Dan McMullen grew up in California with absent parents who made it clear that his life was not one they were grateful for. “You should have never been born,” was a phrase often used from his mother to him—and one he would find himself repeating in his head in the darkest of times. Dan would eventually develop a deep fear of failure which he carried with him as he moved from San Diego to Los Angeles to live with his dad in fifth grade which resulted in a 20-year separation from his mom.
As he grew up, Dan recalls making “every mistake a human being could possibly make” and as he approached his seventeenth birthday, Dan’s dad told him he was moving to St. Louis. However, while his Dad continued to prioritize his professional career, Dan decided to prioritize his football career as he was a top recruit for major Division-1 universities in the nation. So, his dad left, and he stayed. Dan would sleep on friend’s couches before being kicked out for not following the rules and would have to find another person to stay with. The cycle would repeat until Dan made the decision to work middle-of-the-night jobs in order to afford himself a home in welfare housing.
Life only became more complicated at this point as robberies and being shot at became the norm. As a senior in high school, Dan would spend his nights working only to come home to violence, then would wake up and head to school where he continued to pursue his football career which landed him a full ride to Penn State. Things were looking up for Dan for a short time, until his scholarship was taken away after finding out he cheated on his SATs. Dan describes football as “the one good thing” in his life—and when that was gone, he fell into a deep depression.
However, Dan had a friend who took notice and invited him to church. This moment ignited a curiosity within Dan as he recalled moments from his childhood where he would want to talk to God but never knew how. At 19 years old, Dan went to his first service and remembers being “filled with the Holy Spirit. I knew I was meant to be there that day.” From there, he started to devote more time in his week to building a relationship with God until he felt ready to be baptized. Though an obstacle presented itself when the pastor told him he was not ready to be baptized for “simply coming to church on Sundays.”
“I remember thinking that every time I start to get close, something always gets in the way,” Dan said. “And this was it.” So, Dan turned his back.
He found himself without football, without a family, and what felt like a rejection from God. Then one night, a gun was put to his head.
“I asked him to pull the trigger,” Dan said. “Everything everyone had ever told me I would become was coming true. I was done.”
But the gunman didn’t pull the trigger. Instead, he laughed, lowered the gun, and walked away. And Dan packed up his car and drove straight to St. Louis. It was that terrifying moment of defeat which catapulted Dan into a life dedicated to proving others wrong. “I will make something of myself” is what Dan told himself.
Soon after moving, Dan got a second chance to play college football. Not a D1 school, but a tiny catholic school in Iowa where he found himself intrigued by his theology class where he “asked question, after question, after question…” He felt as if the Lord was inviting him back, but he couldn’t understand why.
As he tried to find the answers, he met his wife and they eventually had four children. Unfortunately, the marriage ended and Dan found himself once again having everything taken from him—his family, his house, his job.
“I found myself at another crossroads,” Dan said. “But as I started praying to God, I didn’t want to ask for anything. I have my health, I have clothes on my back.”
So instead, Dan decided to thank God for everything He has ever given him.
“It was nothing extravagant. It was the simple fact that I was able to wake up that morning.”
The very next day, Dan got a call from a principle asking him if he wanted to teach again. Followed by another call from someone who said they could help Dan keep his house.
“It was one thing after another,” Dan said. “These tiny miracles started to happen. I started to hope again.”
Down the road, Dan would find himself married to his current wife and going through another tough time. This is when his wife would say to him, “I’m going back to church. I have to make my relationship with God the priority, and it’s your choice if you want to join me.”
The next Sunday, Dan and his wife walked through the doors of Element Church. He arrived unhappy, unworthy, and broken—and left full of hope and on fire after listening to Pastor Mark’s message.
Dan recalls crying through that first service and thinking “never again will I turn my back. I want to feel hope. I want to have a future.” He then found Jeremiah 29:11—which has become the foundation of his relationship with God:
“For I know the plans I have for you—plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.
He attributes much of this transformation to his wife. “She brought hope back into my life,” Dan said. “If I wouldn’t have chosen to put her first and come with her on that Sunday, I don’t think I would have ever heard that message or met Pastor Mark.”
Today, he is the head football coach at St. Charles High School and has dedicated his career to helping kids who feel hopeless, find hope. He has partnered—and will continue to partner—with Pastor Mark and Element’s Youth leaders in helping steer these kids in the right direction. Dan, his wife, and all seven of their kids are currently building their own relationships with Jesus—without any pressure from their parents.
“It’s their choice. They want to do this,” Dan said. “And our family feels more connected than ever.”
By coming to Element Church, Dan has been able to figure out who he truly wants to be and how he wants to live.
“I am by no means perfect—but I will continue to do all that I can so that I can continue to build my relationship with God and help as many people as I can. I don’t know how, but I know He does.”
To those who are considering coming exploring a relationship with God, Dan has this to say:
“Let your guard down, and watch Him work.”