Dr. Marlon and Genessa Gayle 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Marlon and Genessa Gayle are Associate Pastors at Lighthouse of the Valley Church (LOV) in Stockton, California for the past 16 years. Dr. Gayle ministry background involves serving as a professor at Christian Life Bible College, teaching courses for Purpose Institute, working at a volunteer chaplain in the California Youth Authority, youth pastoring, evangelism, helping pastors with church planting, street outreach teams and homeless ministry, coordinating mentoring programs for young men, and serving as foreign missions director at LOV for over 20 years. Genessa’s background is in working in the field of social work and managing nonprofits. Marlon holds a Doctorate of Education, a Master’s of Education, a Bachelor’s of Arts in International Studies, and an Associate of Arts degree in Bible and Theology.  Genesa has her Juris Doctorate degree. Their real identity and purpose is found in Christ. They use all of their educational qualifications and work experience to honor God and advance the work of the kingdom.


Before entering the ministry, Marlon grew up with a difficult childhood environment overcoming homelessness and various challenges facing him and his family. Marlon went on to graduate from high school six months early after being expelled. Soon thereafter, Marlon was invited to an Apostolic church where he received the Holy Ghost and was baptized in the name of Jesus. While going through discipleship classes, Marlon started teaching Bible Studies to family members, and testifying about Jesus in his secular college classrooms. At work one day in his first year in community college, Marlon’s boss asked him to come share his testimony as a Christian at his Hindu Temple. Marlon went on to speak at the Hindu temple and several house meetings before eventually going on his first foreign mission trip to India to preach the gospel in 1999.


From May 2003  to December 2004, Marlon spent three semesters abroad studying at the University of Hyderabad in India as an International Student from America (University of the Pacific) while doing missionary work at the same time. After returning home in 2005, Marlon became a middle school history teacher, got married, and continued to do missions work in India part-time serving as director of the missions and youth pastor at LOV. He has been instrumental in helping to fundraise to build churches in North and South India, preaching in many states in India, developing rural schools in India, and leading ministry teams to serve in India for small mission trips.


After working as a teacher for some years, Marlon applied to become a high school assistant principal at the same school he was expelled from as a teenager. He got the job by the grace of God! And served there for three years before becoming an elementary principal. Over the years while working in the ministry, Marlon continued to advance in his career in education becoming a college professor at two universities and working as a manager at the County Office of Education. With her desire and burden to take ministry outside the four walls of the church into the community, Genessa founded a non-profit organization with a pre-school and after school program to provide affordable services to families in the city of Stockton.


In October 2003, Marlon and Genessa felt the call from God through prayer to go deeper into their call into foreign missions. They began going on missions trips every month serving and preaching around the world during their vacations to: Guatemala, Chile, Liberia, Cuba, and Brazil.