Daren Mehl’s testimony is a clear narrative of Christ’s rescuing mercy and sanctifying power. After being drawn into occult practices as a teenager and experiencing spiritual torment, he cried out to Jesus at age 17 and began to read Scripture seriously—where he came under conviction that his same-sex desires and the “gay Christian” framework were incompatible with repentance and obedience to Christ.

Over time, the Lord used faithful Christian relationships, prayer, and the steady ministry of the Word to call him out of an LGBT identity and into a life marked by repentance, integrity, and perseverance. God answered specific prayers that led to leaving a same-sex relationship and ultimately marrying his wife, Rhoda, in 2005; they now serve the Lord together and are raising their two children as a living testimony of God’s restoring grace and new-creation power in Christ.

That transformation also shaped Daren’s pastoral convictions and ministry posture: truth without compromise, compassion without flattery, and long-haul discipleship that aims at real renewal (Romans 12:2) rather than mere behavior management. Having walked through church discipline, restoration, and sustained service in the local church, he brings a shepherd’s steadiness and a sober commitment to holiness—paired with humility learned through repentance and the mercy of God. His story uniquely equips him to support congregants facing sexual brokenness, identity confusion, shame, and spiritual warfare, while strengthening the church’s confidence that the gospel truly saves and sanctifies (“such were some of you... but you were washed...” 1 Cor. 6:11).

In an administrative pastor role, he translates that same gospel-driven maturity into dependable leadership, care for people, and a mission-focused commitment to equip the saints for faithful, ordered ministry.

Daren served in the corporate world for 25 years in IT management and as a consultant in IT risk management and security before entering the ministry at Warroad Community Church where has been Associate Pastor, Interim Pastor, and Care Pastor while working as Operations Manager for The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice. He served as volunteer Service Production Lead for over a decade at Celebration Church in Lakeville, MN.

Daren is a nationally recognized speaker for proclaiming the Biblical hope of repentance, sanctification, and transformation. He has spoken against the harms of conversion therapy bans before the Minnesota and North Dakota legislatures and has submitted testimony to the US House of Representatives, the California legislature, and the United Nations. He was president (2016-2025) of Voice of the Voiceless, a nonprofit that amplified the voices of ex-LGBT Christians and helped seekers in reconciling faith, behaviors, and identity and contributed to overturning conversion therapy bans across the US.

Daren currently serves as a Board member of Association of Christians in Health and Human Services (ACHHS) with the goal of training HHS university students in a faithful Christian Worldview. He and Rhoda also co-founded Made Free Ministries, part of the Agape First Ministries network, to equip individuals, families, and churches with the biblical truth of a transformed life in Jesus Christ. Daren has been a licensed minister through the International Ministerial Fellowship since February 2020.

Daren has been married to Rhoda for over 20 years, and they have two children, Sebastian and Esther. They are a homeschool family.

Daren and Rhoda seek to use their gifts for the glory of God in spreading the Gospel and making disciples. They passionately love Jesus and His body, the Church. They desire to live in humility, to remain teachable, and lead through service. They are passionate about church fellowship, hospitality, and Bible study.