THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2021
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WE CAN DO MORE, TOGETHER! By Eddie Campa, Executive Director
It was five years ago in a Cuban restaurant in Miami, Florida, where I had lunch with Bishop President John Fortino. After enjoying a great meal and some fellowship, we had a long discussion concerning a business. Then he asked the important question, “can it be done?” My answer was simply “Yes. Yes, it can be done.” At that moment, the wheels were set in motion to develop a financial organization within the Apostolic Assembly to provide low interest rate loans while providing investing opportunities for its ministries, members, and pastors. Five years later, from a simple “yes,” Apostolic Mutual became a reality with over 4 million in assets and a portfolio of forty loans. This is a good start. Now, with God’s help and direction, we hope to become a 10-million-dollar loan fund in the next three to five years. As our loan fund grows, we aspire to be able to do more for the Apostolic Assembly: more loans, more investment, and more giving. Hannah showed this type of attitude which makes her a notable woman in the Old Testament. Every year she made a special robe for her son, Samuel, who ministered before the Lord even as a child.
DIRECTORS & EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
JOHN FORTINO, CHAIRMAN AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FELIPE LUGO, VICE CHAIRMAN EDDIE CAMPA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOSEPH V. RODRIGUEZ, DIRECTOR JORGE MONTES, DIRECTOR LEOBARDO MAFFEY, DIRECTOR GIL AGUILAR, DIRECTOR SUZANNE VALENCIA, DIRECTOR YVONNE VASQUEZ, DIRECTOR GEORGE LOPEZ, DIRECTOR
But Samuel was ministering before the LORD--a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. – 1 Samuel 2:18-19 Each year, as the child grew, Hannah made the new robe larger and larger. More was needed; more material, more time, more effort, and more energy to create the larger garment for the purpose of the ministry. Every year, Hannah willingly gave more.
LOAN COMMITTEE FELIPE LUGO ELISEO RAMIREZ MATTHEW GARCIA MARTIN AMADOR MARIO LANDA
As our loan fund grows each year, we desire to increase our efforts to assist the Apostolic Assembly churches in the work of the ministry. For 2022, our goal is simple. We just want to give more by:
FINANCE COMMITTEE GIL AGUILAR SUZANNE VALENCIA ISAI BAEZA
COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE JORGE MONTES YVONNE VASQUEZ ERICKA JUÁREZ
STAFF
ABRAHAM MAFFEY, ACCOUNTANT ESTEBAN ROBLEDO, LOAN OFFICER GLADIA PACHECO, BUSINESS RELATIONS EVA RODRIGUEZ, ASSIST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID S. TELLYER, AM EDITOR DOMINIC MOSCHETTI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
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• Offering small loans to districts for church planting. • Increasing our contributions to International Missions. • Extending more lower interest rate loans to churches.
The same question I was asked five years ago may be the same question you have in your mind, “can it be done?” The answer is still the same. Yes, it can, if we work together. Apostolic Mutual looks forward to serving you and our churches. I cordially invite you to partner with us as we work together to expand the Kingdom of God through investing and financing. May God bless you, prosper you, and give you good health this Holiday Season.
THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2021
FEATURED ARTICLE
INVESTING AND TRUSTING GOD BEYOND BUILDINGS By David Silas Tellyer
BUILDINGS BECOMING BURDENS
Over forty years ago, Pastor Mauro Pereya began a relationship of trusting God in full time ministry. First, as a pastor-evangelist around Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada, for 10 years, finally coming to his current pastorship in the city of Bellflower for 31 years. God provided a beautiful building. But from 2008 to 2014, his congregation went through a difficult time starting with the Great Recession. Many members moved from the Los Angeles area to other parts of Southern California including Riverside and San Bernardino counties to find more affordable housing. The building’s mortgage became a financial burden for the congregation. The Apostolic Assembly leadership reached out to Pastor Pereya and provided a solution for this financial trial that may have seemed like a setback but became a blessing.
