Farewell!
March 20th, 2003
Jude 2: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 4: 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose [them]. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
A Brief History of GA.com
The GeftakysAssembly.com website began the morning of Thursday, November 1st, 2002. As has been stated elsewhere, the reason behind this endeavor was that a method for "telling the church," about the sins committed and allowed by the Geftakys ministry--the Geftakys family in particular---needed to be found. While I am not a person with a strong mystical bent, when I woke up that morning last November, I knew that God wanted me to do this website.
I had a sense of responsibility for my 17 years of involvement, and although it would have been easier in some ways to have left quietly and remained silent with regard to the truth, my conscience simply would not allow it. I believe that I was born, and traveled the paths I did, in order that God could prepare me for this website. If I were to die today, this endeavor alone would give my life meaning, as I know that God has used me to proclaim freedom to many captives. Again, let no one accuse me of boasting, this is all of God. There is no way that I could have done all this by myself. This is without question a work of God. After all, we had three thousand hits before we ever appeared on a search engine!
The goal, from day one, was to tell the church, and to see the Geftakys organization exposed, dismantled and disbanded. At the same time, all of God’s people, who were trapped within George’s wicked system, needed to be shown the truth, and brought to an understanding that they were free. I wanted to see repentance and recovery, and for God's people to enjoy their freedom in Christ, and to not be entangled in a yoke of bondage.
Many people, upon seeing some of the things they believed and practiced put into print on the website, came to their senses and left. Others needed to hear the testimonies of Rachel and Judy in order to have their eyes opened. For some, even this wasn’t enough, and they needed to hear about George’s immoral conduct, and see him excommunicated. Sadly, a few couldn’t get free even after this, and hung on until their assembly disbanded. Nevertheless, I rejoice that even these people got free.
I saw my task as exposing the darkness in a compelling, courageous way. When I first began this, I was alone, with no support at all. The very people I was trying to help excommunicated me, shunned me, and boycotted my business for telling the truth. Later, after some of these people began to have their eyes opened, I had some moral support, but for the most part, no one else was willing to actually go public with the truth, so Geftakys was able to keep up his charade under cloak of darkness and silence. I knew about George’s past, and his adultery in 1999. I can’t tell you how hard it was for Suzie and I to have known the truth for years, only to be shunned and slandered by people who were being totally deceived and abused by George Geftakys. To stand by and watch George, David, Betty, Tim and other leaders, devour their lives, only to have our former friends call me a liar and railer was incredibly difficult, but The Lord sustained us. In hindsight, I can say that I would do it all over again; I don’t regret a minute.
The bulletin board was the key. Once people began interacting, and a network of communication between ex-members was up and running, God began to give people courage, and boldness to speak the truth. The biblical standard for evidence is two or three witnesses, and I knew that once we had this, the truth could no longer be contained and the ministry would come down. I had no idea how fast it would fall apart, and I was also amazed at the corruption that was being revealed on a daily basis in late 2002 and early 2003. Once Rachel and Judy’s stories were up, it was all over. Then, when Kirk Cesaretti, John Malone and others put their writings up on the website, it became clear that it would only be a short time until the whole thing was over and done with. I praise God that this all happened so quickly.
On January 18th, 2003, the leadership in the SLO assembly publicly apologized to me and repented of their behavior. Simultaneously, the truth about George was coming out and a letter of excommunication was drafted, which we read on Sunday morning, January 19th.
Present Developments
At present, many assemblies have disbanded, others are soon to disband, and one or two are continuing to meet albeit with a different format. This is all great news.
Sadly, Placentia seems to be in the dark, as well as West LA. In what can only be described as a stunning display of darkness and deception, San Francisco, Sacramento, Pasadena and Riverside are ignoring the facts about George, are not honoring the excommunication letter, and are attempting to continue the ministry of darkness that was begun by George Geftakys. Also, it seems that the few people left in Fullerton are attempting to bring Timothy Geftakys back from his self-imposed disqualification, and are asking him to lead them in a "new" Assembly. This is quite alarming. The groups mentioned above are clearly cults. They ignore the clear picture of their history, and the fact that they served and supported a very wicked man and his wicked family for so many years. The fact that they feel the Geftakys ministry should continue, in view of the plain facts regarding the person of George Geftakys, his immorality, his financial impropriety, his disgusting testimony, and his dysfunctional family, is more than enough proof to state that these groups do not give Jesus Christ the pre-eminence in all things. Their master’s cause is more important to them than the faith that was once for all delivered to all the saints. George’s house is more important to them than God’s house. There is nothing more than can be done for these people. I pray that some of them come to their senses and leave, but most likely they will continue on as other cults, who are not able to discern their error, because they do not have the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their consciences are seared to the point where they have no ability to discern right from wrong, and most likely the leaders and many of the followers in the groups mentioned above are not even saved to begin with. If I ever encounter people involved in a Geftakys cult, I will treat them as unbelievers, in contrast to the people who had the sense to leave once they knew the truth. I view the latter as brethren of like precious faith.
