Author Archives
Margaret Irons and her husband Steve and three children were in the Fullerton Geftakys Assembly for twenty years. We left in March, 1990. We are still recovering and learning in Orange County, CA.
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Gretchen’s Story – Readers’ Comments
Comments from Readers December 2004, Bob Franzese, an AK from Omaha: “I would like to commend Gretchen W. on her well thought-out and extremely well written article about the Assembly in Omaha and the major issues that surrounded it. It… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Conclusion
Wellspring Retreat characterized the Geftakys Assembly as a T.A.C.O. — a Totalist Aberrant Christian Organization. [….]
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 9
“The group’s totalist environment emphasizes that the members are part of an elite or special group. Outsiders are considered unworthy or unenlightened. This leads to the thinking that their whole existence centers on being in the group. If you leave,… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 8
“As members rewrite their own personal history or ignore it, they are simultaneously taught to interpret reality through the group concepts and ignore their own experiences and feelings as they occur. Members learn to fit themselves into the group’s way… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 7
“The group’s language serves the purpose of constructing their thinking and shutting down critical thinking abilities. “Groupspeak” forces members to censor, edit and slow down spontaneous bursts of criticism or opposite ideas. Soon members find it easier to talk among… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 6
“The teachings of the group are viewed as the ultimate, unquestionable truth. The leader of the group is likewise above criticism as the spokesperson for God on earth, whose Truth should be applied to all humankind. Anyone who disagrees or… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 5
“Past and present behavior, and undesirable feelings are to be confessed. However, the information gained about you can be used against you to make you feel more guilty, powerless, fearful and ultimately in need of the group and the leader’s… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 4
Demand for Purity “Unreasonable rules and unreachable standards are imposed upon the members. The critical, shaming essence of the cult environment is gradually internalized by the members, which builds lots of guilt and shame, further magnifying their dependence on the… Read More ›
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 3
Mystical Manipulation “The group attributes supernatural influences where none are present: attributing an accident to a member who left to be due to “God’s punishment”, or manipulating situations so they appear spontaneous. Members believe that their new feelings and behavior… Read More ›
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The Cult of the Narcissist
A narcissistic leader shapes the character of the group….
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 2
Nancy would spend hours with me on the phone, teaching me the “right way to think”.
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Gretchen’s Story – Part 1
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George Geftakys has died…
George Geftakys slipped into a coma on August 11, 2014, and died at 6:15 p.m. He was buried in a private service at the Riverside National Cemetery. Your reflections prompted by this event are welcome here, on the website, and on the… Read More ›
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My Theological House
Sandy Blank went through the big doctrinal changes in the Worldwide Church of God, became thoroughly disillusioned, and walked out. After having a powerful conversion experience she went back to Worldwide (now Grace Communion International) to try to make a… Read More ›
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God’s love letter….
Here is the message of God’s love in paraphrased words from scripture in a six minute video. Be blessed! Or maybe not. If you’ve experienced spiritual abuse, you might be thinking, “But what does that mean?? God let me get… Read More ›
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“What is God’s Will?….”
“How can I know what God wants me to do?” Ask this question, and often the answer you’ll get is, “You need to hear from God, see his hand in circumstances, then expect confirmation.” Missionaries recount marvelous examples of this…. Read More ›
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Childhood conversion….
In all the discussion about child-rearing methods, one aspect that hasn’t received much attention is how the issue relates to children’s conversion. In an Assembly-type group there’s the assumption that the parents’ “child training” is the underpinning of a child’s… Read More ›
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Does discipline really produce godly character…?
I was talking with someone who visited the Assembly once in 1992 with her husband and children. Once, mind you. And that was a long time ago. “We never came back,” she said, “because I just couldn’t make the commitment to raise… Read More ›
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“The Happy Room”
Just finished reading The Happy Room by Catherine Palmer, a fictionalized account of growing up as a missionary kid in Africa. Very interesting parallels with the Assembly. Children of missionaries are now termed “third culture kids”. I think many Assembly… Read More ›
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“Spiritual power”….
A Christian cult uses the term “spiritual power” to motivate people to have daily devotions, and manipulate them into wanting to become “power centers of divine authority” over others in the hierarchical system.
