"We Can’t Play Instruments for God and be Instruments for the Devil:” Pastor Preached in Brazil Despite Florida Criminal Case
Municipality of Cuiabá, Brazil - Mark Vega, 56, of Ignite Life Center Church in Gainesville, Florida, was arrested in November 2025 on a count of failing to report suspected child abuse. Police reports describe him concealing and failing to report several child sexual abuse incidents over multiple years while serving as the head pastor.
Vega posted a $50,000 bond shortly after his arrest and the court did not order any travel restrictions.
Over the past few years, Vega has made ground on his plans with Brazilian church Assembleia de Deus Nova Aliança (Adna) Central.
Vega and other Ignite Life Center pastors have helped start a branch of the Ignite School of Ministry in Cuiabá, Brazil, with Adna Central.
The Ignite School of Ministry was a program at the Gainesville Church for years, but it doesn't currently appear to be active locally.
In July 2025, Vega and other Ignite Life Center pastors appeared for the Ignite Conference at Adna Central, which also helped them promote the Ignite School of Ministry.
In February 2026, Vega appeared for another Ignite Conference while on pretrial release.
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Feb. 2026 Ignite Conference Promotional Video (Adna Central)
Day 1 | February 13, 2026
PB. Paulo Tavares indicated that many different church groups from different areas traveled to Adna Central for the conference. He introduced their “American missionary,” which included Mark and Lisa Vega, along with someone named Robert.
Paulo Tavares introduces attending congregations on stage on the first day of the Feb. 2026 Ignite Conference (Adna Central)
The congregation also heard from Sérgio Kadosh of Assembléia de Deus Ministério Kadosh (ADKA).
Back in 2024, Kadosh headlined a youth ministry event in Brazil alongside Mark Vega.
Mark Vega was invited on stage with other leaders at the Ignite Conference on the first day. Over the next few days he acted as one of the lead ministers of the conference.
Mark Vega joins other church leaders on stage on the first day of the Feb. 2026 Ignite Conference (Adna Central)
Tavares said the Ignite Conference received support from the Municipal Government of Cuiabá.
Paulo Tavares thanks supporters of the Ignite Conference (Adna Central)
Day 2 | February 14, 2026
Roughly halfway into the second day’s stream, Mark Vega takes center stage with Moables.
Mark Vega told the crowd, filled with Brazilian youth, that they would have to make a decision. “No longer can we serve God and the Devil,” he said.
Mark Vega told the crowd, “The Devil has been raping your identity. Destroying your influence like the plague. We can't live two lives anymore. We can’t play instruments for God and be instruments for the Devil.”
Mark Vega went on to say, “We’re not gonna have another victim. We’re not gonna allow Satan to victimize you anymore… The Bible says in the last days, the enemy; Satan… will descend with great wrath and fury because he knows his time is short.”
As the sermon continued, Mark Vega said, “I had a young man that lived at my house… He was 15 years old. He went to the school of ministry. God revolutionized his life. When he finished, his parents took him out of the school of ministry… They said, ‘You don’t need to do that anymore. Now you need to be successful.’ As if serving God was not successful. The mother said, ‘You had enough. You’re good now.’ When Lisa and I, when we went away, his mother came to my house, took his clothes, took him… When I get home she’s in my house. She has his clothes. I say, ‘What’s going on?’ She said, 'We’re going home.’ I said, ‘Why… He’s doing good. He’s been delivered. God is using him. He’s preaching. He’s a young man of power.’ A couple of years later, [he] falls in love, a girl broke his heart. Smoking, he got so angry, because his girl left him, that he went and he bought a shotgun and he sat in his bathtub… He put the shotgun in his mouth because he was high, angry, depressed, and he takes his phone, and he starts writing an angry letter on Instagram. Mad at his mother, mad at the world. Because that’s what the Devil does. The Devil will lure you with sugar [and] praise you with cyanide. He takes the gun, pulls the trigger, and he blows his head off. His brains hit the ceiling. The bathtub was a pool of blood. I’m afraid that same spirit has captivated you to play with God.”
Mark Vega said that after the former student committed suicide, his mother told him she should’ve never taken him out of the school of ministry. Mark Vega said he “gave her a hug” and told her “don’t say that.”
Mark Vega went on to encourage the crowd to join the school of ministry but stressed the limited space. “There’s 600 of you. Here’s what I want you to do… When you’re done here… We have the school of ministry stewards… at the table. We want to disciple you…” Mark Vega said one day they would have room for everyone but at the moment they only had space for 33 or 40 people. (Both numbers were stated).
Day 3 | February 15, 2026
On the third day of the Ignite Conference, Ignite Brazil leaders held a panel where they shared information on the Ignite School of Ministry.
Before starting the panel, Mark Vega administered a quick sermon with Moables, in which he indicated Ignite Brazil “started with six” school of ministry students but that he foresees the program increasing heavily in the future. Mark Vega emphasized the affordability of the program, costing 57 BRL R$, which he compared to the cost of a movie.
The panel affirmed that Ignite Brazil isn't limited to individuals who want to become pastors and that it's open to people with a different calling.
