What Isaac Noriega giveth, he taketh away

In this article, we explore the financial practices of Golden Dawn Tabernacle/Tabernaculo Emanuel. Specifically, the use of church funds by Pastor Isaac Noriega as gifts or loans to certain members, and the requirement for repayment if they or their relatives violate any of the frivolous church rules.

Summary Facts

• According to public records, Isaac Noriega has provided loans to church members using church funds, with a total amount exceeding $700,000 over the last decade.
• The loans are selectively provided to certain church families favored by Isaac, and are granted to individuals deemed deserving by him.
• In some instances, Pastor Isaac will offer church funds as a gesture of kindness and generosity, but may demand repayment in vengefulness.
• Isaac states that the church funds are used to assist "little brothers," but in actuality, it appears that the money is being utilized in ways that benefit him and increase his control over the church community.

Church Loans to Church Members

Tabernaculo Emanuel has provided loans to selected church members over several decades, some of which are publicly recorded due to the requirement for church members to offer their homes as collateral through a warranty deed in case of loan default. Our investigation will focus on these recorded loans, but it should be noted that there may be additional privately administered loans not documented in public records. The church has reportedly loaned approximately $736,680 to its members in the last decade, based on the publicly available records.

A brief history moment: Before becoming a pastor, Isaac Noriega had a professional background as a collections and loan officer at a local bank. Some former and current church members may remember him sharing tales from his previous career during his sermons.

What is concerning about Pastor Isaac's past as a collections and loan officer, is that he appears to be using that experience in his current role as a minister, which raises ethical and conflict of interest concerns. It has been reported to us that Pastor Isaac has been using church funds as a personal bank, granting loans to select church members, paying off home mortgages as a gift, financing businesses, and even purchasing properties for relatives prior to their bankruptcy, as mentioned in our previous article on Church Property. We believe these practices are motivated more by a desire for control rather than a genuine desire to help others. 

Helping the little brothers or the big brothers?

The Gutierrez family is one of the most affluent families in the church, owning Capstone Masonry, which was formerly run by Robert Gutierrez Sr. as RCG Enterprises before being passed on to Robert Gutierrez Jr. (Robbie), who also happens to be a church trustee. In 2017, Robert Gutierrez Sr. and Rose Marie received a church loan of $150,000, which they recently paid off in 2022 after selling their mansion for $1.3 million, as indicated in this Zillow listing. Examining their mansion's pictures, it raises questions about the supposed financial difficulties they faced that prompted them to take a loan from the church, using the tithing money of hardworking church members. Did they use church funds to finance their luxurious lifestyle? This seems to contradict Pastor Isaac Noriega's statements as discussed in a previous article, and shown in the recording below, in which he claims to use the church money to help the "little brothers." This does not appear to align with the notion of helping those in need.

It is also worth noting that the Gutierrez family business also received two separate Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) business loans (link1, link2) amounting to $169,497 from the Federal government, that were forgiven during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Isaac Noriega giveth, he taketh away

In 2021, Pastor Isaac Noriega gifted a church family with the payment of their home mortgage balance, totaling $91,249, using church funds on February 1, 2021, as shown in public records below. The family was not in need and did not request the financial assistance, but Isaac proceeded to gift them the funds anyway. However, when Isaac learned that the sons in the family did not meet his expectations, he demanded that the parents repay the loan by placing their home into a warranty deed to the church on December 20, 2021. He used the phrase "What the Lord giveth, he taketh away" to justify the demand for repayment. In 2022, under intense pressure from Isaac, the family was forced to eject one of their sons from their home for violating church rules. It is believed that Isaac was able to exert this pressure due to his control over the family's finances. The transactions can be seen in the public records. This is just one example, but the public records indicate that this type of financial coercion has happened several times with other families in the church.

Below is the Public Records Loan History from Tabernaculo Emanuel to various church congregants. These public records can be verified via the public sequence record numbers at https://www.recorder.pima.gov/PublicServices/PublicSearch.

