About Us

After the original website The Geftakys Assembly, put up by Brent T. in 2002, had done its work and the ministry of George and Betty Geftakys had collapsed in early 2003, Steve and Margaret Irons talked to Brent about changing the purpose of the site from one of calling out to repentance, to one of healing and recovery. Brent felt he could not dedicate any more time and energy to the site and suggested that we take it over, and so was born "Assembly Reflections" in the spring of 2003. Steve redesigned the site and added many articles, especially to the Biblical Exposition section. Margaret (Mayo) Irons now maintains the site, and is assisted by Mark Campbell in responding to emails.

We (the Irons) were leaders with George and Betty Geftakys' ministry in Fullerton, California from 1970 to 1990. It is crushing to realize that what we gave our lives to for twenty years was wrong. We are deeply grieved for the damage we perpetrated on others, even our own children. Our contribution on this website is our effort to try to make amends in some small way and contribute toward the recovery of those who have been abused.

Mark Campbell, also in the Assembly for almost twenty years, was formerly a leading brother in the San Fernando Valley Assembly, and is the creator of "Letters to Wounded Pilgrims" in the Recovery section of the website. Mark says, "I'm a Christian truck driver. I am not a church leader, worker, psychologist, counselor, scholar, or Bible teacher. I have dedicated my life to helping wounded pilgrims recover their faith and to go on to healthy and prosperous lives in Christ. I contribute here in response to what our Good Shepherd has worked into my heart."

Update April, 2008:  Some question if there is still a need for this website, especially the sordid details revealed in the Final Weeks section. Shouldn't we just forget about the Assembly and move on? Part of the answer to this was articulated by "Moonflower" in reference to the Assembly bulletin board. She said:

"There are some still coming out of the groups, some coming back to God after having left, some who are members of another aberrant religious group, and some may be attending the preaching that is rising up again in CA.

Although the truth of the Assembly groups came out on one particular date, we are processing the information at different rates, because some of us were totally kept in the dark regarding certain events and behaviors. And I think we should be aware that it has affected us. I think it will take us a loooooong time to sort through everything that transpired in the Assembly groups and how it affected us and our families. We are not going to change overnight and, like abused children, will carry certain scars for the rest of our lives, whether we were the abused or the abuser."

Having the pieces to the puzzle is necessary in order to make sense of what has happened. It is our hope that all the information and resources presented on this website, including the Final Weeks, may help others find their way more quickly than we did to understanding and recovery from an abusive Bible-based movement. In addition, inquiries continue to arrive from folks who, for one reason or another, are just now becoming aware of the existence of the Assemblies - visitors to continuing Assemblies, people involved in missions overseas, counselors, etc. This internet resource is needed for the foreseeable future.                         (Back to top)

More about the Irons  Back in the late 1960's, we (Steve and Margaret) began to follow George Geftakys as he preached at various "overcomer" groups in Southern California. These groups were influenced by the teachings of the Plymouth Brethren, T. Austin Sparks, Bahkt Singh, and Watchman Nee. Within a year a group of believers formed in Fullerton, California to exemplify the New Testament "pattern" for worship and ministry. The gathering was called the "Assembly". Over time a number of such gatherings were raised up across the country, as well as in Canada and abroad.

Towards the end of the 1980's our son, Lee, a student at UCLA, began to question George's teaching on salvation after reading the writings of many early Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Owen. After several encounters with George in which he raised his concerns and sought dialogue, Lee was slandered and excommunicated from the very Assembly in which he had grown up.

This event, along with a litany of other heart-rending stories told by those driven out from the Assemblies in years past, raised such a loud alarm in our hearts that we left George's ministry in the spring of 1990. We had begun to realize that the cancer of emotional and spiritual abuse, legalism, and authoritarianism was in an advanced stage of development throughout the Assemblies. (Back to top)

After we left the Assembly in March of 1990 life was painful and sad for awhile. We had agonizing questions, family issues, spiritual issues....But God is good, and we are now living again in the joy of our salvation, and in happy fellowship and service at Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, CA.

We have found that Reformed teaching has been most helpful to us in gaining a different understanding of the Bible, and in getting over works-based righteousness. As Brent T. has remarked, "There is nothing so encouraging as hearing a Reformed pastor preach the Gospel!" But we don't want to overpower this website with our Reformed perspective. Whoever teaches and preaches the grace and love of God has a contribution here.

We felt resolved about the past until the events surrounding George's excommunication re-engaged us. The information that came out was helpful to us because we no longer had to wonder if our evaluation had been uncharitable. Tragically, the situation was proven to be worse than we had ever dreamed.      (Back to top)

Contact Info We invite feedback on articles and issues raised on this website. We want this website to be interactive. Margaret Irons and Mark Campbell are reached through the email address, Editor@GeftakysAssembly.com. If you wish to reach one of us specifically, just specify in your email. We encourage readers to submit articles for the website in keeping with its purpose. Articles will be reviewed for appropriateness of content and, if necessary, changes suggested with your agreement.

Copyright and Linking Policy

While you are free to link to any page or individual entry within Assembly Reflections (GeftakysAssembly.com), Assembly Reflections is copyrighted © 2003-2006 by Margaret M. Irons.

Note that Assembly Reflections is copyrighted for one reason only: to protect the integrity of the material presented. If you wish to use any of our original material, please feel free to contact us.

Assembly Reflections also uses "fair use" quotations, as well as material for which permission for publication at this site has been obtained by Assembly Reflections. Therefore, you may not copy and reproduce pages or entries verbatim (in any medium, including - but not limited to - Usenet newsgroups, mailing lists, and web pages) without express, written (on paper) permission. You may also not frame any of AR's pages, as that would be a violation of the "fair use" principle embodied in international copyright Laws.

Disclaimer

Your continued use of this site indicates understanding of and agreement with the terms set forth in this statement.

Information within these pages is offered to facilitate research. Listing links to sites, articles, or other items does not indicate automatic agreement with everything the publishers of those pages believe, offer, provide, link to, or sell. Assembly Reflections is not responsible for the content of sites and pages outside of its control.

Original information on this site is personal opinion protected under freedom of speech laws.

Information provided by third parties (articles, statements of opinion, news items, press releases, etcetera) is included for information and research purposes only. The publisher of Assembly Reflections does not necessarily agree with everything posted within these pages - nor do third parties, whose material is included, necessarily agree with everything posted on Assembly Reflections.

Where links have added to quotes and other third party material, the original author and/or publisher do not necessarily agree with the information linked to.

If any of the original information provided within these pages is considered incorrect, Assembly Reflections welcomes documented corrections.

Neither Assembly Reflections nor any third party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content, nor its merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.

Assembly Reflections accepts no responsibility for the acts of third parties. That means: linking or referring to third parties (including their websites, organizations, publications, etcetera) does not make us responsible for what those third parties believe, do, publish, organize, post, etcetera. (Again, keep in mind that Assembly Reflections points to research resources, including sites, articles, individuals and organizations whose viewpoints the publisher of Assembly Reflections does not necessarily condone or support).

Any and all meta tags, page titles, keywords and others content descriptions used throughout this site are intended to facilitate research by enabling those search engines that use these features to find, catalog, and present these pages in targeted search results. Unless specifically disclosed, they are not intended to convey any official relationship with or representation of or by the owners of the respective trademarks, service marks and/or copyrights.

(Back to top)

Submit a comment for publication on this page, or contact us if you would like to talk or email with someone about the Assembly.