Why I am here

[brian]

i have been on this website for a while, under the name beenthere. with all of the horrible things i have learned about the assembly recently, i have become so morally outraged that i feel i have no choice but to go public with my true identity and oppose with every fiber of my being the wickedness and injustice that has occured.

i realize how much this move may cost me. it may cost me my relationship with my family - a relationship that is very dear to me. it may cost me some of the friendships i have been able to revive, and that thought too is quite painful. but if you know me at all you would know i would never take this step without very good reasons, and you would understand that i treasure our relationship no less just because you are in a spiritual group in which terrible things have occured and been covered up for so long. i am sure none of you ever knew any more about the terrible things that have been done in secret than i did. but now i do know, and my conscience is shouting at me, and i cannot hold back any more than i could stop my own heartbeat by force of will.

(deep breath)

David Geftakys,
George and Betty Geftakys,
Dan Notti,
Mark Miller,
Jeff and Nancy Lehmkhul,
Roberto and Jenny Sanchez,
Greg and Marcie Holder,
and all the others who have helped hide and protect horrid ugly sin,
you should be ashamed of yourselves! if even half of what i've been told is true, you have been criminally negligent with god's people. i do not need to talk to you in private first, and then meet with you with two or three witnesses, and then announce it locally, and then... you have crossed all barriers of moral decency! if you do not know what specific situations i am referring to then that could only be due to a habit of abhorrent behavior that causes the specific situations that have been brought to my attention to dim in comparison. which is a horrible thought! some of you i have never met in person. others of you i have looked up to and respected, and loved, since childhood. now, as a man, i am looking you in the eye and calling you to account. do you hear what i am saying?? those evil deeds, done in secret, and kept in secret to blossom into all their ugly fullness, will be shouted from the rooftops! do not think that i am saying these things out of bitterness - it does not make me happy to say them. and those who may agree with me - do not rejoice that these things are being said. these are horrible things to have to say! these things should never have to be said! but i have a conscience, which leaves me no choice. repent! and leave the twisted paths you have gone so far down, into deep darkness, and humble yourself, and make it right! for the sake of the family love we once shared, i will help drag you into the light.

i wish i could talk to each of you in person. my email is now listed on this website. what you tell me in confidence i will keep confidential. i am not your enemy. i welcome all responses. and if i have been given false information, and have named names inappropriately, i will publicly apologize and just as forcefully pursue setting the record straight in your favor. but let me tell you: if i continue discovering more and more hidden wickedness, more and more destroyed lives, deeper and deeper darkness and lies, then i will never let up. i will never be silenced.

[Rachel]

Brian,

WAY TO GO!!!!!!    I am so proud of you.  You are an inspiration to me.  

Just in case you don't know who I am...  My name is Rachel Steepleton.  I was born Rachel Geftakys.  I am George's grand-daughter and David's eldest daughter.

I challenge all of you hiding in your rooms.  I challenge all saints who are secretly looking at this site.  Search for the truth in honesty.  Be ready to find it.  Do not ignore it.  It is staring you in your face.  The abuse is like a poisoness snake about to bite you.  So do not hide any longer.

[Tr0ckman]

Well Alrighty then,  

I sense that things are picking up steam just a bit around here.  

Funny thing, I put some grass seeds on a bare patch of ground in my back yard about 2 weeks ago, and now there are little green blades of grass growing up.  You reap what you sow.

For the past 30 years, seeds have been planted in the Geftakys Assembly system.  They have been sprouting up all over the place, but everyone has agreed to do agressive weeding and "hedge trimming," (These weeds are like trees) for many years.

Well, I think that has stopped. Perhaps it was the day before yesterday, perhaps this morning, but I just know that the game is up. It is a universal principle, you reap what you sow.  Well, a bitter harvest is due.

Friends, Speak the truth in love, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, rather expose them. BE ANGRY AND DO NOT SIN!

Brian, you stated how I have felt for the last 2 years with tremendous eloquence.  I think I know what information you are referring to, and as an eye-witness, I can tell you that it is not false.  I guarantee that you will not be working to restore LB's reputations.  God has set them in slippery places.  There are several hammers, of great mass, that have yet to drop.

