Our Mission
To reach our communities and the world with the distinctive, Christ-centered, Seventh-day Adventist message of Hope and Wholeness through our Worship, Fellowship, and Witness.
Our Message
Hope points prophetically to Christ’s second coming, a concept embodied in our very name, Seventh-day Adventists!
Wholeness points toward the future and adds abundant life to the present. Therefore, we strive for the harmonious development of a person’s physical, mental, and spiritual aspects.
Witness – The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are the foundation of our doctrine, preaching, and standards of belief and practice.
Fellowship – Our church reflects a diverse membership who worship together in love and unity.
Worship – It is our determined desire to make God the center of our worship experience.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 19 million members worldwide, including more than one million members in North America. The Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks to enhance quality of life for people everywhere and to let people know that Jesus is coming again soon.
Adventists believe a Trinity of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—make up one God. They made salvation possible when Jesus, the Son, came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father’s will. When Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and arose from the dead on the third day, victory was won for everyone.
When He returned to heaven following the resurrection, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to serve as our Comforter and Counselor. He promised to return to earth a second time to complete His plan of salvation and take His people to heaven. Adventists are among the believers who look forward to that day.
Our Pastor
Pastor Dwight Gayle’s journey is characterized by embracing God and “His possibilities.” One of his favorite Bible texts is found in Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Pastor Gayle believes that if the saving blood of Jesus could reach his heart, it can also reach our community and the uttermost parts of the world.
Before becoming a pastor, Pastor Gayle completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He then worked in the drug and substance abuse rehabilitation field for several years. But when he felt the Lord had a greater calling for his life, he enrolled in theological studies at Southern Adventist University and then the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University for his Master of Divinity degree. Pastor Gayle then went on to pastor multiple churches in South Florida.
He is married to his beloved wife Marsha, a kindergarten and first-grade teacher. Together they are proud parents of two beautiful children who he says are “more than a handful” but “bring much joy and laughter to our family.” Along with his wife Marsha, he is dedicated to seeing a Christ-centered message of hope and wholeness preached and lived as he serves as the pastor of the Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pastor Dwight Gayle welcomes your contact at pastor@maranathaapopka.org.