Lead Team
Mark Mellen
Overseeing Pastor
As founder of the Excelerate Program, Mark Mellen has a heart for empowering elite leaders and fast-forwarding their call to reach the lost within this generation. Mark’s heart for the broken stems from his own experience as a former homeless drug addict, and his success in ministry leadership has given him the opportunity to speak at conferences across the midwest as well as mentor dozens of successful church planters. Mark is also a Masters of Divinity student at Bethel seminary; he and his wife Bonnie recently had their first child, Connor, on January 2nd, 2011.
Andrew Neilson
Executive Director, Excelerate Intern Program and Discipleship School
Andrew was one of the first interns under Pastor Mark Mellen before Excelerate even had a name. A chemistry and biology double major in undergrad, Andrew left behind former ambitions of medical school and working in industry in order pursue a career in ministry. Andrew claims that “when people start to realize the full extent of their potential rather than the limits they've constrained themselves to, I get a rush.” Andrew is currently a Masters of Divinity student at Bethel Seminary and also leads worship at Substance Church.
Tabitha Horne
Excelerate Intern Director
Tabi started with Excelerate in 2010 as a subgroups intern. She has worked in higher education since 2006 and believes it is vital to mobilize leaders to make a difference not only into ministry, but into the business world and other arenas. She loves watching eager (or sometimes hesitant) volunteers become servants, visionaries, strategizers, healers, pastors, mentors, and teachers to thousands. She has a Masters in Education from St. Mary’s University and works at Bethel University.