About Us

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 (M.Div.) 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 welcomes your contact at pastor@maranathaapopka.org.

Established during the Millerite movement of the 1840s, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 22 million members worldwide, including 1.2 million members throughout the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and Pacific territories. The church consists of 150,000 churches and other worship groups, 230 hospitals and sanitariums, and over 9,400 schools around the world, serving students from preschool through university. The Adventist Church is one of the fastest-growing Protestant religions in the world.

The church’s global humanitarian arm, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) works in 120 countries, providing community development and disaster relief to over 25 million people to date.

The name “Seventh-day” refers to the biblical Sabbath, Saturday, ordained by God at Creation. Adventist” refers to the return, or second advent, of Jesus Christ. 

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 and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father’s will. As an adult, Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and rose from the dead on the third day, winning victory over sin 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.

Adventists believe that God is concerned with the quality of human life, and that everything—the way we live, eat, speak, think, treat each other, and care for the world around us—is important to Him.