Mark Vega said, “We also wanna teach you how to think critically. This world is gonna be very cruel to you. Jesus said, ‘You will be persecuted because of your skin color, because of your sexual identity.’ We want to teach you not to live offended. We want to teach you how to walk in the fire…”
The panel heard from Robert (last name unclear), who joined the Vegas on their trip to Brazil. Robert said, “the call matters,” regarding Ignite Brazil, and indicated they have worldwide ambitions.
Clip from Ignite Conference panel (Adna Central)
Robert appeared to be accompanied by his wife. Mark Vega said, “Let me tell you something that they did… Liz and Robert are crazy… In the United States, they sold their home… and you think I’m gonna say they bought another home. They moved into a recreational vehicle. They moved in with their two daughters. They gave up the luxury of a home to live in a car to preach this gospel to every living soul.”
Moables indicated the Ignite Brazil school of ministry is geared towards young adults (18+) but that they intend to hold programs that are a couple weeks or a month-long for younger teenagers.
At the prior Ignite Conference in July 2025, Moables indicated they would host a week-long youth camp in January 2026, but it doesn't appear this came to fruition.
Later on in the day, Ignite Brazil leaders held a graduation ceremony for the first-year school of ministry students.
Giving a speech, Mark Vega said, "It's a privilege to see young people start something and see them complete it. To God be the glory. Church today, Adna, you are also commemorating this graduation… You’ve helped form every graduate with your love, with your generosity, your prayers, your encouragement, your believing in hope in them… Because of you. Because of the Church. Today, they graduate, and they start their next step with the lord.”
Mark Vega said that “Ignite uses arts to win people to Jesus and to make him accessible. We use art in the subways, in the streets, in the mountains, in churches. Arts is the main thrust for Ignite. That’s why I love the plays. We love to do illustrations…”
Mark Vega told Moables, “When we first started talking about this dream. I met with a young man who inspired me because he knew the correlation between the Biblical theology arts. I said, ‘Hey, we wanna start the school of ministry. What do you think if we use arts?’ I remember, I was sitting, we were in a restaurant… His eyes lit up. He smiled and he could not stop talking about his experience…”
Mark Vega said that when he returned to the United States, he and the young man kept in contact. Mark Vega told Moables the young man was his son. Mark Vega then said Moables’ son “is one of the witnesses looking over the balcony of Heaven. He is rejoicing because what God put in our hearts, he was able to add value to it.”
Mark Vega thanked Cuiabá city officials in attendance and said, “God’s heart is here in Cuiabá… Tonight is powerful, because God is speaking to the future of this city. He’s speaking to the youth of this city. He’s speaking to you that came for the conference. I came with a message of hope and power, not hype, not emotion… I’m talking about hope that can outlive trauma. I’m talking about power that breaks family cycles. I’m talking about the purposes of God that can stabilize a generation…”
Mark Vega went on to say, “If you don’t let God define you, the world will label you. The world will try to name you by the worst moment. The world will label you by your family drama. The world will label you by your mental strain. The world will label you by your temptation, by your weakness, by your pain, by your past. The world will label you and give you a name that God never gave you… You are not a misfortunate generation. You are not a hopeless generation. You are not an underdog generation. You are God’s chosen generation to change this city, to change your home, to change your job, to change this state…”
Mark Vega said he’s a “firm believer” that “what we shape in the youth today will show up in the streets tomorrow.”
Mark Vega began speaking about Michelangelo crafting the famous David statue and described him being asked how he was able to create the piece of art. “Michelangelo smiled, here’s what he said, ‘the masterpiece always existed inside of the marble. My job was to chip away what was unnecessary.’ I hear God saying tonight, ‘surrender your life to me and I’m gonna chip away all the things that are unnecessary. I’m gonna cut your fear off. I’m gonna cut your doubt off. I’m gonna take away your shame. I’m gonna take away your guilt. I’m gonna take away your approval addiction. I’m gonna take away that pride,’ and this is what Ignite School of Ministry does. This is what the Church does. This is what God does. This is what the worship team does. This is what the leaders do. This is what we do—we take away the unnecessary and we build what God called us to build.”
Mark Vega went on to say, “Serving doesn't just help others. It heals you. When you are sick is the best time to pray for somebody else. When you're having marital problems, find a couple and invest in them. Turn the tables on the devil, it heals you. It pulls you out of self-obsession and ushers you into the useful confidence of God. Needs get met. I believe that in this room, all of the problems of Cuiabá and whatever city you come from, I believe that in this room we have the solution. Look at your neighbor and tell them, ‘You are the solution…’”
As the day continued, Cuiabá First Lady and Councilwoman Samantha Iris was recognized by Edvaldo Jose Gonzaga de Melo, the lead pastor of Adna Central.
Iris joined the church leaders on stage and got on her knees while Mark Vega administered a prayer for her.
Mark Vega administers a prayer for Cuiabá First Lady and Councilwoman Samantha Iris at the Ignite Conference (Adna Central)
Day 4 | February 16, 2026
Adna Central wrapped up the Ignite Conference on the fourth day. The final day of the conference is difficult to cover due to the live-streamed video not having English-translated captions available.
