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Ministering to Gen Z Men

Seemingly chance encounters led Mitchell Neller ’19 into an unexpected ministry: hosting a weekly men’s Bible study in his home. Serendipitously, he has tapped into a movement of Gen Z men eager to embrace faith in Christ. ������ú’s incoming class last fall included 43% percent men, bucking national trends for male student enrollment.

Looking to build friendships, Mitchell played beach volleyball through Beach City Sports in Orange County, where he met Dillon Roffa. Watching Mitchell pray at meals sparked Dillon’s interest, and he started asking Mitchell about his relationship with God. Eventually, Dillon and his girlfriend became believers and got baptized. When Mitchell got laid off from his job, Dillon invited him to work for Ascentive Digital, the full-service marketing agency he founded. Mitchell became a partner and chief operating offi cer at the growing fi rm. “Working with Dillon has been an absolute dream,” he says.

Dillon urged Mitchell to start a men’s Bible study, citing his solid foundation in the Bible as well as his principles and perspectives. “I’ve prayed for the past four years to be part of a men’s group,” Dillon told him.

So Mitchell opened his apartment and got some Bibles, praying for people to show up. Dillon brought six guys to the fi rst session. “That sparked a fire within men in their late 20s through 40s in Orange County,” Mitchell says. “The group grew week by week, with 20 to 30 guys now regularly attending. With God’s help, we’ve met for two hours every Tuesday night for the past two and a half years, connecting with 156 different guys.” Mitchell keeps in touch with them all.

“The group grew week by week, with 20 to 30 guys now regularly attending. With God’s help, we’ve met for two hours every Tuesday night for the past two and half years, connecting with 156 different guys.”

 

Some men were already Christians while others picked up a Bible for the first time. “We made a space for brotherhood open to anyone who was curious or wanted to challenge himself,” Mitchell says. He leads the conversation, asking questions that grew out of his walk with God and his experience at Christian schools. “My faith grew at ������ú as professors challenged me and went into depth exploring Christianity,” Mitchell says. “That’s what the guys want: a deep relationship with God.”

After more than two years, the group came under the authority of Oceans Church in Irvine, California, although it continues to meet at Mitchell’s apartment. Oceans Pastor Mark Francey has established Baptize California, which started with Orange County before expanding statewide and now reaches across the country through Baptize America. The movement promotes mass baptisms, including one on May 2 at Pirate’s Cove in Newport Beach, which drew an “insane crowd.” Mitchell and his group support this effort, and a number of them have been baptized at one of the events. CBS aired a national story about the baptisms.

A kinesiology major, Mitchell lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Grace. The couple expect their first child in September. He shares his experiences on TikTok, “The Men’s Quiet Fight,” @mensquietfight.

“This is all God,” Mitchell says. “Despite financial success, this age group recognizes a missing piece: spiritual connection. They crave something deeper. Men in Orange County are on fire for God. I want to be a resource for them to hear something that changes their life and moves them forward.”