The purpose of this post is to bring attention to what at first seems like a noble endeavor, a residential complex created to provide lodging for elderly and widowed congregants. But also to raise significant apprehensions as there have been reports of mistreatment of the elderly individuals that reside in this compound. The abuse of the elderly is an issue of utmost gravity, and we intend to delve deeper into the treatment of widows and the ill in future posts. For the time being, however, our focus in this post will be restricted to the happenings within the elder complex.

Pictures of the Elder Residential Compound - note the locked gates

Elder Compound History

Construction of the elder complex started with a single duplex in 1998, with permits filed on September 24 of that year for Unit #01 and #02 located at 338 E Elvado Rd. Notably, Pastor Isaac Noriega's mother was one of the first residents of this duplex.

Original permit: T98CM03185

Parcel #: 138-17-047C

Over time, the church procured additional land and constructed more units to add to the complex. The most recent significant expansion took place in 2017, which marked the completion of the final units now has 8 duplex buildings, totaling 16 residential units.

338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 1 UNIT  1 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 1 UNIT  2 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 2 UNIT  1 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 2 UNIT  2 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 3 UNIT  1 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 3 UNIT  2 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 4 UNIT  1 
338 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 4 UNIT  2 

348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 1 UNIT  1 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 1 UNIT  2 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 2 UNIT  1 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 2 UNIT  2 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 3 UNIT  1 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 3 UNIT  2 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 4 UNIT  1 
348 E ELVADO  RD  BLDG 4 UNIT  2 

Aerial view of compound

At the outset, the church apartments, as they are referred to, appeared to be an incredibly admirable concept - a housing initiative designed to accommodate widows and the elderly who had no other place to go. The initial residents moved in and relished their time there, utilizing the adjacent church parking lot to walk, exercise, and welcome visitors frequently. However, as time passed, more and more regulations were introduced, and it is now widely known within the church community that residing in the apartments should be avoided due to the multitude of petty rules and absence of autonomy.

Unwritten Elder Compound Rules

The elder residents are required to follow these rules:

  • The compound features gates that are locked at sunset, implicitly imposing a curfew that the elderly inhabitants are obliged to adhere to (commonly known as the "sunset curfew rule").
  • The elders keep a watchful eye on one another and will report any violations of Church Rules to the church leadership.
  • Elderly residents are expected to arrive early at the service since the elder residential complex is situated next to the church, making it an easy walk.
  • Elder sisters are prohibited from walking laps in the church parking lot, as Pastor Isaac Noriega states that it is reminiscent of the behavior of prostitutes. They are now only permitted to walk within the much smaller housing parking lot.
  • Monitoring of visitors to the compound is carried out, and individuals must have an acceptable status with the church leadership before they can visit the residents. Furthermore, if the residents have any family members who are not associated with the church, they are not allowed to visit.
  • The presence of pets is strictly prohibited in the compound, primarily because of Isaac's aversion to animals.
  • Elder sisters must abide by Pastor Isaac Noriega's regulations, including strict time limits for grocery shopping and obtaining his permission for any impromptu outings.
  • Discouragement of children playing and making noise is evident in the compound, and this policy greatly discourages grandchildren from visiting.
  • Any modifications or alterations to the apartments are forbidden, and it's not unusual for trustees to carry out inspections of the homes.

Financial Concerns

It has been reported that some residents either pay rent or pay a "buyout" fee to live in the units. In some instances, elderly individuals were compelled to sell their homes and hand over the proceeds to the church, to be able to live a duplex unit. When these residents passed away, the unit was emptied and readied for the next occupant, leaving nothing for their surviving family. These issues raise significant concerns about the church solely owning the apartments and who is profiting from this practice.

In addition, since the church technically owns all of the duplex units, and they are part of the church property parcel 138-17-047C, the entire residential compound is tax exempt as shown in the 2022 Tax Statement for this parcel.

It's worth noting that some of the original duplex units did not have air conditioning, and some residents had to pay to have it added to their units.

Summary

Several residents have shared their concerns about feeling deceived after moving into the elder residential compound. They report being presented with an attractive proposition but were not made aware of the unwritten rules until after selling their homes and moving in. The pressure put on the elders to sell their homes and give the proceeds to the church is a clear violation of their rights and freedom to make decisions about their own assets and properties. The ownership and profits of the units remain unclear. This raises ethical concerns about the use of the elders' assets for the church's gain and the use of volunteer labor to remodel and flip homes. The requirement for elder sisters to meet Pastor Isaac Noriega's rules, such as time limits for grocery shopping and obtaining his permission for unplanned excursions, is a form of psychological abuse that strips the elders of their autonomy and independence. This treatment can lead to a harmful environment for the elders, and the expectation for them to police each other and report rule-breaking creates an atmosphere of fear and distrust. This can cause serious harm to the mental and physical well-being of the elders. In conclusion, the rules described above are a clear indication of elder abuse at the church elder residential compound. Elder abuse in any form is unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

Do you have any elder residential housing information you'd like to report about Golden Dawn Tabernacle / Tabernaculo Emanuel? Please feel free to comment below, or you can contact us, anonymously, or if you would like us to respond to you, please provide an email address or phone number at this link: Contact Us.

Archived Comments#

7 comment(s) imported from the original site:

Or the highway — March 15, 2023#

This is one of the saddest post I have seen here. Because it’s true. Just imagine a widow that just lost her husband. She sold her house, she gave all her money to the church, she moves into the compound”voluntarily”because she is now following her new husband’s leadership (Isaac Noriega). On top of all that she cannot be visited by family not even her own children unless permission from Isaac is granted. Which in most cases it’s not granted. Those widows are miserable. They suffer alone. I saw it first hand. Some of them have said that it’s like a prison in there. Most of them are not even allowed to go to the grocery store. Or even visit anywhere. If they do they must be back before sunset and will get yelled at by Isaac the next day,( because it is a required priority to call Isaac when you come home.) Which in return makes them not want to get in trouble so they just won’t go anywhere anymore. I had one of the beautiful ladies tell me that she just didn’t want to live anymore. She would rather not wake up. It’s real folks. This is happening. It’s heartbreaking. People got to keep speaking up! Keep shining light on the darkness.

Isaac is Pure Evil — March 21, 2023#

What a POS. To be this cruel and controlling is evil. What a sad situatiom, to be stuck in his hell.

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Anonymous — October 30, 2024#

Claudia Jacques move into the apartments several years ago, she has gone completely downhill since then. She is always sick and depressed and has lost a lot of weight.

She is only allowed to go out once a month for her groceries and Lucinda Jacques has to follow her around to make sure Claudia Jacques doesn’t meet her mom and brother who have left the GDT.

She has told sisters in the church that Isaac Noriega screams at her all the time. She is a nervous wreck and very depressed, she is coming to the point where she doesn’t want to live any more. Now no one is allowed in her house (not even to drop off some food) unless if she calls for permission, and then she gets yelled at every time.

This is not right!

Anonymous — October 30, 2024#

Now Ezekiel Torres and his wife and daughter have to move from there very nice home, with a beautiful back yard (gardens), to the apartments at the GDT (no backyard there).

Ever since Issac Noriega told them to pack up and move, the Torres family has been very upset and moody with everyone in the church. Susanna Torres even takes her anger out on the children at the GDT school. (She told them that they are all going to hell).

Why is the Torres family being forced to move from a nice home to the apartments at the GDT?

Anonymous — November 2, 2024#

Margaret Noriega is the only widow that gets away with what she says and does. WHY…?

Isaac Noriega favors her over the rest of the widows, because she knows things about him.

She acts like she is his wife, having him for dinner every week, serving him his food even when they are at other people’s house. Isaac Noriega should just marry her.

He put her in charge of the women at foot washing. She watches them like a hawk, and then reports to Matthew Noriega the very next morning what she sees and hears. There are some sisters she hates and those are the ones she watches the most and gives a wrong report about. When someone gets sick in the church, they have her follow them out and stay out the whole service to make sure they are not just acting sick, so she can give a full report to Isaac the next day.

What she needs to do is tell on herself.

She lives a double life; she acts one way to Isaac Noriega and then another way behind his back. She talks really nice and sweet to him and then another way behind his back. She has the Internet and a smartphone, but she will deny it till the day she dies. She has a business selling products that she is hiding from Isaac. Her, and her daughter stay up past midnight texting people from the GDT to buy their products. Does Isaac know she’s doing all this? ….NO!

She has a very big mouth and loves to be on the stupid phone hearing gossip and running people down. She gives excuse that she is calling for recipes and sewing stuff. But really, she is calling for information about people so she can turn around and report to Isaac. That way she can make herself look good and others bad.

She has said that the place where Isaac and his family live is a compound, and that Matthew look his bride to be locked up in a compound. She also calls the apartments at the GDT a compound and has a lot of negative comments to make about the place. Why has she not been forced to go there? She brags to other widows that she gets to go out every day and she gets to have her grandchildren over every day. Why does she get this privilege when others are locked up and never get to see their family. It’s because she kisses up to Isaac and she knows things that go on behind the scenes. So, he lets her get away with everything.

She has said that she doesn’t listen to anything Isaac tells her, she just pretends to listen and then does her own thing. She counsels other widows to do the same and then begs them not to tell on her. Every time she talks to someone, she tells them “Please don’t say anything”. And then she calls the day before communion to asks for forgiveness…. WHAT A JOKE! She loves to tell on others and not herself and she will continue that way till the day she dies.

What we should tell Isaac Is that she is still involved with her family that has left the GDT. I wonder what he would think about that.

The sisters at GDT are tired of her telling on them, especially at foot washing. You can’t even hug and smile at someone, and she will say that you were talking and laughing.

Someone needs to stop her and tell Isaac how she really is!