Campus Ministries > Meet The Staff

Dr. Richard Wells
Dean of Chapel and Professor of Christian Studies

• Phone: 731.661.5161
• Email: rwells@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Florida Southern College; M.Min., The Criswell College; M.A., Stetson University; Ph.D., Baylor University; Ph.D., University of North Texas
• After more than thirty years as a pastor, professor, and college president, Dr. Richard Wells joined Campus Ministries as Dean of the Chapel in August 2008. He brings to Union University a passion for the glory of God through worship that seeks to exalt Him, discipleship that seeks to know Him, and mission that seeks to declare His glory among the nations. Dr. Wells himself has served on more than twenty overseas missions, and longs to help as many Christians as possible experience the joy of knowing Christ deeply, and serving Him faithfully from next door to the ends of the earth. Dr. Wells and Carol, his "Brown-eyed Baby," have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Stacy Preston
Administrative Assistant and Ministry Coordinator

• Phone: 731.661.5062
• Email: spreston@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Union University; M.A.I.S., Union University
• Stacy is in her fourth year on staff as the Ministry Coordinator/Administrative Assistant for the office. As a Spanish major, Stacy studied abroad in both Ecuador and Spain, and spent a summer as a translator in Mexico. After graduation, her love for the Spanish language led her to Miami, where she served as an intern with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Miami through the North American Mission Board. In addition to providing support for all the ministries of the Campus Ministries office, Stacy provides leadership for Klemata, the women's discipleship ministry at Union. Stacy is married to Landon who serves as the Director of Donor Relations at Union. Landon and Stacy are expecting their first child in January 2010.

Julie Bradfield
Director of Student Mobilization

• Phone: 731.661.5242
• Email: jbradfield@uu.edu
• Education: B.S., Union University
• Julie came to Union in the spring of 2005 to serve as the Director of Student Outreach. Prior to coming on staff at Union, she served as a Journeyman with the International Mission Board in Germany. In Germany, Julie was on a team ministering to German university students in a key college town in the former East Germany. Using her previous experience working with university students and volunteer teams in an international setting, Julie directs Union's short term missions endeavors. She provides direction for the Global Outreach Program and coordinates about 20 short-term missions projects (GO Trips) each year. Her heart for college students and mobilization play a key role as she also serves as a resource for students who are interested in local ministry opportunities as well as domestic and international missions. Since coming to Union, Julie has led five teams of Union students to minister alongside the university ministry with which she served in Germany.

Lee Wilson
Director of Spiritual Formation and Discipleship

• Phone: 731.661.5165
• Email: lwilson@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Texas A&M University; M.Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (December 2009)
• Lee serves as the Director of Spiritual Formation and Discipleship at Union University. Prior to joining the staff in January of 2008, Lee graduated with a BA in English Literature at Texas A&M and began working on his Masters of Divinity at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. While an undergraduate, Lee actively involved himself in ministry to freshmen college students, teaching Upstream Bible study and serving as director of Impact, an orientation retreat for incoming freshmen. Prior to coming on staff at Union, Lee also provided leadership to the College Ministry at Hunsinger Lane Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Lee will be overseeing programs that minister to students at Union. Lee is thrilled to be married to his lovely wife Beth and is a proud dad to daughter Abbey who was born in February 2009.

Kathy Southall
Director of Prayer Ministry and Encouragement

• Phone: 731.661.5678
• Email: ksouthall@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Mississippi College; M.A., Southwestern Theological Seminary
• After serving at Union for over twenty years, most recently as the Director of Residence Life as well as Assistant Director of Centrifuge, Kathy joined the Campus Ministries team as Director of Prayer Ministry and Encouragement in June 2009. She is passionate about pouring into the lives of students, faculty, staff and administration. Two meaningful life-verses for her are: "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." (1 Thessalonians 2:8); and "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it." (Proverbs 3:27)

Rachel Ware
Coordinator of Church Relations Programs

• Phone: 731.661.6598
• Email: rware@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Union University
• Rachel is a 2009 graduate of Union University, where she majored in Christian Studies and Church History. During her time at Union, she served in Residence Life for three years, the last as Resident Staff Advisor, and worked with Klemata and LIFE Groups in Campus Ministries. She also participated in several GO trips and is excited to continue supporting Campus Ministries as a staff member. Rachel currently serves as the Coordinator of Church Relations Programs in the Office of Church Relations, which seeks to cultivate relationships with local churches and those in the Tennessee Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention.

David Carothers
Assistant Director of Student Mobilization

• Phone: 731.661.5571
• Email: dcarothers@uu.edu
• Education: B.S.W., Union University; M.C.S., Union University
• David Carothers, a 2003 Union graduate, joined the Campus Ministries team in August 2009. David grew up in Guatemala where his parents still serve with the International Mission Board. For the past four years, he worked at the University of Memphis where he taught Spanish and served as the office manager for Conference Planning & Operations. Having grown up on the mission field, David's involvement in missions began at an early age and he has continued to seek how God would use him to reach the nations. His experience growing up on the mission field, missions experience since then, and his desire to mobilize and equip others to reach the nations will be a huge asset to the Global Outreach program at Union. David is married to the former Nekayeh Pennington, a 2004 graduate of Union, and is the proud father of Norah Kate who was born in March 2009.