Heralded as an apostolic magnate to the body of Christ, Apostle Debra Elaine Gause is the Senior Pastor of Holy Light Pentecostal Church, Inc. (HLPC), Poughkeepsie, NY and the Presiding Prelate of Holy Light Pentecostal Ministries, Inc. (HLPM).

Under her leadership and direction, HLPM is an expanding global organization of churches, ministries, and missions in the United States, Dominican Republic, India and in several countries in Africa. Apostle Gause teaches and preaches the uncompromised Word of God to the saving and deliverance of countless souls. Her ministry travels also include Israel, Italy, and the Caribbean.

Apostle Gause is the tenth of thirteen children born to Bishops Mack B. and Addie B. McClinton, founders of Holy Light Pentecostal Church, Inc. She is married to Elder George H. Gause, Sr. They have four daughters, two sons, twenty-one grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Apostle Gause’ early ministerial roots began as an ordained evangelist, followed by appointments as Assistant Pastor at HLPC, Richmond, VA in 1986 and to the Pastorate at HLPC, Poughkeepsie, NY in 1992. Apostle Gause established Holy Light Pentecostal Ministries, Inc. in 1994. She was elevated to the Episcopal Office of the Bishop in July 1998 and consecrated to the Sacred Office of the Apostle in 2003.

Apostle Gause holds a Bachelor of Theology from Community Bible Institute, Poughkeepsie, NY, an Honorary Doctor of Theology from St. Paul’s Bible Institute, NY, NY, and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Eastern Theological Consortium of Christ Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY. Apostle Gause received her Master of Theology from Savona V. Roberts Christian Academy, Poughkeepsie, NY in June 2023 and was selected “Student of the Year.”

Apostle Gause has been a licensed LPN for 48 years. She is always willing to visit and serve the sick to an optimum level of care. Apostle Gause has received several awards and citations for her selfless and committed work in the community and the church. She is the newly appointed Vice President of the Dutchess County African American Clergy Association. She serves on many Boards in the city of Poughkeepsie to include Family Services, Inc., R.E.A.L. Skills Network, Inc., SNUGS (Gun Violence Reduction Program), Youth Center Planning Board, Nubian Directions, Procedural Justice Council, Steering Committee for PK4Keeps, a community-based effort to develop a new comprehensive plan and updated zoning codes for the City of Poughkeepsie, and endorsed by Lexington Who’s Who, an executive and professional registry.

Apostle Gause is the visionary and CEO of Operation Advance the Kingdom Now, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, envisioned in April 2002. In 2017, OAK NOW took ownership of the Patrick Benson International School in Harare, Zimbabwe. Also under her direction, in January 2016, HLPM School of Ministry was re-established as HLPM School of Ministry and Education. Apostle Gause is also the International Vice Bishop of Kingdom Life Apostolic Movement (KLAM).

Apostle Gause has a fervent compassion for people that compels her to be a Servant to the body of Christ and the world. With her love for outreach ministry and convinced that “without a vision the people perish”, Apostle Gause resonates her commitment:

To win as many as possible
To develop as many as possible
To multiply as many, through as many as possible.