KARLA SHIRVANIAN | staff writer
Aurelio Barreto once owned a million dollar company but now he evangelizes in malls.
Aurelio Barreto was a successful businessman who had everything the world could offer. He never imagined that he would one day use his business success to bring people to Christ through founding the retail store C28, which represents the store verse Colossians 2:8.
Barreto was the co-founder and CEO of the international company, Dogloo Inc., the nation’s largest manufacturer and distributor of pet shelters, but after making the decision to sell his share he still was not content. Not only was Barreto unhappy with his life, but he was also suffering from a deep depression which, at times, caused suicidal thoughts. “I sold the business and walked out with over $20 million only to realize that success, power, and infl uence did not make me happy, did not give me peace, and did not give me direction,” Barreto said. “I was
lost.”
As life overwhelmed him, Barreto was not sure where to turn, but he said one fateful day changed his life. Having never heard the gospel before, Barreto heard the message of Jesus’ love with him and the beauty of grace on March 18, 1998.
“It was the fi rst time I had ever heard the gospel and I was 38,” Barreto said. From that moment on, Barreto said he wanted to do something in ministry for God, but it did not turn out the way Barreto intended. “At fi rst I thought I was going to be a pastor or a missionary, but what I started to realize was that my gifting was in business. I began to pray that God would use me to glorify him through business so he put it on my heart to start these retail stores. The challenge was that it did not make too much sense for anyone to get into retail this day and age but I could not run away from God,” Barreto said.
After four years of debate and worry about whether the business would be successful Barreto said “yes” to God and decided to launch C28 in 2001.When he decided to start C28, he not only had to put over $2 million into the business, but he also lost $4 million in the stock market. Married for 29 years and father of three children, including a daughter at APU, Barreto says it was a trying time for him and his family but he continued to listen to what God was telling him to do.
Although the store is something Barreto knew God was calling him to, the business did not succeed at fi rst. For five years Barreto says the business did not make money. He had to put money into the business in order to continue.
“At the fi fth year I was praying in this offi ce one night and I thought, ‘Lord, I can’t do this and I do not know how to do this I can’t make ends meet. If this is going to work it is going to have to be You.’ It was a point where I surrendered to the Lord,” Barreto said. After fi ve years of putting money into the company, Barreto gave everything to God. In that moment everything changed. Since then, C28 has grown from one company to three distinct entities that have their own function and purpose. There are the C28 stores found in shopping malls, and an online branch, the NOTW clothing brand, and the C28 non-profi t outreach ministry.
C28 was the main vision but other needs arose, which meant other companies had to form. NOTW
clothing, which stands for “not of this world,” began because Barreto said there were not many companies making Christian clothing. NOTW is now sold at secular companies such as Anchor Blue, and there is a current trial at Journeys. Yet there is still no compromise in the clothes meaning or message. “We recently had a meeting with Nordstrom about carrying our line and they really liked it,” Barreto said. “But then they said they would need us to take the verses off the shirts. I will not do that because it takes away the witness. Another way people are reached for Christ is through an outreach ministry. The outreach hosts concerts on outdoor stages at local malls, attracting thousands of people.
The concerts began in 2002 when a mall contacted him about putting on a concert. He was not sure about whether to do it or not, but Barreto says he began to pray about it and felt led to go through with it. Even with rain 4,000 people showed up for the fi rst concert, featuring Pax217 and Kutless, making it a success and beginning a series of almost a dozen shows C28 has hosted. The C28 non-profi t outreach ministry began after fi ve years of concert outreaches that cost Barreto $40,000 for each concert.
Although the concerts cost a large amount of money, Barreto never thought of setting up the outreach ministry until the need and opportunity was pointed out to him. “I had a board member that said, ‘Aurelio you are having all these outreach concerts running you $40-50,000 and it is not fair for you to bear the costs of all these concerts.’ Back then we had already done nine. He said he had an idea for me to start a non-profi t group that other business people and people can donate to so they could defer the cost,” Barreto said.
C28 also promotes and helps bands that are completely sold out for Christ and doing everything they can to spread the gospel message. “We sponsor bands like Seventh Day Slumber because they are bold about Jesus, preach the gospel and lead thousands to Christ at their concerts,” Barreto said. Through struggle and overcoming, Barreto’s life has changed immensely from his days at Dogloo Inc. Barreto says there is no “normal” day for him. His day may consist of some speaking engagement, getting involved with the design and product team, or spending time in the Word, but he always manages to stay focused on his main objective: Christ.
Barreto says his days are long, but the more he reads the Word and surrenders his life daily, the less stress he feels. Barreto speaks the gospel to everyone. From strangers he meets on the street to those that enter his store, Barreto continues to share the gospel, partly because of something someone once told him. “I went up to Pastor Wilburn, (high school pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship), and I asked him how he stayed so encouraged. What he told me was to share the gospel as if it is the last time, as if it’s the last time you’re going to do it. I have never forgotten that and has always stayed in my mind in order to maximize my time here,” Barreto said. Barreto takes advantage of every situation in order to do something more and share the life changing gospel.
“He always takes the opportunity that God gives him to share the gospel. If there are candy bars for sale he buys one but takes the time to share the gospel with the person selling them,” Barreto’s Executive Assistant Annabelle Testerman said.This strength in his faith has also been passed down to those around him, including his children. “He has taught me to be bold,” senior business administration major CoLene Barreto said. With growth and prosperity have also come many feats for the store that were never thought possible. Over the last eight years, there have been over 10,600 people that have made confessions of faith in the stores and at the events. Over the next fi scal year Barreto also says the different companies are set to make $12 million in sales. Yet Barreto is described as something more than simply a good businessman.
“He would help anyone in a heartbeat. He is a very generous man with an eternal perspective,” Testerman said. Barreto’s passion and willing spirit has the store employees excited to be a part of what is going on and the impact they can make. “It is important for me to spread the Word and share the good news because I do not think there is anything more important than the gift the Lord has given us. If I can combine that with selling shirts and getting ministry tools on kids backs so they are able to minister to people, to me that is huge. Where else do you get the opportunity to have kids come in everyday that are unsaved, right in the middle of the mall, and you’re able to minister to them and give them the Word and give them the good news,” special events coordinator Traci Scarce said.
Although growth has been important there is something that is more rewarding for Barreto. “If I could share the gospel day in and day out I would love to do that.” Barreto said. “The business is just a way that makes it possible to do that”