Please pray.  Even if you have been so damaged by Geftakysite teaching that you can't pray, try to pray.  God wants to set the captives free.

God Bless you all, and be courageous.

Brent Tr0ckman

[Aslan213]

Hi Brian & Others,

Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are bold as a lion."

I thought of this verse when I read your post Brian.  The response of the LB's to the truth is to run.  And I've noticed that those who've left have a newly found boldness.  It's truly sad that we have to address a closed assembly from the outside.  The fact there are serious issues to address are more of a grief than anything else, but I agree with Brian.  Our conscience will not permit us to be quiet.  Perhaps at one time, while in the assembly, our consciences were getting seared.  Now God has opened our eyes and healed us.  I appeal to those who are in the assembly and reading this, to prayerfully consider what is being said on this website/bulletin board.  I appeal to you not to justify the wrongs committed.  If the assembly will not truly repent, then come out in obedience to the Lord.

Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;"

Lord bless you,

Eric

[Eulaha L. Long]

Brian,

I don't personally know you, but I have heard your name before.  You must have been on the campus or something, cause your name sounds so familiar.  Anyhoo, I wanted to tell you that I once felt the way you felt.  I was so afraid of speaking up about the Assembly, for fear that I would lose my "friends".  Well, I have come to realize that the Assembly members are not my true friends.  They are only friends with me as long as I am in the circle.  My true friends are mainly ex-members.  What you did is commendable, and I say, hallelujah!  God bless you!

Eulaha

[Eulaha L. Long]

I am here because I need to be continually reminded of what I left.  I was in the San Luis Obispo assembly for almost 9 years.  I was advancing the Assembly ladder, as I was allowed the "privilege" of taking young women through the Anchors.  

[Mark C.]

Atta Boy Brian!
   The time has come indeed!  The outrage of Assembly abuses are so clearly testified to there can be no doubt now.  This is not an argument over esoteric bits of biblical interpretation or the rant of former disgruntled members.
   As Brian has so eloquently said it is a matter of clear moral failure on the part of leadership and members to face the truth of abuses in their midst.  If such sin is not repented of it will lead to a very dark cultic atmophere for Assembly members that will be very difficult to escape.
   If Assembly members can harden their hearts' to the tolerated abuses in their midst (Rachel's story, Eric and Kim's firing, etc.) it will sear their consciences to the point that they will be able to abide even deeper sin.  Even if you are a member and didn't know these things by ignoring it now you will put yourself in a very desperate spiritual condition.  Many of the leader's have already crossed these lines where they silence their consciences' and now only live to protect the Assembly system and are far from the Lord.  I don't know if it is possible for these to give up their reputations in the Assembly and return to the God of truth and grace as they have hardened their hearts against the truth.
    Shame on you if you do not join in the chorus of those outraged against the abuses in your midst in the Assembly!
    Blessings on all who have the courage to stand up and speak out re. the abuses!  God is on the side of the truth.
                                 God Bless the truly repentant!  Mark

[Rachel]

Mark

You put that so well.  You are exactly right.  Assembly members who are finding this out for the first time need to realize that the leadership has known about this for a long time (decades).  They have ignored and or actively covered up these abuses.  The leadership have so hardened themselves and convinced themselves that they are right that they will have and currently have no qualms about lieing to continue covering the abuse.  The leadership is so compromised that their primary goal is no longer godliness and truth but rather keeping their place in the assembly by not rocking the boat and by maintaining the assembly's exsistence.  They have proven they will stop at nothing to dismiss and control the reports of abuse that have come out.  They have no desire to see justice or morallity.  They only desire their place of authority, the perks of their position and their feeling of spiritual superiority.

[trockman]

Just a few words,

The word is out regarding this website. A few points to consider:

The website is not registered with search engines
Virtually all of our visitors are connected to the Assembly
Everything said can be verified
People are willing and ready to testify to the truthfullness of what has been said here

Regarding the Assembly "leaders"

They have been repeatedly begged to discuss these things, they have refused
They have never, at any time, in any way apologized to those who have been wronged
They always say that people who have something negative to say are Liars, telling only lies.

