggest that the author of the article on the RR website - see Coffee Breaks- personally participated in this "therapy" referred to in my last posting. It takes time to process all the experiences, doctrine, and other baggage one picks up during their involvement i
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hello Eric <<Thursday, October 10th, I am a disembodied spirit wandering in the universe in the outer darkness. I am going to wander in a non-existent state and suffer for leaving the assembly. >> You know, for a long time I believed this sort of thing, as did most of the people in the Assembly. For everyone out there who is confused about the outer darkness ide
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi Everybody, All right, I'm one of the Cloud of Lurkers. :) When I first visited the site, there were only five posts. Now there's a cazillion of posts. Before I go any further I have to warn all of you that as of Thursday, October 10th, I am a disembodied spirit wandering in the universe in the outer darkness. I am going to wander in a non-existent state and suffer for leaving
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hello everyone <<A side note for Brent: Betty Geftakys was his pseudo-doctor, and she had coffee going into him in both ends. Let's see, an enema bag and a coffee can-is there a such a thing as a visual oxymoron?>> That's some pretty funny prose there Terry! For the record, I never, ever did a coffee enema. I also know that the person who wrote "
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

When you mention the Prayer meetings and your requests being ignored it also brings to mind other things that were easily ignored when I'd bring them up. I laugh now when I remember the anger expressed towards me for asking a simple question. Here it is: On several occasions George would say that Phd stood for "phenomenally dumb" and that Bible Colleges were not in the will of
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

For the uninformed some assembly members were doing coffee enemas as per Betty Geftakys at one time. Talk about about a caffeine buzz! I'll bet you cd. stay awake at the meeting after a bag of that! Anyway, it wasn't our inherent unworthiness, necessarily, that made us the object of other members/leaders cruel comments or attitudes. We, not being leaders or especially useful to them for
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hello everyone David, your story is so sad. Even more so because I know it is true. I am assuming that the brother who didn't think your Aunt's death was important was a certain leader who's house you lived in towards the end? Amazing what we are capable of in God's name when we are so full of pride. When I read your posts, it caused me to reflect on what I think is so im
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Greetings David + others: In 1983 I became an insulin-dependent diabetic while living in a "brothers house." After being in the hospital for a week (some were kind enough to visit) I returned a little depressed to the house. One person approached me and asked what it was about my lifestyle (I was running every day almost until my diagnosis and not overweight) that caused me to become
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi David, Your request for prayer was not important to the Assembly because it had nothing to do with the self interest of the group. I remember a Sister being counselled to not visit her Mother too much, though she was dying of cancer. The sister was concerned because her Mother didn't know the Lord and she hoped to minister the gospel via her visits to see her Mother. Incredibl
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had spent many hours praying for other during prayer tower and all nihght of prayer. Yet when I returned home a week later , no mention of my request was ever made. Again a few years later I recieved a call from a relative. Your Aunt died, Could you please speak at her funeral? Again I had to leave right away and I asked very strongly that prayer would be made for me. Yet when I returned I
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Can anyone relate to this experience? Certain members of the assembly never seem merit the same amount of concern or care that others are. Example for many years I attended prayer meetings where a brothers requet would be taken as a serious topic of prayer that night. It may have to do with an outreach or ministry where he would be preaching. It may concern his families health or well being.
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

That's great Joe, I'd like to tell you a simuliar story, While living at a brothers house I was told that if I ever left fellowship I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I really hated to hear that because I think it just confirmed to me what a looser I was. Yet after leaving I found out that I wasn't such a looser, I was even elected "Man of the Year" for the cit
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

David--- You are very correct about certain people being bullied more than others. But I had something happen later which I know came from the Lord for sure. I mentioned how I was forced to sell my car in order to remain in the house. So, for three years I went without a car. After I left the Assembly I was transferred by my employer to Orange County. After a space of three years I was
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Mark thanks for your reply, Joe I wanted to coment on how you were pushed around concerning your car. I think others would agree that certain people, (Myself included) were easy prey when it came to being bully'd. For example I know people who would go against the council of the leadership and yet somehow still be able to maintain a certain anmount of self esteam, dignity, respect and st
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Hi Brent, Joe, David, and the Great Cloud, Brent, I will be looking for my ancient manuscript via snail mail, thanks. David, I missed responding to a post that you made earlier re. our own culpability in being duped into staying in the Assembly. Every individual story will be different to some degree-- and yes of course we made the decision to join up. This is an ongoing controversy as t
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

To Mark and others--- I liked what you said about the bumper sticker "Jesus is my best friend" I remember when I was first saved I viewed Jesus as the Good Shepherd and a very close and personal friend. I realize there is nothing wrong with exalting God to the highest of the highest, but I remember how in the Assembly God seemed foo far away, an exalted King so high and lifted
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Hi Mark and everyone else Now I learn from Brent that he read it years later and it was helpful to him when he first left. I didn't even have a copy here as I sent them all out and yet two couples contacted me who remember the letter from 10 years ago and wanted to read it. Mark, your letter is one of the items currently racing through the US postal service, on its way to your home!
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi David, Brent, and Others, Yes David, I know you are correct that most members are not ready to consider the truth about their situation. When I first left I poured my heart and soul into a letter that I sent to as many members as I could, but thought nothing came of it. Now I learn from Brent that he read it years later and it was helpful to him when he first left. I didn't even ha
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi everyone I am back. I was unable to get on the web for a long time due to trouble with my new DSL, which is now connected. Mark...I love your posts. Please don't get weary, save these thoughts to your hard drive, because I want you to share some of this on the new site. RE the geftakysassembly.com website: It is up and running, in a very rudimentary way at present. You can ge
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi Mark In response to your challenge, I have had numerous run -ins with "Saints" almost on a monthly basis. (I live in Fullerton)Some people view me with contempt, suspicion and refuse to talk with me. Others are unable to get past my questions as it always comes back to "My issues with the brothers" Recently I've run into sisters who strike me as almost adolecent/girl
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi Everyone, Assembly False Holiness teaching drives a wedge between God and the believer by making the relationship conditioned on actions a human is not capable of performing. Merit relationship to God vs. gift based relationship creates a harmful dynamic in the soul. Either an Assembly member must fake their spirituality or admit they are failing; the first will garner reward from the Ass
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi Mark, Your work on "Assembly Holliness" is right on. I would like to add that these doctrines work in cadence with the abuse which perpetuates the dysfunction. When I first entered the assembly and started a "serious walk" with the Lord these doctrines filled me with the euphoria that I was "special" before God. Yet as the years went on ( 15 ) I realized that &
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi Joe, David, and others, Very good examples from the Bible re. Assembly behavior Joe and very funny story re. brothers "living together", David. Assembly Holiness cont.: I have been discussing how Assembly teaching divides the Christian faith into two parts: The 1st faith gains justification, which only allows the opportunity for full salvation, but not the certainty for ful
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Hi, I was in fullerton the other day when I remembered this event. I think its pretty funny.-Life in the assembly was full of "doublespeak" (Being told one thing when it really meant something else.) Living in the brothers house we were told that no sisters were ever aloud over. When we asked, "why?" the canned answer was always, "We need to be a good testimony to the n
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups