As we find ourselves in mid-August 2023, we are brought to a reflective pause, thinking back on the tumultuous year of 2020. This year was not only a defining moment for the global population but also a critical juncture for the Golden Dawn Tabernacle. While the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force, countless businesses and religious institutions around the world put protective measures in place to shield their customers and congregations. Governments worldwide recommended social distancing, wearing face masks, limiting gathering sizes, and adhering to stringent hygiene practices to mitigate the spread. Contrarily, the Golden Dawn Tabernacle disregarded these protective steps, resulting in devastating outcomes in the summer of 2020. It’s been roughly three years since the height of the pandemic-related fatalities within the congregation of Golden Dawn Tabernacle. Through this article, we aim to reexamine that period, delving into our investigative findings and the results from public record searches, exploring the Golden Dawn Tabernacle leadership’s approach during the COVID pandemic.
Recap of Tragic COVID-19 Events at GDT
In an earlier piece, we delved into the COVID concerns at GDT, pointing out Pastor Isaac’s seeming indifference towards his congregation’s safety. This indifference resulted in the heart-wrenching loss of eight senior members and the infection of most, if not the entire congregation. We dedicate this article to those church members who tragically passed away due to the pandemic and their families and loved ones. While it’s understandable that the virus might eventually infect a few members of any community, GDT leadership’s blatant disregard for safety measures and their denial of the virus’s dangers is utterly indefensible.
While most other churches within the Message Movement took necessary precautions—many transitioning to online services to protect their members—Pastor Isaac brazenly declared that his church, or the “Bride” as he referred to them, was immune to COVID. He declined to implement any safety protocols and persisted in conducting mandatory church services. Alarmingly, he leaned on statements made by Reverend William Branham in 1963 to downplay the benefits of masks and disinfection over the pulpit such as the one below.
213 Now, some of them said, “Well, now, if the plague falls, we’ll just go in the hospital. If the plague—if the plague happens to fall, you know what we’ll do? We’ll go get Dr. Jones. He’ll know how to take care of it.” It didn’t work. Yet, they were smart. “Well, if the plague falls, we’ll just go down beneath the ground, in a cave, and shut the door down.” That won’t do it one bit of good. “We’ll stay in the house, and put a mask over our face, and—and put some disinfect on it.” Didn’t do a bit of good.
63-0115 – “Accepting God’s Provided Way At The End Time”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
Pastor Isaac Noriega Blaming Congregants For COVID Deaths – Audio Recording
We obtained an audio recording where Pastor Isaac Noriega justifies his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and redirects the blame elsewhere. Concerning his decision not to cancel the thrice-weekly church services throughout the pandemic, he points fingers at the elders and deacons, including the late Brother John Chacon, who is now unable to offer his side of the story. Additionally, Pastor Noriega accuses the church members of introducing the virus to the congregation, because they disobeyed him.
What’s particularly troubling, yet unsurprising, from this recording is the evident lack of genuine empathy Isaac Noriega seems to hold for the members of the Tabernacle Emanuel / Golden Dawn Tabernacle congregation. Despite professing to have a shepherd’s heart, his actions loudly contradict his words. Gathering hundreds of congregants within confined spaces while disregarding safety protocols was a recipe for infection, particularly endangering the elderly. What’s shocking is how swiftly and assertively Isaac places the onus on the members for “introducing” the virus into the church. What’s even more appalling is that he is pointing fingers at a church member, who mourned the loss of his father to Covid – the late translator/elder Pedro Zuniga – accusing him of initiating the outbreak within the church. When confronted with a congregant’s disappointment over his handling of the pandemic, he defensively inquires in the recording, “How come he isn’t upset with himself?” The straightforward reasoning is that no member would risk bringing the virus to the church if they weren’t under intense pressure to attend services even when feeling unwell. And who cultivated such an environment? The culpability surely lies heavily with Pastor Isaac Noriega and the GDT church leadership, especially when considering the resulting casualties.
Pima County Health Department Investigation
As the pandemic intensified worldwide, GDT members were still mandated to attend services in-person, even when confirmed cases emerged within their ranks. Concerns grew not only among family, friends, and coworkers but also among former and current church members. The potential for these gatherings to act as superspreader events raised alarm bells within the broader community. In fact, the Pima County Health Department and local authorities were inundated with complaints regarding GDT’s practices.
We’ve recently received a plethora of information through a public records request from the Pima County Health Department. The findings from this request, which are both revealing and concerning, are detailed further in the sections below. The emails and complaints detailed below validate claims that Pastor Isaac Noriega discouraged congregants from practicing COVID safety practices, such as wearing masks or social distancing. Moreover, these reports suggest that members were hesitant to share accurate information with officials, with some even falsely asserting that the church implemented safety precautions.
Communication Attempts with GDT Leadership
The Health Department, along with other local government bodies, grew increasingly alarmed as they learned more. They made numerous attempts to reach out to the church’s leadership through different channels but were met with silence. Isaac acknowledged these outreach efforts during his sermons, framing it as the church being targeted by an oppressive government.
As an example, below is a letter sent to Isaac Noriega by Manny Mejias, a COVID-10 Emergency Operations Faith Based Liaison, along with COVID safety guidelines for places of worship.
Pima County officials were so desperate to contact the church that they even resorted to throwing COVID-19 guidance information over the church wall in the hopes that it would help.
They also explored legal avenues for action since they were not getting a response from church leadership.
Repository of Public Records Received
Below are copies of the documents we received. Please note that these files were redacted by Pima County. Also, some of these files contain several hundred pages worth of emails.
Case Summaries Below:
Note: “Sx” is a medical abbreviation for “symptoms.”
Although names are redacted, the above case infection and death confirmations provide additional evidence that there were COVID-19 caused deaths at Golden Dawn Tabernacle.
Pima County Health Department Email Records Below (several hundred pages):
Community Reporting Example below:
Below is a list of local agencies that were involved:
Pima County Health Department
Pima County Consumer Health and Food and Safety
Pima County Behavioral Health Department
Summary
In this article, we’ve presented a substantial body of evidence from public records, highlighting serious concerns over the Golden Dawn Tabernacle church ministry’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its tragic outcomes. At least 8 congregants tragically succumbed to COVID-19. We hope their memories live on, and that their families find solace in knowing there were individuals who genuinely tried to assist them. Their names are listed below.
Refugio Escobar Lopez
Pedro Zuñiga
Robert Chacon Sr.
John R Chacon
Frances V Samorano
Anna Chacon
Danny Chavez
Danny Chacon
In the newly unveiled biographical account of Pastor Isaac, titled “The Life Story Of Two Pioneers,” the pandemic and the subsequent COVID-19 deaths at GDT are casually mentioned in just a single paragraph. In stark contrast, the death of Lucy Noriega Rivera is extensively detailed over several pages, as highlighted in the excerpt below (second paragraph). This disparity, in our view, vividly underscores where GDT Leadership’s priorities truly lay.
As highlighted in the audio recording, Pastor Isaac Noriega absolves himself of any responsibility regarding the church’s pandemic response, redirecting blame towards the church ministry (elders, deacons, trustees, etc.). We urge our readers to contemplate: who should bear the responsibility for the pandemic handling at GDT? Should accountability lie with the shepherd or the sheep he professes to guide?
Do you have any information you’d like to share about this topic? Feel free to comment below, or you can contact us directly at our Contact Us page or via our social media accounts below.
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Despues del entierra .. cena para Issac .. Otra maldita tradicion…