About Eleven:6

Your mission is our passion.

We help ministries design, launch, and strengthen Christian gap year, internship, and residency programs that prepare the next generation of faith-driven leaders.

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Our mission

Accelerate and amplify next-generation disciple-making.

Eleven:6 helps frontline ministries turn the work they already do well into clear, university-quality learning pathways for ministry and the marketplace.

What we do

We build with your ministry—not around it.

For more than two decades, our team has designed and led university-level programs alongside churches, camps, missions, and other frontline organizations.

We begin by learning your DNA: the relationships, experiences, practices, and convictions that make your ministry distinct. Then we add the program design, curriculum, academic relationships, and operational support needed to create a coherent student journey.

The goal is not to impose a generic model. It is to help your mission become more transferable, more sustainable, and more fruitful in the lives of emerging leaders.

What the name means

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6 is a reminder to build by faith and steward the reward.

The name Eleven:6 points to both conviction and responsibility. We believe God rewards those who seek Him—and that every person, relationship, opportunity, and resource entrusted to us should be developed for Kingdom purpose.

Our team

Founder-led and built for close partnership.

Eleven:6 brings together the strategy, academic relationships, operational support, and ministry experience needed to understand what each partner actually needs.

Founder & Executive Director

Ben Wilhite

Ben leads the vision, operations, educational strategy, and program customization behind Eleven:6. From 2003–2022, he served as executive director of Pilgrimage Educational Resources, helping expand a ministry model that combines experiential learning, leadership formation, and university study.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Liberty University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Clarks Summit University. Ben and Jeni have four children and two grandchildren.

Our origin story

Four decades of learning on the front lines.

Eleven:6 grew from a ministry experiment that kept proving one thing: people learn deeply when knowledge, relationship, responsibility, and reflection belong together.

1984
Pilgrimage begins as a local-church wilderness program, pairing challenging experience with discipleship and leadership.
1992
The ministry begins partnering with an accredited Christian university to connect frontline learning with formal education.
2003
Ben Wilhite takes the helm, building on the work founded by his father, Dr. Dennis Wilhite.
2016
Eleven:6 branches out to help other ministries build and strengthen their own programs.
Today
A growing network of ministry leaders, faculty, and partners serves students and organizations across four continents.

Your mission, multiplied

Let’s build what your next generation needs.

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