Who Has The Tapes?

[Vandyyke]

  As I recall almost every Fullerton Bible Study was tape recorded. I also remember seminar's video taped.

        Who has them?  Would you consider donating them to the CSUF archives?

[Margaret]

Where is the archive stored? Somewhere on the CSUF campus? Is it accessible to non-students? Can items be checked out? Who is in charge of maintaining it?

[Flora]

For what its worth, my vote would be for the Tapes to be donated to those responsible for the Assembly Reflections web site, as part of their history record.

A University archive in California would not be accessible to those of us who don't live in California. We need to keep in mind that this was a world wide ministry.

One time when I visited Fullerton I discovered that listening to tapes was an optional thing on Saturday morning. People showed up in jeans and only a few people attended. In Fullerton, on Sunday afternoons, there was Stated Ministry meetings.

However, in Canada, Tape Ministry meetings were assembly meetings and definately not optional. They took place every Sunday afternoon, and we wore head coverings. We did not have Stated Ministry; we had Tape Ministry. So we listened to George on Tape EVERY SUNDAY.

Although I never want to listen to another message by George, occasionally I wonder what it was that he said that convinced me to make such stupid, idiotic decisions. We made decisions based on what George taught, that had huge impacts on our lives, and on our family relationships.

Most of my family have forgiven me, but not all. I am still experiencing the consequenses of decisions I made while in this organization. I often ask myself: "Why did I make such a stupid, idiotic decision?"

So, it might be good to have the tapes accessible, in case I ever want to find out the answer to that question.

Just my opinion,

Flora

[Margaret]

When we were in the ass'y the tape library was located in GG's house. I have a feeling one of the first things GG did when he was in hot water was recall all the other tapes he could get hold of. However, there are still a few out there. Not any seminars, that I know of, though. If anyone is interested please send me a private message or email.

I think part of the answer the question Flora asks herself can be found in material already made public on ga.com: the unethical influence GG exerted through his twisting of the scriptures, to instill fear and guilt - fear of failing, fear of "the flesh", fear of "the world" and the "worldly churches", fear of making a wrong decision, etc. etc. Another component can probably only be gotten from listening to a tape - GG's charisma and persuasiveness.

[Vandyyke]

One solution would be to make copies for both archives. The archives at C.S.U.F. have securities that ga.com may not and vice versa.

[outdeep]

I didn't post but Margaret took my words:  I remember the tape room in George's house.  Even when things were cool in the Assembly, they had a pretty good watch over the tapes.  I think getting Sunday morning tapes was fairly easy but you had to get special permission to get seminar tapes and return them within a week.  So I would suspect George has them stashed away or had them destroyed.  The only exception would be is if the few pro-George Assemblies were still using them.

One of the biggest shockers for me when I left in 1990 was seeing that large churches, as a matter of course, sell their tapes at cost to anyone who wants them!  No worry of their "words falling into wrong hands and being twisted".  Their teachings stood on their own merit.

A huge regret I had after I left is that I didn't smuggle out a tape made around 1989-1990.  At that time, the leading brother's were working overtime trying to find scriptures to rally folks around staying in the Assembly after the Iron's left.  Mark Miller (always one for nuance and subtlety   ) gave a message on the "Scriptural basis of leaving".  Basically, you were left with 1) You can leave to help an existing Assembly 2) you can leave if you are sent into the work to start a new Assembly 3) you are a heretic.

I'm not making this up.  He stated in that tape that if you leave for any reason other than #1 and #2, you are causing divisions (heretic means causing a division) and you should be marked and avoided.  (Dan Notti at the time was preaching that being in fellowship was like a marriage commitment and God hates divorce.  Wish I knew when the wedding took place!)

I had always wished that before I left I had gotten a copy of Mark's tape and made an "illegal" copy to share with the masses.

Now, that is not here nor there.

Nevertheless, it would be interesting to wade through some tapes for some reasons stated in other posts but I really doubt that they are in a place where they are available.

[just me]

robert@amradvertising.com

This is Robert Ressegues email.  He was in charge of the Fullerton Assembly to some extent last I heard.  He would know where the tapes are because he was in charge of maintaining the building for the Fullerton Assembly.

