'90s Nickelodeon star Kel Mitchell is now a youth pastor
Comedic actor Kel Mitchell, who starred in popular 1990s era Nickelodeon television shows “All That” and “Kenan and Kel,” has become a pastor at a California church.
In an announcement posted on his Facebook page Sunday, Mitchell revealed that he's now a pastor at Spirit Food Christian Center in Winnetka.
“Blessed and thankful for my Spirit Food Family and thank you Pastor [Garry D.] Zeigler for seeing the calling of God on my life and trusting me with your youth department,” Mitchell said.
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Mitchell went on to quote Romans 8:28-29: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Mitchell had several acting roles in the 1990s and early 2000s, mostly focused children’s and young adult entertainment.
Aside from the sketch comedy show “All That” and the sitcom “Kenan & Kel,” he also starred in the movie “Good Burger,” inspired by a recurring “All That” sketch, and appeared in episodes of “Cousin Skeeter,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” and “The Nick Cannon Show.”
Since then, he has appeared in many television shows and movies, though by his own admonition his career struggled to gain traction for a time.
In a post on his website in 2015, Mitchell opened up about experiencing suicidal thoughts and having many bad personal experiences, including a divorce, back then.
"I have been through so many ups and downs in my life," wrote Mitchell at the time. "Suicidal, divorce, drug and alcohol usage, deep in sin, dealing with the lost [sic] of [loved] ones to gang violence, debt, hurt, pain, vanity, lust, heartbreak, feeling LOST looking for answers. I have seen, felt and been in all types of sin and have been done wrong by others."
Mitchell said that he finally found peace by becoming a born-again Christian. He later remarried and became a stage manager for a church in the Los Angeles area.
“When sorrow [tries] to come knocking, I know I have my God that will destroy sorrow in its tracks,” he explained.
“People always gossip about a new diet they found and lay out a plan so you can do it. Well, I want to gossip about the Word of God and tell you how it saved me, feels good and it works! If you are what you eat, then I am eating SPIRIT FOOD daily.”
