“He Surrounds Himself With Blind Soldiers” Ignite Church Informant Releases Statement
A seventh whistleblower from, or formerly from Ignite Life Center church has come forward, anonymously releasing a statement regarding Ignite’s operational procedures and the methodologies of many of its pastors.
The statement was slightly edited to conceal identities of innocent parties.
At Ignite I formed what I thought were true and lasting relationships with many people from all walks of life. I have come to realize that many of those so-called relationships were based on our social interactions within Ignite, and Mark is the prime reason for that.
In my time at Ignite I was observant of many things which made me question a lot of the leadership strategies and teachings. This, in turn, made me an outcast. I wasn't aware of the sexual abuse that had occurred inside Ignite until the investigation came out, but I was definitely aware of the emotional abuse that occurred with the Ignite School of Ministry (ISM) students. I questioned why they served so arduously and what the end goal was. I wondered why Mark would require them to have covenant nights every semester, which are 1000% completely occult from inception to application. Of course, Mark always had an answer that sounded good in the moment, but when you step back and think about it, you realize how full of b.s. it was.
As one of the previous tippers mentioned, Mark would always curse, insult, and belittle everyone around him, especially Lisa. While I sometimes feel bad for her, she isn't any less guilty of all that has transpired. As she was well aware of his tactics and blindly supported him in all decisions. I have seen with my own eyes how Mark would degrade and belittle her, talking to her as if she were his child, not his wife. He insults his in-laws behind their backs, bashing Christian's mother because she couldn't care for him. He has been demeaning to his brother-in-law David and forgot about his own brothers. According to Mark, he is their "savior." He boasts about always helping them out, especially his older brother, whom I won't name because I have too much respect for him. He once invited his brother-in-law, a pastor in Orlando, to preach, and then bashed him in front of the congregation the following Wednesday. How can you call yourself a "man of God" and speak and behave this way? Which is why I don't understand how Eunice, Azael, Agustin, Erick, Adolfo, Nick, Yaneidy, and Maria continue to be so loyal, also witnessing everything he’s done and continues to do.
He is just as bad with them as he is with his own family members. Mark has zero respect for any of them because he has no morals. He once gave a sermon on hypocrisy, yet he's the biggest hypocrite of all. Azael was constantly bashed for eating and not being man enough to stand up to his wife. Agustin was criticized for not controlling his home and made fun of for not speaking English well. Mark always made fun of Eunice's age, though she's only a few years older than him. Adolfo is a lapdog who doesn't think for himself and needs to ask for permission to do anything with his life. Nick is very charismatic like Mark but lacks the intellect and drive to do anything, so much so that he couldn't stand up for his own family, because of Mark. But this goes to show who Mark is behind the scenes, when he isn't on a mic, although even on the mic you can see his character.
Other members of the church noticed many of these issues but didn't speak up because it wasn't their business. I don't blame them because the leadership ran on a need-to-know basis. If you asked questions, 99% of the time, you were given a false answer, or were told to mind your own. Many ISM students left, Mark has been asked why out of the 1000+ students that graduated, so many never came back to visit if it was so life changing. He couldn't give a straight answer. He gave one of three reasons: (1) they were disobedient and didn't want to follow through the program, (2) they had a sin issue that they wouldn't relinquish, or (3) their parents pulled them out. However, many were kicked out because they couldn’t be controlled by them or left because they realized how bad this place was and is. Sadly, some who came broken left in an even worse state after Ignite. He even gave false information when asked about previous leaders who left Ignite.
The thing about Mark is that he surrounds himself with blind soldiers. People that are willing to take him at his word without questioning him and are willing to act in the manner he wants them to act. So, if you speak up or question anything, you get outcast and shunned. They don't like that at all, which is funny because that's exactly how cults operate. They want blind allegiance, and the moment you think for yourself, you are no longer part of their group. As one of the previous anonymous tippers mentioned, we all read the same Bible, and we all are supposed to believe in the same Jesus, so why behave, teach, and lead this way? I'll tell you why: Ignite is part of the word of faith movement that is so prevalent in many charismatic churches. Look at Kenneth Copeland, TD Jakes, Rod Parsley, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen, etc. These individuals are world-renowned, yet their ministries have distorted the gospel of Jesus for something completely false. They twist scriptures and play on the emotions of believers. The Bible warns us of this type of deception, yet many continue to fall for it. I don't blame all the congregants; the pastor is essentially responsible. He doesn't teach the Bible; he cherry-picks scripture to support his topic, never considering the context. He has taught those who preach the same thing, so they all sound just like him, no matter the teaching. He claims that he never asks to review sermons beforehand, but I highly doubt it, as he is very controlling of all aspects of the church.
I am tired of this charade that Mark and Ignite put up. He is praised within the circles of FMD and Assemblies of God, despite the fact that his church and leadership are under investigation. You can see him on stage amongst his colleagues, acting as if he is a blameless man. He thinks because God has done miracles at Ignite, it's because of him and the ministry. God does what he wants, where he wants, when he wants, with and through whomever he wants. It's definitely not because of Ignite or Mark Vega.
I end with this: Ignite is a dangerous place because of the leadership. The only way for healing to start is to remove the leadership. Once removed that church can start healing because the cancer has been cut out. Until then, this cycle of deception and hurt will continue to prevail in the Gainesville community and affect thousands of lives across this country. If his plans for Brazil are successful, I fear many more may become victims of his deceit.
Ignite Life Center Head Pastor Travels to Barueri, Brazil For Evangelical Church Conference
On Friday ILC head pastor Mark Vega posted on his Instagram that he is traveling to Barueri, Brazil, for a church conference with the CIEADESPEL.
