Civil Lawsuits Against Ignite Life Center Press Forward As Pastor’s Sons Face Sexual Abuse Charges
Editors Notes: All Plaintiffs are anonymous and will be referred to as Plaintiff 1, Plaintiff 2, and Plaintiff 3.
On March 13, Fort Lauderdale-based firm Horowitz Law announced in a press release that three civil lawsuits have been filed against the Orlando, FL-based Multicultural District Council of the Assemblies of God (FMDAG) and Ignite Life Center (ILC) regarding sexual abuses committed by former ILC volunteer and employee Gabriel Hemenez.
On March 6, Hemenez was found guilty of two felony counts of molestation against a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, in addition to a misdemeanor count of battery. He was originally facing 31 years in prison; however, he was offered a plea deal and sentenced to 5 years in a state penitentiary, followed by 8 years of probation.
All three plaintiffs are suing ILC and FMDAG for negligence and vicarious liability. Plaintiff 1 is additionally, and as of now, the only plaintiff suing ILC for fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
On April 8, ILC filed to dismiss all counts submitted against them except for each Plaintiff's motion of negligence.
On May 8, FMDAG joined ILC in their dismissal motions, filing to dismiss the counts of negligence and vicarious liability submitted against them, leaving ILC’s counts for negligence as the only motions for which a dismissal hasn’t been filed.
FMDAG alleged that Hemenez was not an appointee or affiliate of FMDAG; therefore, the vicarious liability counts must be dismissed. The lawsuits disagree, stating ILC is subject to the “authority and oversight” of FMDAG “on certain matters, including: (1) developing and enforcing sexual abuse prevention policies and procedures; (2) training, supervising, and evaluating employees for fitness, including, but not limited to, Mark Vega and the other pastors of ILC responsible for protecting children; and (3) operating a summer camp such as the Ignite Summer Internship.”
The Assemblies of God website states, "Districts oversee the ministries in their areas, such as camps and outreaches....Districts also recommend ministers for national credentialing. They are authorized to lead, solving matters of leadership and direction for local assemblies. They operate as a type of regional leadership between the local church and the national Fellowship."
FMDAG additionally alleged that ILC is not a district-affiliated church of FMDAG; therefore, the negligence counts must be dismissed. ILC is listed under the Florida Multicultural District on the church directory on the Assemblies of God website.
Within the past two weeks, the plaintiffs have submitted settlement proposals to ILC and FMDAG. Attorney at Law Jessica Arbor, who is representing the plaintiffs, said she is not at liberty to disclose what the monetary amounts are. She said that there are plans to file more lawsuits against the church.
Vega has been preaching in Gainesville and posting on Instagram as if his congregation were not under active legal scrutiny in both criminal and civil courts.
On May 19, Vega held a sermon centered on family-inherited trauma. Vega posted about the event on Instagram.
Vega has held local law enforcement in high regard, previously posting a picture with former Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Chief Lonnie Scott to his Instagram account on February 25, 2022.
On March 29, Interim GPD Chief Nelson Moya took over Scott’s position, and there haven't been any public announcements relating to ILC from GPD since. Moya hasn't acknowledged ILC or Vega, and it cannot be confirmed if he holds the same level of respect for him as his predecessor.
Edited Aug 6, 2025: Fixed formatting errors and removed information reported in previous ILC articles to avoid redundancy.
