Coffee Breaks

"Coffee was brewed and poured into the enema bags--black! No cream and sugar were allowed."

December 8, 2000
By a former member of the Geftakys "Assembly"

The Geftakys ministry, sometimes referred to by outsiders as "The Assembly," remains unknown to most people. If not for the book "Churches that Abuse," by Ronald Enroth, very few would have ever heard of this group. Recently, information about this group has been published on the Internet so more people are informed and warned about its aberrant brand of Christianity.

What I would like to do is make people aware of just how funny some of the Assembly's practices really are. Hopefully, with this short story I can put some "fun" back in the word dysfunctional! Humor is after all one of the most effective ways to teach.

The following account is 100% accurate, down to the last detail. Anyone who was involved in the group during the 80's or early 90's can corroborate this story and many more just like it.

As a member of The Assembly I lived in group housing with five other young men, between the ages of 18 and 24, attending college in what was called a "Brothers House." In this house there was also a newly married couple and their newborn baby.

We had meals together every night. Meals were not to be missed without permission from leadership in our house. We took turns cooking, cleaning up, and making lunches for each other on a daily basis. We had to follow recipes precisely regarding almost anything, because we were learning to be "faithful." Accidentally leaving the chips out of someone's lunch bag would result in consequences. That is, corrective punishment, which taught us to be faithful in even little things. To serve a meal late resulted in another half hour of consequence time. This in turn supposedly would make us fit to serve in the big things, like leading singing, giving announcements at meetings and leading witnessing. In spite of this regimentation, our diet was fairly normal, with only a few weird dishes to prepare once in a while. But this all changed when Betty came to visit.

Betty Geftakys is the wife of George Geftakys--the absolute leader of "The Assembly" (except perhaps for God Himself--who George seems to speak for). Betty was 58 at the time I knew her. However, she looked and acted like 80. Prior to actually meeting her I was told many stories about how wise, how "Godly," how very practical, clever and full of good advice she was. I was really looking forward to meeting this great "Servant of God."

The first thing I noticed when Betty came to visit was that everyone cleaned up his or her act in a hurry. The house, if at all possible, was cleaner than before. The conversation at the table, which was always a sort of a forced spiritual banter--was even more lofty and "spiritual."

After dinner, we always read from a devotional, going around the table with each of us in turn sharing our thoughts about the reading. But after Betty's arrival I discovered some of the brothers reading the devotional before dinner for more time to prepare and formulate their deep thoughts. When it was Betty's turn to share we all remained silent in anticipation of the wisdom that would come forth from her lips. She had a few things to say, but most of us did not understand what she meant--we pretended though saying "Amen," and "Praise the Lord."

The fact that everyone else seemed to be getting blessed and had the capacity to comprehend Betty's supposedly advanced insights only served to drive us on to really "lay hold" of "new truth." Consequently, most of us began meeting with Betty, having her go over our schedules, help us decide which classes to take, and getting advice on all manner of health issues--from acne to bowel and liver cleansing.

This is when the real fun began. From the beginning of Betty's visit I knew something was different because our household shopping and grocery list changed so dramatically. We bought box after box of very expensive organic lettuce, apples, celery and carrots. We also had yams and other items that were not at all on our normal list of foods. A commercial quality juicer appeared on the counter.

Many "Saints" (group members) then appeared to slice, dice and juice enormous quantities of organic vegetables for Betty's special diet. Betty in no way ever ate what we ate. She very rarely lifted a pan, never cleaned up and never went shopping. This "Servant of God" had special needs consisting of green drinks, carrot drinks, raw organic calf liver juice and plenty of coffee.

In preparation for Betty's visits the saints would take vacation time and rearrange their schedules to come and juice for her. There are Assembly houses in different parts of the country that seem to exist for the sole purpose of serving George and Betty Geftakys. When people move into these homes they agree to eat a certain way and use only water, lemon juice and baking soda to clean. No microwaves allowed. Special laundry soap is used and only cast iron or glass cookware. These are the special guidelines set within such houses according to Betty to have her special needs met. These rules allow her to serve the dear saints more effectively. Betty makes quite an impact on any local assembly.

When I first saw all the special groceries I was intrigued. There were a dozen jumbo-sized coffee cans. What was this? I was curious. When I saw an enema bag in the bathroom I was astonished.

My brethren in the house seemed to suffer from all manner of health problems--from acne to drug and alcohol abuse. One brother even had trouble staying awake in our afternoon meeting. Betty expertly diagnosed every brother. Everyone needed the same detoxifying diet, "cleanses," or "purges."

Local medical supply houses soon had a run on enema bags. Around 10 young college students and one married couple purchased a certain brand of enema bag that effectively allowed one to do a home colonic--right there on the bathroom floor! I am not talking about the small squeeze bulbs that might be used for constipation. I am talking about an apparatus that hangs from the door, has long tubes and a specially curved probe that supposedly penetrates--up where those toxins live. Care was taken to insure that each bag properly labeled to identify its owner.

You may be wondering, as I was, what all the coffee had to do with this. Well, the coffee was brewed cowboy style in a big pot and poured into the enema bags--black! No cream and sugar were allowed. Then brothers were instructed that this coffee (once injected) was to be retained in the bowel for 30 minutes or so. This procedure was to be done two to five times a day. The brothers who went through this process often expressed gleeful amazement over "what came out." Many of them experienced a real boost of energy after having all that caffeine right before a meeting. Staying awake was now easy--if the liver was "properly cleansed." This practice was continued through an illness, or if someone just didn't feel right and/or whenever Betty suggested it.

There is no gathering of the Geftakys ministry within the United States that didn't have several saints "on Gerson," which is the diet I have described. Whenever someone had any kind of health problem, they were admonished to "get on Gerson and detox!"

Whenever Betty came to town a whole army of people would not only come over to serve and prepare her juices, but many of "the faithful" would also get back on track by getting out the old enema bag again.

I don't know about other people, but when I think of a bunch of young men in the prime of life, devoting their time to laying on the bathroom floor pumping coffee up their rectums--it seems pretty weird. Looking back I have to laugh--it was so absurd!

At Betty's suggestion, a whole religious organization became swept up in coffee enemas. This was not a quick fad, but a practice that continued on for decades. Many of those who refrained from following the diet still helped by preparing the juices and supporting this bizarre practice. This practice has continued to this day as far as I am aware.

As with any Geftakys teaching, there is always some supposed point. But the practical point to understand is to realize how much power the George and Betty Geftakys exercise over the lives of their "servants." And also how much they have beaten down any member's sense of discernment and/or individuality.

Those who participated failed to recognize just how extreme and abnormal their group had become. If this is not thought reform and coercive persuasion I don't know what is.

So, if you meet a member of the Geftakys Assembly and they invite you to a "coffee break," be on your guard and always insist your coffee be served in a cup with a little cream and sugar.