THE GATE COMMUNITY YOUTH CENTER
Mission
The Gate Youth Association is a 501(c)(3), non-profit corporation whose mission is to demonstrate Christ’s love to the youth of our community through academic, social, and spiritual activities.
Vision
Our vision is a community where future generations experience, follow, and serve Christ. Considering that Tuesday Lunch has been in existence since 1989 and our afterschool programming has been in place since 2005, we are currently seeing our vision come alive. We see past Gate students already reaching various stages of adulthood from high school graduate to midlife and many are living proof of our mission statement. We see our past students serving as influential men and women of faith and goodwill in our community, our nation and our world. They are now helping others around them be known, encouraged and encounter Christ’s unconditional love.
Administrative Team
With a combined 45 years of ministry experience, the administrative team of Directors are determined to make sure every teen is known, encouraged and experiences the love of Christ during their time at The Gate.
Executive Director
"The Gate provides a place for youth to be safe and have fun while connecting with adult mentors who can encourage them and guide them in their journey through life. Serving at The Gate is the most meaningful thing I do outside of my own family."
Ben was born and raised in Polk County, where he has become familiar with both Monmouth and Independence over the years. He graduated from Prairie Bible College with a Bachelor of Intercultural Studies and a Bachelor of Ministry. Ben & his wife, Sarah, got married in 2001 and have 3 adopted children. He has co-directed a summer camp for over 20 years, operated a small local business, and served as a youth minister throughout his working career. He has volunteered weekly at The Gate since its inception in 2005, coordinated the building of the youth center, and has served as the Executive Director since 2021.
Discipleship Director
Dale, a native of Forest Grove, Oregon, grew up in the Willamette Valley. He and his wife, Heather, who have been married for 29 years, have three adult daughters and one son. With 13 years of experience as a youth pastor in McMinnville (10 years at Church on the Hill and 3 years at Praise Assembly).
Dale is passionate about counteracting negative influences and empowering students to find hope and purpose. He is particularly enthusiastic about the mission field directly across from the Gate.
Program Director
Working at The Gate gives me the opportunity to show the love of Jesus and to build relationships with every student that walks through the door. Being able to have a place like The Gate, where every student is seen and known is super important to me.
Mykaela was born and raised in Dallas Texas. She moved to Independence Oregon to get married and start a life here in Oregon. Mykaela has grown up loving Jesus, going on mission trips yearly, and working with all types of age groups. She also got the opportunity to do some biblical/ evangelical work with YWAM since her early years in grade school and going all the way to her adult years. Not only does working at The Gate bring so much joy to her she gets to encourage and build so many relationships with students everyday.
Mentor Coordinator
Derek Conn comes to The Gate with diverse experience and education. He has a master's degree in counseling/psychology where he worked as a youth
& family therapist. He has been on pastoral staff at a church and has had a private counseling practice. For the last 13 years before coming to The Gate, Derek was a high school educator.
He is excited to create opportunity to connect young people in our community with positive adults.
Executive Assistant
Courtney Wenzl, born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon, moved to Monmouth in 2015 to attend Western Oregon University, graduating in 2019 with a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Forensic Psychology, focusing on youth. She married in 2022 and now has two sons. For eight years, Courtney has been active at Resonate Church, discipling college students and young professionals. She started at The Gate as a Rec Leader before becoming Executive Assistant, where she is passionate about supporting staff and students in their faith journey.
Human Resources
"I absolutely love working with youth. I'm passionate about giving students a voice and helping them feel heard, seen, and cared for. Working at The Gate allows me to witness Jesus transform their lives, which impacts my own faith journey.
Geanell McDonald, born and raised in Hawaii, moved to Monmouth in 2013 to pursue a BS in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Western Oregon University. After graduating, she taught in the Salem-Keizer and Central School Districts while volunteering at The Gate. Feeling called to ministry, she left teaching to work full-time at The Gate, serving as Summer Coordinator, Program Director, and now Human Resources. She married Ryan in 2020, has a son, and serves as a youth and worship leader at Monmouth-Independence Calvary Chapel."
The Governing Board
Passionate about teens and future of Monmouth & Independence, the governing board is made up of representatives throughout the community.
