"Can U Hear Me Now?" Youth Conference
Removing Barriers So We Can Hear Him!
2023 CYC SPEAKERS
Gerzon Gomez
Pastor/Teacher, Bakersfield Adventist Academy
Pastor Gerzon Gomez has taught in the Adventist Educational System for 15 years and has served as Associate Pastor in the Adventist Church. He is presently serving on the Leadership Staff at the Hillcrest Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bakersfield California. He has a BA in Pastoral Ministries, a Masters of Divinity and Masters of Education. Currently, He is teaching at Bakersfield Adventist Academy. He consistently travels to preach as frequently as the Lord opens the door. He has made numerous mission trips to the Philippines and other countries and his passion is teaching and preaching the Word of God.
Pastor/Evangelist Michael J. Johnson
Speaker/Director End Times Like These Ministries
A Native of Birmingham Alabama, and a graduate from Andrews University, Pastor Evangelist Michael Johnson is the founder and Speaker/Director of End Times Like These Ministries. A self supporting ministry which conducts Lay Evangelist and Bible Worker training, and sets up Churches into year-round Community Evangelistic Centers. Medical Missionary Training, Youth Discipleship and Literature Evangelist Training. To date there are several churches that have been trained and over 600+ Lay Evangelists and Bible workers, which has led to the recording of numerous baptisms throughout the Pacific Union Conference including several states throughout the North American Division. He also conducts Weeks of Prayer, Revivals, Revelation Seminars and Evangelistic Reaping Meetings. He is also the Senior Pastor of the Pasadena SDA Church in Pasadena California. www.endtimeslikethese.org
Scott Mayer
Speaker/Director of Little Light Studios
Scott Mayer was raised an Adventist in Paradise, California. He attended film school in college with high hopes of fulfilling his dream of working in the film and television business. Shortly after leaving college he packed his bags and headed to tinsel town where he quickly found a job working as a camera man in television. It didn’t take long before the lures of the Hollywood lifestyle led Scott completely away from anything to do with God. He lived his life in the fast lane until God sent him the right people at the right time to call him away from his destructive path. As a result of being asked to speak at a youth rally about his experience in Hollywood, Battlefield Hollywood was born, a presentation which takes an in depth look into the effects Hollywood has on your mind and how the devil is using the entertainment business to deceive many. He is now an Executive Producer at Little Light, which means he’s in charge and he pretty much can do anything from directing to writing and editing. He’s also one of our public speakers when we’re asked to preach somewhere. Scott is married with two children. www.littlelightstudios.tv
Dr. Nadine Collins
Dr. Nadine Collins is an International Speaker, Women’s Leadership Expert, Spiritual Wellness Coach, Prayer Counselor and Author.
She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration but has dedicated herself to full time ministry. She travels globally empowering the prayer lives of others as a leading expert on the topic of “prayer”. She was a guest on 3ABN Dare-to-Dream Urban Report ‘How To Pray’, which led to a new (13-part) program on prayer called ‘The Missing Peace’. She also has a series on Blessings that is headlined on Hope Channel, Kenya. Nadine launched the very first Online Prayer Training program—Certified Prayer Counselor class with the goal of equipping others in learning how to connect more meaningfully with God and to learn how to get more YES answers from Him by using proven Biblical strategies and tools so that they in turn can empower others to do the same. Nadine is the author of seven books, including ‘Make Your Prayer Life Go WOW’, Secrets of the WOW Praying Woman, WOW Prayer Battle Plan for Spiritual Warfare, WOW Prayer Journal and WOW Prayers for Your Spouse.
Dr. Matthew Chan
Dr. Matthew Chan, MD, MPH believes the best way to fulfill your life’s purpose is to achieve and maintain optimal spiritual, mental and physical health. He graduated from Loma Linda University (LLU) with a degree in medicine, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Chan also received his Masters in Public Health from LLU with an emphasis in Lifestyle Medicine. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and board certified in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Currently, he is the medical director of Occupational Medicine at Adventist Health Glendale where he is engaged in a variety of activities that include acute patient care, teaching and corporate health & wellness. He is blessed with a loving wife, and three wonderful children; all of whom add an overwhelming amount of joy and adventure to the journey towards fulfilling his purpose – providing hope and inspiration for being healthy, happy and whole.
