Serving Christian Union's Financial Partners
Marcus Buckley
Vice President of Development, Communications, and HR
Marcus' career in ministry began as a church pianist while in college, and he took a position as lead pastor the year after his graduation from Stetson University. For nearly 30 years he has pastored churches in Florida and South Carolina while also serving as a police chaplain. During this time, Marcus completed his Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and earned his Doctor of Ministry from North Greenville University. In addition to pastoring and preaching in a broad variety of contexts, he has also hosted Christian talk radio programs, taught college classes, contributed numerous articles to a variety of publications, and has authored two novels with a third forthcoming.
Marcus and his wife, Lea Ann, have three children: Emma, Victoria, and Brandon, and four dogs. In his free time, Marcus enjoys tinkering with anything and everything related to automobiles.
Woody O'Cain
Director of Development
Woody began serving as the Director of Development of Christian Union in March 2025. He has served numerous higher education institutions over his 35-year career, initially in the areas of admissions, financial aid, marketing, and enrollment. The latter part of his career has been in the areas of development and alumni and parent engagement.
Woody served Furman University as Director of Admissions for a decade in enrollment. During his tenure there, O’Cain's work elevated Furman’s national reputation as an academically competitive and diverse liberal arts institution. He also served on the board of the Southern Association of College Admissions Counselors and has been a popular keynote presenter and panelist for schools around the country on all topics related to the college selection process.
Most recently he has served in alumni and development roles at Stetson University in DeLand, FL before returning to his home state of SC to serve as Director of Development at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law.
Woody and his wife of 34 years, Patty, have two daughters: Ashley O'Cain Templeton, who is the Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Georgia, and Allie, who is a vet tech at an area veterinary hospital in South Carolina. In his free time, Woody enjoys any activity outside, from landscaping to fishing, along with many woodworking projects.
Patty Fillman
Administrative Assistant
Patty provides crucial administrative support to the development team. She graduated from Mansfield University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked a variety of secretarial and managerial jobs while fulfilling her primary responsibility of raising her children. Patty has three wonderful, grown children: Adam, Rachel, and Hannah. Between them, she and her husband, Jim, have four children and three grandchildren.
Contact the Christian Union development staff by email using: Firstname.Lastname@ChristianUnion.org