MINISTRY AND LEADERSHIP BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS
Apostolic Assembly. The trust built with the Assembly came to a head in 2020 when the Executive Board reached out to Pastor Pereya to sell his building as the solution to his congregation’s financial burden. After they sold their building “the Vice-president asked me to invest the money with Apostolic Mutual. I had no problem helping the Assembly and other pastors with their projects. I want to help,” stated Pastor Pereya. By selling the property the church of Bellflower became more financially solvent, and they placed the money into Certificates of Deposit (CDs) to gain interest and helped other pastors and ministries in the Assembly to create loans. When discussing the trust he created with Apostolic Mutual, Pastor Pereya said, “Also, if I need the money, to either build or buy something, it will be there. I am so glad that every three months, they are very faithful in showing me the money that I am getting on my investment.”
A large part of being a successful pastor is not only leading and building relationships with members of the local church, but with other pastors and leaders of the
THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2021
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
INVESTING BEYOND BUILDINGS INTO EACH OTHER
“Two years ago, we put $300,000 in the 5 year higher yield CD, and $190,000 into the 3 year CD to have access to it sooner in case we need the money,” Pastor Pereya remarked. With the combined CDs they get about $2,400 every three months added to their investment. “I am happy to be a help to other pastors,” Pastor Pereya becomes excited that his church’s investment of $490,000 goes towards other pastors that need to borrow money for their ministries, because “the banks make it difficult and expensive to borrow from them, and Apostolic Mutual works with our pastors and churches to provide a lower interest rate.” When he learned that Apostolic Mutual also gives to International Missions, Pastor Pereya exclaimed, “That is great! My heart is in the fields of the evangelists and missions. This is good news for me.”
ALLOWING TRUST TO GUIDE INVESTMENT
When the Assembly’s Executive Leadership asked him to sell the property two years ago, he “had to wait six months while the [Apostolic Mutual] finalized all the paperwork for my investment, but they got it done.” He trusted their
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wisdom, good faith, and guidance, and put his faith into Apostolic Mutual to ensure that the money from sale of the property was going to benefit their investment. Pastor Pereya wants to encourage every pastor and member of the Assembly that “everyone should help, the money is secure, and let’s invest into Apostolic Mutual, because this is for our people. We are one body in Christ Jesus. God will reward everybody. If I had more, then I would invest more money with Apostolic Mutual.” With over 50 years in ministry, he believes in networking, fellowship, and growing as a pastor and leader of the Bellflower congregation, and even though “right now we don’t have a building and it is not easy, but God knows everything. In the end we are all going to win together!” Despite Pastor Pereya not currently having a building loan with Apostolic Mutual, he believes “in the end, we have good leadership taking care of business, and we just need to trust them with the money we have and invest it there.“ He encourages other pastors to help and support other pastors, “Please, put some of your money into Apostolic Mutual. There’s going to be a time when you will need help, and God will surprise you through them.”
THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2021
APOSTOLIC MUTUAL INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT FAQ YOU ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY SAVED! Whether you’re just starting to think about retirement or have already built up your nest egg, an Apostolic Mutual Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ensures that your money will be there when you need it most. IRA CERTIFICATE An IRA is also a smart supplement to an existing pension or employer-sponsored retirement plan. • You only need $1,000 to open an IRA Certificate*. • You can invest in Traditional & Roth, or more IRA certificates. • You will benefit from compounding interest.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Traditional IRA? A direct tax benefit on the 1040 tax return Contribution and income limits apply (limitations adjusted annually) MAXIMUM: $6,000 (below age 50) / $7,000 (age 50 or older) / MINIMUM: $1,000 What is a Roth IRA? No tax benefit on the 1040 tax return No income limitations (limitations adjusted annually) MAXIMUM: $6,000 (below age 50) / $7,000 (age 50 or older) / MINIMUM: $1,000 What is an Education Savings Account? ESA can be used for college and TK-12 educational expenses Income and age limitations apply MAXIMUM: $2,000 per year / MINIMUM: $1,000 What is a SEP IRA? A direct tax benefit for either the 1040 tax return or the corporate 1120 return Contribution limits apply (limitations adjusted annually) MAXIMUM: Up to 25% of annual income not to exceed $58,000 / MINIMUM: $1,000 What is a Simple IRA? Small business owners with employees Employees can retain employer-matched contributions without vesting MAXIMUM: $13,500 (below age 50) / $16,500 (Workers aged 50 or older) / MINIMUM: $1,000 Is a self-directed IRA secure? Under this non-traditional method, there is minimal risk Funds are secured through current real estate holdings
For answers to additional questions, please contact us at: 909-987-3013 THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2021
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THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2021