Ministries

Christian Union Nova (formerly Princeton Faith and Action) is a student organization at Princeton that is supported by Christian Union.

Since 2002 CU Nova has worked to bring spiritual transformation and renewal to campus by seeking the Lord, growing in knowledge and love of His Word, and thoughtfully engaging Princeton with the gospel.

The high-caliber ministry faculty at CU Nova teach intellectually rigorous Bible courses, disciple students one-on-one, and coach students to develop as Christian leaders.

CU Nova also offers conferences and retreats each semester and two weekly leadership lecture series called Encounter and TruThursday, which feature great worship, talks from compelling speakers, and space for students to grow together in fellowship.

New York, New York

Craig Holliday

Ministry Director

Bio coming soon.

Viviana Hinojosa

Ministry Fellow

Bio coming soon.

Ayomide Tikare

Administrative Assistant and House Manager

Ithaca, New York

Marcus Buckley

Ministry Director

Beginning his career in ministry as a church pianist while in college, Marcus 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 began as Ministry Director in February 2023, along with his wife, Lea Ann, who serves as the CU Vita Administration/Ministry Associate. They have three children, Emma, Victoria, and Brandon, and four dogs. In his free time, Marcus enjoys tinkering with anything and everything related to automobiles.

Lea Ann Buckley

Administration / Ministry Associate

Growing up in a pastor's home, Lea Ann was involved in ministry from an early age. She spent 20 years in the banking and medical professions before joining her husband, Marcus, on staff at Oasis Church, in Ormond Beach, Florida as the Administrator and Ministry Coordinator for nearly 7 years.

Lea Ann joined Christian Union in February 2023. She and Marcus, who is the Ministry Director for CU Vita, have three children--Emma, Victoria, and Brandon--and four dogs. In her spare time, Lea Ann enjoys gardening, exercise, outdoor activities, and is an HGTV aficionado.

Hanover, New Hampshire

Tim Pillsbury

Ministry Director

The son of two Dartmouth graduates, Tim Pillsbury grew up in Hanover, New Hampshire as the second oldest of seven children. After graduating from Hamilton College he became a teacher at Trinity-Pawling School, an all-boys boarding school in Pawling, New York. He coached Varsity tennis and ski racing, ran the school’s weekly newspaper, and advised his students in addition to his teaching responsibilities.

Tim began to seek God about a career change, and after seven years of teaching God opened a way for him to become Associate Pastor at Wellspring Worship Center in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, the church he grew up attending, where he spent five years before coming to Christian Union.

Tim seeks to make God relevant to every person he meets, combining a pastoral heart, knowledge of scripture, clarity in teaching, and strong administrative skills to do effective work for the kingdom of God. Tim and his wife have two young children, and live in Meriden, NH.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

James Galvin

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

fady ghobrial

Jim Galvin is a New England local. He received his Bachelors in Biblical Studies from North Point Bible College in 2004 and went directly into ministry, planting Anchor of Hope Church with Dove Christian Fellowship International. In 2017, Jim transitioned and became the Executive Pastor at His Providence Church in Swansey, Massachusetts. The Lord led Jim in early 2020 to join Connect Church as an Associate pastor overseeing Discipleship, Care, and Counseling. He joined staff with Christian Union in January 2024.

From house church and micro church contexts to mega church and multi site church contexts, Jim has found his passion in helping people hear from the Lord and find freedom in Christ. Pastoral care and counseling have earmarked his ministry.

Jim is married to Beth and they have five children. Jim is an active hockey player and finds a creative outlet with woodworking. He loves the outdoors, and most vacations you will find the Galvin family camping, climbing and rappelling in the mountains, kayaking on a river, or wakeboarding in the ocean - every moment is full of adventure!

Fady Ghobrial

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Fady Ghobrial was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. His family moved to the Boston area in 2002. He earned his Bachelor’s in Urban Studies from Worcester State University. After a radical encounter with Jesus during college he quickly sensed a call to ministry and began to serve at his local church.

