Former Ignite Lawsuit Plaintiff’s Mother Speaks Against Abuses in Church
Editor's Note: This article refers to the three settled lawsuits that were filed in March 2024 against ILC and is not to be confused with the three active lawsuits against ILC that were filed this year.
A mother of one of the plaintiffs who previously sued Ignite Life Center (ILC) for covering up child molestation, Holly Carrow, has decided to publicly speak out against abuses within the church.
In March 2024, three former students of the Ignite Summer Internship sued ILC and the Florida Multicultural District (FMD) of the Assemblies of God (AG) for concealing the sexual abuses youth minister Gabriel Hemenez committed against them.
Carrow began attending the church in 2018 after moving to Gainesville from Indianapolis. After getting to the city, she looked up churches in the area and happened to start going to ILC.
From 2019 until 2022, Carrow attended the Ignite Ministerial Institute (IMI), which was ILC’s online program to get credentials with FMD.
Carrow temporarily held employment with Urban Strategies, which housed unaccompanied immigrant minors at the church in a program called Ignite Refugio, which is no longer active.
Carrow didn’t find out about the sexual abuses until May 2023, months after ILC pastors became aware. ILC pastors never told her; she didn’t find out until another victim in the Hemenez cases called her to tell her police were about to contact her about her son.
Carrow said that eventually ILC’s respective head pastor and public relations manager, Mark Vega and Nicole Gomez, called her to “offer counseling” but did not “acknowledge or apologize for withholding information.”
“Their failure to acknowledge, apologize, and the decision to lie to members of the congregation, including close friends of mine, was ultimately the reason the lawsuit was filed,” said Carrow. “That betrayal tore a hole through my trust, not only in leadership but also in what spiritual community is supposed to represent.”
Carrow said the pastors knew exactly what they were doing by letting Hemenez continue to minister children in 2021, despite being accused of sexual assault in 2019.
“My concern has always been with the leaders and pastors who were aware of the accusations and chose to hide the truth,” Carrow said. “They knew he had struggled in the past with very similar situations at the same position, yet they still allowed him to lead and minister to children in 2021. I believe that decision makes them responsible for the harm that followed. My anger and disappointment are directed toward their failure to act with integrity, accountability, and protection for those under their care.”
Carrow said that her son’s attorney, Jessica Arbour, told her they would speak at the press conference in front of ILC after the lawsuits were completed, but this never came to fruition.
Carrow said that she attempted to attend the meeting ILC held after Hemenez was arrested, where Vega “addressed” the charges by lying about having no prior knowledge about the sexual abuses. Carrow said that members of ILC excluded her from attending the meeting. She moved away from Gainesville a week later and never went back to ILC.
Carrow said, “This has already caused so much damage to my family and others… My question now is, what systems are in place to protect the children who are still there? What steps has the church taken to make sure this never happens again? I want to see accountability and prevention!”
Two months ago, a Gainesville police detective pressed charges against Mark Vega for covering up child sexual abuse, but no warrant has been issued and the State Attorney’s Office hasn’t filed any charges. Carrow said, “When I heard that he could finally be charged, it was the first time I felt seen. For so long, it felt like our pain didn’t matter like the lies, the cover-ups, and everything our families went through were just brushed aside. But in that moment, it felt like someone was finally listening. Like the truth was finally being acknowledged. We need to see these charges move forward because it shows that people matter; that what was done to these kids matters, and that accountability matters.”
Carrow said AG needs to undergo structural changes to prevent sexual abuse. “Not just for appearances or damage control,” she said. “What’s being revealed isn’t a one-time failure. It’s a system that protects the institution before it protects people. When survivors or witnesses bring truth forward and are redirected to departments that are legally entangled, that’s not accountability, that’s obstruction. What’s needed is an independent process outside of denominational control, that can handle reports of abuse, mishandling, or coverup without bias or fear of retaliation. Transparency shouldn’t be seen as disloyalty, and repentance should look like systemic reform, not public statements. I still believe the Church can model what restoration truly looks like, but that starts with honest reckoning, not internal redirection. When leaders at the highest levels meet privately but accountability never reaches the public, it deepens the wound for victims and erodes trust for everyone watching.”
Regarding the lawsuit settlements, Carrow said, “The church eventually settled with the three victims after initially denying the situation to the congregation. My hope is that both the victims and their families find continued healing and strength. To the parents who have entrusted their children to ministry environments like ours, I hope this serves as a reminder to stay vigilant, ask hard questions, and never silence your discernment. Trust can be rebuilt, but truth has to come first. I’m still rebuilding, but I believe healing and accountability can coexist and that honesty is always the beginning of both.”