President
Shiela Duluk
“Youth are the future of our community. They carry many of the responsibilities that adults do in our culture, and deserve a safe place where they can come and just be kids again. I am excited to see The Gate be that place, filled with laughter, joy and smiles, but also a place where youth can feel encouraged, and safe enough to share their burdens with caring, supportive, loving adults, and know that they are not alone.” Shiela grew up in Southern California and has been working with kids and youth since she was in highschool. She has worked as an AVID Tutor, YMCA childcare site director, administrative assistant for various organizations, and is currently the office administrator at First Baptist Church, Independence . She has also volunteered as a crisis counselor for community agencies in Southern California, and most recently is serving as a local PTA President, and on several community committees with Central School District. She is excited to be part of collaborative team at The Gate as they work to develop the programs that will have the most impact and opportunities for all youth in our community.
Vice President
Anthony Preston
I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon where I grew up playing sports and finding new ways to give my foster parents a headache. As a Junior in High School, I gave my life to Jesus, and this set me on a new path for the rest of my life. I learned quickly that I had a passion for serving others, particularly in working with youth. Over the last decade or so this has taken forms of, coaching various sports, (Wrestling, Tennis and Track and Field), leading both YoungLife and WyldLife, working at the Gate and volunteering for countless summer camps. After high school, I attended Western Oregon University where I got a degree in Criminal Justice (I am currently a Police Officer at a midsize agency in Oregon) and met my lovely wife. One of the biggest reasons that I love working with youth is that I remember how pivotal that time in my life was and how many new things that I learned. As I was learning and becoming a young adult, I was blessed enough to have loving and caring adults that spoke into my life and helped me determine the kind of person that I was going to become. To get the chance to pay it forward by working with youth in our community brings me a ton of joy.
Secretary
Mike Ainsworth
“I am invested whole heartedly in this community, I always want to be the lead cheerleader. Kids have purpose. I want to help them find it and pursue it.” Mike Ainsworth grew up in Polk County and graduated from Central High School in 1973. He married his wife DeAnn in 1975 at the First Baptist Church in Independence where they raised their family just outside of town. After spending 20 years working for Willamette Industries and Weyerhaeuser, he served the last 10 years as a Polk County Commissioner. Mike has spent the last 28 years announcing games for the CHS football team and is very involved with the Panther Booster Club. Recently retired, Mike can often be found mowing the lawns at The Gate or cleaning the floors inside.
Treasurer
Donn Wahl
"Few things excite me more than seeing kids reach their potential. Helping dreams come true will have a major impact on our community." Donn grew up in McMinnville, Oregon and has worked as an engineer, business manager and small business owner. He is now retired and an original board member and officer of The Gate Youth Association. He serves as a Financial Secretary for First Baptist Church and volunteers with the YMCA in addition to his service at The Gate. He has served on the Central School District Board since June of 2013.
Board Member
Mike Parks
“My hope is to have a safe place like The Gate for youth to enjoy enriching activities, hear the good news of Christ, and grow in maturity and wholeness with Him.” Mike and his wife have lived in the Monmouth/Independence area since 1999 and raised three children who each graduated from Central High School.He has been in fulltime ministry for over 25 years serving as a Youth Pastor, Education Director and is currently the lead Pastor at First Baptist of Independence.He can be seen most Thursday’s at The Gate, has spoken at Tuesday Lunch and volunteers with AWANA clubs.
Board Member
Kari Meyer
“The Gate gives hope to our community and adds necessary light in this dark time” Kari is a lifelong part of this community and has spent most of that time in the Independence First Baptist church and in the Central school district. Through the years, her role has shifted from student, to educator, to parent (and educator). She has been excited about The Gate since the initial dream was shared, and joyfully serves on the board to connect to the schools and students of our community.
Board Member
Freddy Moran
Freddy has been serving in the Monmouth-Independence community as a chaplain since 2013, and is currently the Senior Chaplain for our local First Responder Program since 2017. He has a passion for this community and values our youth. During a time in his young adult years living in Los Angeles he was heading down the wrong path and an older Christian man poured into him, helping him to not become just another statistic. Freddy knows how crucial the relationships the youth make with the staff and volunteers at The Gate can be! He hopes to support this ministry by serving on the board, and by promoting The Gate wherever he has influence.