Pastor Alvin Maragh
Pastor Alvin Maragh graduated from Oakwood University 2003 BA Ministerial Theology. He went on to further education at Loma Linda University 2006 MA Chaplain Ministry. He is currently the Senior Pastor of Central Valley / Fresno Asian SDA Churches in the Central California Conference. Pastor Alvin Maragh is a preacher of truth and righteousness. He loves young people and ministers to them at Youth conferences, camp meetings and one on one.
Marcus Mason
Apocalypse Ministries
I am Marcus Mason the son of the late Elder Moses Mason. Growing up I remember being a junior deacon, junior elder, sabbath school teacher and then on to becoming an elder but it was some years ago when I began to hear that still small voice in my head saying that what you see your father doing you’ll be doing one day. Though my mind, goals in life and things I had my heart set on were different, that reminder never went away.
I was always as long as I can remember interested in computers and other technical things and this is what God used to get me off the side lines and involved in ministry. It started with helping with my dad Elder Moses Mason find certain TRANSPARENCIES in a big stack that while speaking he needed on the spur of the moment, then transitioning to computers and powerpoint. As I got more involved & began to speak from time to time the Lord laid on my heart to start the Apocalypse Channel and internet tv channel. My involvement in ministry began to be more and more until in 2017 my dad really started pressing me to get in front of the camera more and midway through 2017 I had finally mentally relented to do so.
On Thanksgiving day 2017 my father suffered a sudden and unexpected heart attack. While in the hospital hoping and praying for a miracle God spoke loudly and clearly to me with these words “His legacy has been set and the path has already been laid out in front of you now GO FORWARD”. I immediately said yes. God had called me into full time ministry and I clearly felt that not only me but my entire family had been comissioned as well. I thank God for his mercy in confirming his call to me during that difficult time in various ways. I now go forth with God’s help with the same mantra Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready. www.apocalypseministries.org/
Taariq & Igdaly Patel
After being submerged in a world of drug abuse and pain, Taariq Patel met Jesus, the One who heard his cry and saved his life. Now, Taariq is in the service of the King, sharing how God’s power and love transforms lives. He answered the call of God and enrolled at Pacific Union College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology. After completing his studies at PUC, he enrolled at Andrews University where he earned his Masters of Divinity. Upon completing his Masters, Taariq joined the Iowa-Missouri Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, where he serves as the Senior Pastor for Des Moines and Jordan Crossing SDA Church. He is married to Igdaly Patel, and they are blessed with three amazing children, Ishmael, Viviana, and Tirza. Igdaly Patel has a genuine love for God, her family, and the work of the Ministry alongside her husband Pastor Taariq Patel. Igdaly completed her undergraduate degree at Florida Atlantic University where she majored in Public Communication. She also earned a Master of Science degree in Communication from Lynn University. The Patels believes and are called to lift up Christ and the three angels’ messages; and to see others fully embrace God’s love and truth.
Peter Chung
Gospel Worker/Evangelist
Peter Chung is a history and government teacher and a lay evangelist. He has a Master of Arts in History where he wrote his master's thesis on the "Seventh-day Adventist Church during the Civil War, Slavery, and Reconstruction". His desire is to show the Gospel connected with the Three Angels Messages and to advocate for Religious Liberty for all faiths. He is a history teacher at San Gabriel Academy in Southern California, hosts a religious liberty and social justice podcast series, "Healing the Nations," that addresses current issues "through the lens of the historical religious liberty view of the Seventh-day Adventist Church." He prays for an opportunity to someday conduct a youth revival in the Republic of Korea and have an opportunity to do evangelism in North Korea should doors open. In addition, he's a gospel worker evangelist of Revelation of Hope Ministries.
Marco & Lisa Topete
Marco Topete was born and raised in East San Jose in a non-religious home. He learned about Jesus when he had hit the lowest point of his life. While incarcerated, he remembered the Jesus that was shared with him as a kid, and that was the turning point. Upon being released from Jail, he started to read the Bible, and even attending church. God freed him from addictions that bound him for several years. In 2012, he made a decision that would change his life, by being baptized. In 2014 he served as a full time literature evangelist in Youth Rush ministries. Immediately after attending Youth Rush he attended a Bible college which he finished in 2016. He has served as a Bible worker, Evangelist, Literature evangelist, and currently is the Senior Pastor of the Van Nuys Seventh-day Adventist Church in Van Nuys, California. He is married to his ministry partner, Lisa. They share two kids, Abraham and Israel.