(A Side Note About Repentance)
It is my opinion that most of the Assemblies need to simply disband, and the sooner the better. There may be one or two that can continue to meet in a new way, but for the most part, it is impossible, because we can’t put new wine into old wineskins. Any part of the old system that remains will soon destroy whatever new things we attempt. There must a fresh start.
With regard to the repentance of various leaders and Workers: the higher up the person was, i.e. itinerants, elders, full-time Workers, the more important it is for them to repent clearly and publicly. It is not enough to simply state privately, "I made some mistakes, and it was because George deceived me." No, these people, if they really repent, need to exemplify 2 Cor 7: 11
For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, [what] clearing [of] [yourselves], [what] indignation, [what] fear, [what] vehement desire, [what] zeal, [what] vindication! In all [things] you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
The Bible clearly states that Geftakys’s and their servants must repent in such a way that demonstrates diligence, clarity, fear, sorrow, indignation, vehement desire to make things right, zeal for the truth (which means helping to expose the darkness) and they must do this in such a way that they PROVE themselves clear in the matter.
This is sadly lacking in all but two or three ex-leaders. Most of them have sat by while short, vague statements were read, and have then slunk away in silence, letting the people who were their underlings only days before, take over the leadership of the church. Others, notably Timothy Geftakys, played along, keeping quiet for a few weeks, only to attempt to return to a place of prominence!
No ex-leaders that I am aware of, with the exceptions of Mark Campbell, Kirk C., Wayne Mathews, Steve Irons, Tom Maddux and possibly a few others have demonstrated any desire to zealously expose the darkness and sin they supposedly repented of. While I am willing to give these people time, in order for God’s grace to work in their hearts, I do find this rather disturbing. The assembly leaders who do not exemplify 2 Cor 7 should never be given a place of leadership or authority in a church, forever.
The Future
Further exposure is not warranted at this time, because there is nothing else to say. How much more wicked does a person who claims to be "The Lord’s Servant," have to be in order to make people understand that such a one is a deceiver and was long ago marked out for condemnation?
It is no longer necessary to tell the church. It is now necessary to treat those who hang onto Geftakys, and especially Geftakys himself, as "heathens and tax-collectors." Mat 18:17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell [it] to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Just now, as I write this, I pray to God, regarding these men that He would now deal with them decisively. I beseech God that His judgment upon them be swift and devastating. Even so, may they find mercy and come to their senses.
My active involvement in this website is now over. I am not going to manage the site, post and edit articles or anything else from here on, as far as I can tell. I will continue to answer email, and help people recover from their time in the Assembly, as I am able. I will continue to be involved in the discussions on certain bulletin boards, and do not rule out the possibility of writing things from time to time, although it will be up to someone else to publish them at their discretion.
While I know my work is over, I also feel a tremendous sense of responsibility that the information about the group continues to be available. In addition to this, there is a need for the tone and direction of the website to change. The work of exposure is over, and now the work of healing and recovery must move forward. While people should continue to be able to find out the truth about what really happened in the Geftakys ministry, and while Tim and David must never be allowed to deceive people again, what is even more important is that people who have been hurt and confused by the group find a place where they can get help and encouragement in order to get back on track in their Christian lives.
This is a large task, and it is not something that God has put on my heart to undertake. At the same time, I know that I can’t just walk away from this and leave people hanging. So, since January 18th, I have been praying, and asking others to pray that God would lead me clearly with regard to "retiring."
I am happy to say that Steve and Margaret Irons have approached me and have asked if they can take over the website. I am truly thrilled with this prospect, as I myself owe them a debt of gratitude for my own deliverance. Several years ago I read some of their writings, which I have since posted on this website. They have been a blessing to many, and have helped hundreds of people put the puzzle pieces together. Steve and Margaret are uniquely qualified to carry on this work, and take it in a new direction, for not only do they have more experience than anyone else with regard to the Assembly, they have also successfully sorted things out and emerged with a greater faith in Christ. I am looking at this as an answer to prayer, and I am quite confident that this is what God would have me do at this time.
So, in the near future, the website will begin to change. I will continue to answer email and help in any way I can, but I will no longer be the editor or Webmaster of this website. I leave it in able and competent hands and I trust we will all get a blessing from what is to come.
I want to thank all of you for your prayers over the months, and I rejoice with you in your newfound freedom.
Our family is continuing in God’s grace. The future is wide-open, and we move forward in faith. May God richly bless all of you!
Do not become entangled AGAIN with a yoke of bondage!
Brent T.