So, I know some of you are having trouble with all this, finding it hard to swallow.  Well, it is hard. It is incredibly wicked if you stop to think about it, and it is very embarrasing that we ever had anything to do with it.  

Think of all the people that went to one Bible study and walked out in the middle of it.  They saw it!  It is quite obvious, but because it is so painful to our pride and self image, we don't want to deal with it.

Yet, if we ignore it, we sear our conscience and will suffer far more.  The truth is nothing to be afraid of, unless you are a liar.

"the righteous are as bold as lions, but the wicked flee when no man pursues."

Who is boldly in the light, and who is wicked, and afraid?  Good questions to ask.

Brent

[editor]

The Editor is on vacation,

From 12/24/2002 until 01/03/2002

Please continue to enjoy the BB and other features in my absence.

editor

[editor]

Hello everyone!

I'm back.
could someone please tell me what has been going on around here?

Editor.

[Kay]

Hi Mr. Editor,
It appears a major upheaval is taking place. Many fingers are tyring to plug the holes, but the pressure is greater and the holes are getting larger. Some ppl are still in deep denial. And many ppl are gaining clarity to see reality.
Welcome Back!  

[lemonlime]

Hiya
I'm here because I'm here. If that makes sense. Anyway, I really just want to say I'm glad that God's got a plan for everything and even when things get off His plan, He's got a backup plan to fix our mistakes and still get fruit from it.

Anywho, my name's Emily, and im 15. That's about all there is to know about me... I love Christian music, particularly Switchfoot, Jars of Clay, DcTalk, Avalon, and Rebecca St James.

My family left the assembly because of alot of things. I was given the choice to go or stay and I decided to leave. I decided this was the right choice of action because...well on top of the whole David Geftakys situaton, when looking back on the treatment of myself, my mom, and my siblings from the assembly, I realized that what I was experiencing in the assembly wasn't true fellowship. The assembly, at least where the teens are concerned, has turned into a clique, where certain people are excluded because they're different. The teen group is a joke. They sit around and talk about football. Not that I dont like football, but where's the glorification of God in that? Do we fellowship over football?If so, we must be very shallow Christians. I felt like everyone was pressuring me to act more Christian, and to conform to their standards...but it seemed that all they ever did was go through the motions and say all the right words. Anyway... I was also treated very badly by certain people of the assembly. I've forgiven them but I haven't forgotten them.

In any case, I just wanted to say "hi" to everyone here. Send me an email or an IM or something if you wanna talk.
-Emily

[4Him]

I am here because God has sovereignly, suddenly opened my eyes.  He did it in His way and in His time.  I am here because for the first time in a very long time I am enjoying my relationship to Jesus Christ and to all of my dear fellow believers.  I am here because of new friends with names like Rachel & Brent, etc.  I am here because I love my dear wife and children.  I am here because I want to enjoy true fellowship.  I am here because I love all of my brothers and sisters and desire that they would come out into the light and renounce the hidden things of darkness!

Oh, and I also heartily welcome Steve and Margaret.

[Bob Sturnfield]

Welcome 4Him

Teresa and my children have said that they have never seen me so happy.

James and Sharon have really been enjoying it at Harvest Bible Chapel. After last night's meeting, James was asking when it would be Wednesday again so they can go back. They are diligently working on their memory verses, songs and gospel for next week.

Sharon has also been asking when we can go back to Grace's church? (Wheaton Evangelical Free Church where Garth & Sue attend).  I have never seen Sharon and Jamey so eager to go to meetings nor enjoy it so much.

Emily has been enjoying the regular worship time and our Peak Performance class at HBC. However, I took her to the Teen Worship on Sunday night and she is still talking about how much she loved it. Yes, I have also never seen her so enjoy herself as in Worshipping the Lord with the Teens there. She was also pointing out that she already had underlined every verse shared in ministry that night. It was like the Lord was speaking directly to her.

Emily says she has never seen so many teenagers that love the Lord so much and are so serious in their walk with the Lord.

As it says in 3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Ps 126:1 When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.
2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3  The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.