Brandon ('23) and Carla ('00) Wilemon
Lead Pastor, Crossroads Community Church; Director, River Region Pregnancy Center
The paths that led Brandon and Carla Wilemon to Union were different. From Tupelo, Mississippi, Carla arrived at Union immediately after high school while Brandon joined years later as an adult learner. Though their journeys were different, their mission has always been the same: following Christ wherever he leads.
Carla graduated from Union in 2000 with a degree in psychology and a minor in Christian studies. A cousin who had attended first introduced her to Union, and when she visited campus, she immediately knew it was the right place.
“I felt a calling on my life to serve in ministry,” she said. “I believed Union could give me both a strong education and the guidance I needed to understand how I, as a woman, could serve in that calling.”
While at Union, professors, staff and fellow students poured into her life.
“In many of my classes I saw how academic learning didn’t stand apart from my faith but actually deepened it,” she said. “I began to understand people not just through the lens of theory, but as image-bearers of God with real spiritual, emotional and physical needs.”
This combination of “spiritual formation” and “academic preparation,” she said, equipped her to approach people with compassion and truth, which creates a supportive environment for people during a vulnerable time in their lives.
Brandon, her high school sweetheart, had also dreamed of attending Union. Instead, after high school he enrolled at a local community college while stepping into student ministry roles as God opened doors. By the time the couple married in December 2000, Brandon was serving in ministry, and Carla had begun a career in mental health.
Over the years, the Wilemons followed God’s leading through several moves before settling in Prattville, Alabama, in 2016. Carla became the director of the River Region Pregnancy Center, a ministry that supports women and men across Montgomery and the surrounding area. Brandon continued serving in student ministry and later became associate pastor at Crossroads Community Church.
He began working on his bachelor’s degree in 2006, but life and ministry made completing his degree challenging.
“I would spend some nights in our bedroom studying and hear my family enjoying time together,” he said. “Whew, that was tough.”
Though life made pursuing his degree difficult, “having flexibility and encouragement from the Union staff helped me tremendously,” he said.
In 2020 he began having conversations with Luanne Powell, senior program director for Union’s School of Adult and Professional Studies. It would take another couple of years before the timing was right, but Powell said “the door was never shut. He knew we were always going to be available when the time became right for him.”
She continued to help him make a plan and determine what coursework he needed to finish his degree.
“Luanne always had time to talk to me,” Brandon said. “I would get so close, and life would happen, but Luanne stayed constant.”
Finding time to fit in extra work was challenging, but with the help and encouragement of Powell and others in the Union community, Brandon graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.
“The BSOL program is designed for working adults who feel called to lead in their communities, workplaces and churches,” Powell said. “Brandon is a perfect example of someone who faithfully served while continuing to grow as a leader, and we are honored that Union could play a role in his journey.”
“As an adult learner, it was hard,” Brandon said. “But it was also manageable. Not only was I challenged in my faith, but I was encouraged, too.”
At Union, Brandon said, “you will find a family that will continue with you for life. Union is not a campus; it’s a family.”
Powell, who was equally excited about his accomplishment, shared this sentiment.
“When he graduated, I stood,” she said. “I had invested so much over the years that I felt he was a family member.”
Around the time Brandon graduated, he also moved into the lead pastor position at Crossroads Community Church.
“Using my degree in organizational leadership, I am able to lead a staff of six and focus on biblical leadership in my church,” he said. Carla is equally passionate about Union.
“It was more than just a place to earn a degree; it was where my faith and education came together in a way that shaped the person I am today,” she said. “The Christ-centered community, meaningful relationships I made in the halls and dorms and the spiritual foundation I gained at Union continue to impact how I live, lead and serve others every day.”
Although their paths to Union were different, both Brandon and Carla have faithfully followed the Lord’s calling. Through their work in ministry and service, they are reaching their community for Christ and sharing his love with those in need.
“Carla and I have had a fantastic marriage for almost 25 years,” Brandon said. “I am just so thankful that Union is part of both of our stories. It’s a challenging story, but it has a great ending.”