[matthew r. sciaini]

If I am not mistaken, Jim McAllister from Pasadena came and took the tapes when everything went down in Fullerton over five years ago.

After that, I don't know.

You should be able to find Jim's number in the Pasadena area phone book.

Matt Sciaini 

[Joe Sperling]

Somewhere in Halifax, Nova Scotia,  "Chimpanzee Research Center":

"This is amazing!! Where did we get these tapes!!??? The six chimpanzee subjects under study,
when exposed to this voice, fell asleep within minutes!! Call National Geographic immediately.
We'll want to get these tapes into their hands to use in the jungles of the congo. We won't
need to use elephant tranquilizer any more.  What a godsend!!"

Casper, Wyoming    "National Center of Cerebral Studies":

"Nate!!  Nate!!   Look at Darla, our comatose patient!!  I'm not sure where these tapes came
from, but they are affecting her!!  Watch!! I turn on the tape, and this man's droning voice comes
on. Now, watch as she reaches for the Doily on the table and puts it on top of her head. It happens
every time I turn on the tape. I'm not sure why!"

[Vandyyke]

Dave, I remember very clearly Mark's message.As I recall  he threw in a story about a brother from Santa Barbara who had "left Fellowship" and was soon killed in a plane crash. I also remember Charlie Mather announcing (at one of the first meetings I attended-1980) that "personal tape recorders were no longer permitted"..."because people were misquoting the ministry" Now imagine for a second if you wanted to "misquote" someone, it would be pretty damming if you had them on tape saying exactly what you just "misquoted" them with. So why didn't someone stand up and say something?

Just Me. I just sent an E-mail to Bob. Will he give them to me?  Who knows? "You have not because you ask not!"





During the 1970's I can remember enthusiastic people at Calvary Chapel and other churches who use to carry their tape recorders with them to record messages. They were like, "Oh boy, I'm gonna listen to this again!"  I am not sure if this sort of thing still goes on anywhere. 

[Vandyyke]

Re. The Tapes:  (Please begin the theme music of the Mission Impossible series in your mind before you read this post  )

  I distinctly remember that just after the excommunication of GG a post on this BB reported that Mike Almanzor was involved in a clandestine and successful mission to get all the tapes away from Fullerton.

  Mike took it upon himself to sneak into the tape storage area and whisk them away before Bob Res. could stop him.  Though this would appear to be dishonest, and/or stealing, it really wasn't because the Fullerton ex-communicators of GG would have perverted the true meaning behind the words GG spoke.

  Most would not understand how an unedited tape could twist the true meaning of the words spoken, but that is because of a lack of true Heavenly Vision on the part of those not loyal to GG.  Mike Almanzor demonstrated this "vision" by rejecting the excommunication of GG on the basis that though GG indeed was involved with young women in the group immorally (Mike openly agreed to the charges) it didn't really count.   Why?  because of certain procedural technicalities (read here: "if it does not fit, you must acquit!").

  Mike, Pasadena Jim, etc. now have "lost the Vision", and turned GG out to pasture, so I assume they might be willing to part with the tapes now and sip some wine with us to boot    !!  Yes, I am being sarcstic, but I do recall the above story being told here.

                                                                          God Bless,  Mark C.

[amycahill]

I actually have one.  I was helping out with the tape ministry around the time that I was disciplined/fled, and one ended up in my possession.  It says:  "A Call To Reality:  The One And The Many," has my name written on it, and is dated 3/31/91.  It is tape #6.  Also has a note asking me to return it by April 30th, which I obviously never did.  Was this a seminar?

[Vandyyke]

  Hey, I was there!   Please send it to me??

[amycahill]

  Hey, I was there!   Please send it to me??

I was thinking about this and if I indeed have the only seminar tape anybody knows of, I'm not sending it anywhere.

Planning on having it made into a CD, though, and THAT I'll share with whoever wants it!

[Vandyyke]

Thanks! btw Last week I took all of the materials I had collected up to the Oral History Department. They were amazed! Of all the people I have ever talked to about The Assembly these people seem to have an appreciation/understanding that others don't. They are acutely aware of the roles of religion in society. I find it very refreshing!


   Please anyone else?  If you have anything you can contribute please do!!!