Office of Spiritual Life > Meet The Staff

Dr. Gregory A. Thornbury
Vice President for Spiritual Life
Dean of the School of Theology & Missions
Professor of Philosophy

• Phone: 731.661.5082
• Email: gthornbu@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Messiah College; M.Div. & Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Gregory Alan Thornbury, PhD, serves as Vice President of Spiritual Life and Dean of the School of Theology and Missions at Union University, where he also teaches philosophy and theology. For the past several years, he has spent time working on collaborative theological projects online as a theological editor for The Kairos Journal and BibleMesh. He is working on the forthcoming volume on the intellectual legacy of Carl F. H. Henry entitled, Recovering Classic Evangelicalism. A writer and speaker, he is also an avid guitarist and singer. He is married to Kimberly and has two daughters Kate (10) and Carolyn (8).

Dr. Taylor Worley
Associate Dean for Spiritual Life
Assistant Professor of Christian Thought & Tradition

• Phone: 731.661.5971
• Email: tworley@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Union University; M.Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D, University of St. Andrews
• Taylor Worley has the privilege of teaching an eclectic variety of courses in the School of Theology and Missions and helping to lead the staff of the Office of Spiritual Life. He joined the Office of Spiritual Life under the leadership of Dr. Gregory Thornbury in the fall semester of 2010 and the faculty of the School of Theology and Missions in 2008. His research and teaching interests explore the intersection of theology and culture; for instance, theology and the arts, theology and popular culture or theology and film. In addition to teaching, he oversees the day to day work of student mobilization and student discipleship along with helping facilitate the chapel program.
• Dr. Worley's time is divided between serving in the classroom and serving in campus ministries, and this balance is something he finds really exhilarating and refreshing. He loves the community of students and colleagues at Union and believes it is one of the best things about this institution.
• He and his wife Anna Tenhet Worley have two children - Lizzi and Quinn - and have served together in leading bible studies for students and adults along with short term mission trips. They are founding members of City Fellowship Baptist Church in downtown Jackson, where Dr. Worley serves as an elder.

Elizabeth Ward
Office Coordinator

• Phone: 731.661.5062
• Email: eward@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Samford University
• Elizabeth Ward came to Union in the spring of 2011 to serve as the Office Coordinator. Prior to joining the Spiritual Life staff, Elizabeth earned a B.A. in History and Spanish in 2009 from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduation, Elizabeth was the Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A in Paducah, Kentucky. Elizabeth moved to Jackson in November, 2010 following her marriage to Austin Ward, a 2009 Union graduate. Elizabeth and Austin enjoy serving the Union community and Elizabeth prays that the Lord will use her to minister to others through her position here.

Julie Bradfield
Director of Student Mobilization

• Phone: 731.661.5242
• Email: jbradfield@uu.edu
• Education: B.S., Union University
• Prior to coming to work at Union in 2005, Julie served as a Journeyman with the International Mission Board in Germany. She worked 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 now provides direction for Union's Global Opportunities Program. She coordinates approximately 20 GO Trips each year and trains both leaders and students who participate in GO Trips. Julie also serves in leadership among her peers at other Baptist universities as they collaborate on how to more effectively engage and equip others to take the gospel to the nations. Her heart for college students and mobilization play a key role as she also serves as a resource for students who are interested in domestic and international ministry opportunities. Julie loves that she has been able to stay involved in the work among university students in Germany by leading teams of Union students and connecting students with longer term opportunities to serve there. Julie is an active member of First Baptist Church, Jackson.

Lee Wilson
Director of Discipleship

• Phone: 731.661.5165
• Email: lwilson@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Texas A&M University; M.Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Lee Wilson serves as a Director of Discipleship at Union University. Prior to joining the Spiritual Life staff in January of 2008, Lee earned a B.A. in English Literature at Texas A&M and has recently completed his Masters of Divinity at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Lee provides leadership to the Life Group ministry at Union University, training student leaders to serve as small group leaders and assisting new students as they make the transition into college life. Lee's passions include biblical manhood and the local church, both of which inform and shape his personal discipleship and the Man Up Bible study he leads every spring semester. Lee is married to his lovely wife Beth and together they have a toddling little girl, Abigail, and a baby boy, Liam.

Rachel Ware
Director of Discipleship

• 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 as a student at Union, she served as a Life Group Leader and Klemata Leader through the Office of Spiritual Life, and participated in several GO Trips. It has been a joy for her to continue supporting the work of Spiritual Life over the last two years as a staff member. Rachel currently serves as a Director of Discipleship, working with Life Group leaders and overseeing the ministry of Klemata, a Bible Study program for female students. She loves meeting new people and particularly enjoys sharing stories over coffee. She has been a member of Cornerstone Community Church for 6 years and is currently working on a Masters of Arts from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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 came to Union in the fall of 2009 and serves as the Assistant Director of Student Mobilization. He graduated in 2003 with a BS in Social Work and 2008 with a Masters in Christian Studies. Prior to studying at Union, David spent most of his childhood and teenage years as an MK in Guatemala. This was an instrumental time in David's life and has greatly impacted his heart for the nations. David assists Julie Bradfield in planning and coordinating Global Opportunities (GO) Trips and helps train and prepare students who participate in GO Trips. David is the proud husband to Nekayeh and father to Norah Kate.

Aaron Beasley
Student Mobilization

• Phone: 731.661.5161
• Email: abeasley@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Union University
• Aaron is a 2010 graduate of Union University, where he studied Teaching English as a Second Language. He currently serves as a Graduate Assistant to the Office of Spiritual Life while he works toward a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. Prior to coming on staff at Union, he spent a year teaching English in Grenoble, France. Aaron enjoys making music and is a part of the Body at Christ Community Church.

Keely Hart
Student Mobilization

• Phone: 731.661.5161
• Email: khart@uu.edu
• Education: B.A., Union University
• Keely is a 2007 graduate of Union University, where she received a degree in Christian Studies. For the last two years she has served as a Journeyman with the International Mission Board in Botswana. She has also had opportunities to serve short term in India, Guatemala and Germany. She looks forward to joining the Spiritual Life staff this year as a J3 and walking alongside students as they explore God's direction in the their lives. She loves creating, cooking, wilderness, music and coffee - especially when she can enjoy these things with others.