Summary

Pastor Isaac Noriega seems to use church funds for his own purposes, rather than for the benefit of those in need. If someone disobeys his rules, he uses his control over their finances to exert pressure and coercion. He has lent church money to favored families, including paying off their mortgages, but it is questionable that these financial transactions are meant to help "little brothers" as his actions demonstrate how he uses church funds as a way to expand his control over the congregants.

Pastor Isaac Noriega claims to use the church funds for charitable purposes, but the truth seems to be that he uses the money for personal gain and to exert control over the congregation. The church lacks transparency and there is no accountability in the way the funds are being used. No evidence of community outreach exists, and the board of trustees seems to have no authority over the utilization of church funds. Given the lack of transparency and accountability, it raises serious concerns about how the church funds are being managed by Isaac, who openly admits to controlling church funds.

Is Pastor Isaac Noriega's handling of church funds impeding the growth and well-being of those around him? Would Jesus approve of using tithe money in such a controlling and harmful manner? The harmful effects of the financial control and coercion by Isaac are real, and have resulted in families being divided and separated. Can you imagine being a father or mother that is forced to kick out their 18 or 19 year old son from their home because Isaac demands it?

1 Timothy 5:8 says "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

Not only is what Isaac doing going unethical and divisive, but it is goes against scripture and he is forcing church parents to do it. How is that Christlike? It appears that Isaac's behavior aligns more with the actions of the Pharisees who cared more about money than the principles and values of Christians.

Do you have any church financial information you'd like to report about Golden Dawn Tabernacle / Tabernaculo Emanuel? Please feel free to comment below, or you can contact us below, anonymously, or if you would like us to respond to you, please provide an email address or phone number.

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Archived Comments

5 comment(s) imported from the original site:

Anonymous — February 4, 2023

Wow! So the congregants hard earned money goes to funding mansions??

Also referring to adult men as little brothers is patronizing.

Loza Family — February 6, 2023

A brother from GD who was left paralyzed from a car accident received a settlement of several million dollars. The brother has several children and grandchildren who attend Golden Dawn. Just before the settlement arrived the Brother and his wife made promises to their children to assist them in several such as collage tuition for their grandchildren and home renovations etc. I have spoke with the family of the man who received the large settlement and a few of his sons and some his grandchildren. They advised me of the day the money came in Isaac took his 10% (a couple million) Isaac then proceeded to tell the man to not loan any money or buy anything for his kids because it was Gods money not the families. Isaac gave specific directions for the man to only assist 2 kids in particular. These 2 kids happen to be a deacon and one is married to a deacon. The man’s other children were refused several hundred dollars to make home renovations. Another was refused assistance in buying a car. None of the grandchildren have received a penny for college. The lack of assistance is not the purpose for the post. It is to uncover the reason why they refused to assist the other children. The man who received the settlement was ordered by ISAAC to not give his kids money without asking him first because ‘IT IS GODS MONEY’ when the children who were left out of being loaned money the man would reply ‘BRO ISAAC said God told him you don’t need the money’ So why is Isaac controlling a man’s settlement?

Anonymous — February 11, 2023

Isaac took his tithing from the settlement? That is insane. This is a business operation controlled by one greedy man, not a religious entity. It’s clear now. This is not biblical and yet people still choose to follow him blindly.

Anonymous — February 16, 2023

^^^FACTS^^^ Its strange that the 2 deacons get to live in luxury and no one else gets a thing. I guess they gave enough to the big man that they get a pass to do whateve they want. Before I left GD I was hired to work at both of the deacons mansions in the tucson mountains and there is no expense too high for these guys. Anything they want they get and have in their mansions (including TV’s). Yet they wont lift a finger to help anyone else. Its all about them and their kids. It doesnt matter what their family decides to do with the money but its strange that some get and some dont. They both act like they have good jobs to pay for the extravigent lifestyle, but one does construction and another is in sales. No way they could afford anything they have without tapping the family well. But they paid their dues, so they are free to do what they want.

Israel zepeda — June 1, 2023

I remember years ago some family members of mine needed help and Ismael Noriega (Isaac) told them he was supposedly going to help them but never did, its hard to believe how the people can’t see all the damage he has caused and continues to do it