He holds a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is ordained with the Southern Baptist Convention. Fady attends and serves at the Arabic Baptist Church of Boston, where his whole family came to faith, and where he teaches the youth and leads worship. When not reading books, Fady enjoys cooking with his wife Renée, watching superhero movies and discussing theology over black coffee.

Sadie Sasser

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Sadie Sasser is originally from south Arkansas and was raised in a home committed to following Jesus. She sensed a call to ministry during her high school years and received her Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Ouachita Baptist University in 2016. After a gap year of ministry in Fraser, Colorado, she moved to Wilmore, Kentucky to pursue her Master of Divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Upon graduating in 2021, Sadie worked for Asbury in development and recruiting until transitioning to the Women’s Ministry Fellow role at CU Gloria in September 2023. Sadie is most interested in helping people discern the voice of God and live in the freedom that the Gospel brings. She also loves having lively conversations about philosophy, culture, and how the two impact Christianity in the United States.

Outside of ministry with Christian Union, she enjoys reading, hiking and camping, listening to music, singing, and spending quality time with people around good food.

Princeton, New Jersey

Mike Vincent

Christian Union Ministry Director

Mike Vincent grew up just outside San Diego, CA. He graduated from Princeton in 2010 with a degree in Sociology, played varsity volleyball, and was heavily involved in the beginnings of a new campus ministry called Princeton Faith and Action (now CU Nova). He was a part of CU’s first Seeking God Lifestyle emphasis, was a part of the resulting move of God on Princeton’s campus, and was personally transformed. He then interned with Christian Union at Princeton for two years after graduation

After that he studied at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Mike has been a youth & young adult pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor over the past seven years. Mike has also been the lead pastor of the Oasis Church - the very first Pentecostal church in Canada.

Mike and Anna also fostered five teenage girls for three years while pastoring. They now have two boys - Kaden who is 7 and Isaiah who is 3. Mike enjoys spending time with his family, board games, classic movies, metal music, volleyball, and all things Disney.

Qwynn Gross

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Qwynn-Gross

D. Qwynn Gross began a vibrant relationship with God after a missionary trip to Toluca, Mexico, in 1986. She has worked in various administrative ministerial roles and has provided leadership to several areas of ministry including worship, small groups, and intercessory prayer. Qwynn is the co-founder of Hope Cathedral in Jackson, New Jersey.

She is known as an inspiring and practical teacher and has created several resources as well as authored books on spiritual devotion: A Pattern for Prayer, A Guide to Consecrated Living, and Teach Me To Pray. She is a conference host and a sought-after speaker at women's conferences, workshops and retreats. A graduate of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, Qwynn is married to Trevón, the lead pastor of Hope Cathedral. The two have three children: Trevón, Jr., Dianna, and Sarah.

Jake Thomas

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Bio coming soon.

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Contact the Christian Union staff by email using the following email convention: Firstname.Lastname@ChristianUnion.org

New Haven, Connecticut

Jeff Walsh

Ministry Director

jeffrey-walsh

Jeffrey Walsh is a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant with over 23 years of experience as a Military Police Soldier, Educator, National Director of Police, and leadership education. He is also an ordained Christian minister with a lifetime of experience in pastoral ministry. He has served in various assignments and attachments worldwide with the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau, the 5th Special Forces Group, and the 169th Regional Training Institute. Jeffrey spent the last ten years in senior leadership positions, including National Director and Subject Matter Expert of Military Police Education and Leadership and Senior Leader of Advanced Leadership Training Programs.

Jeffrey is an expert in spiritual care and reducing destructive behaviors like suicide, sexual assault, and domestic violence. He has trained military leaders across North America in his former role as the National Military Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert and Connecticut State Equal Opportunity and Sexual Assault Program Coordinator. He is pursuing his Doctor of Ministry at Alliance University in New York City, with prior education in Biblical Theology and Pastoral Ministry from Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs. Jeffrey's overseas combat experience has earned him numerous service awards, including the Bronze Star medal with Valor and four presidential unit awards. His passion for serving others stems from a personal journey of healing and transformation through the Spirit of God.

Chitra Kovoor

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Chitra

Born and raised in India, Chitra has a BA in Psychology and Sociology and an MBA. After work in the corporate sector, she moved with her husband to serve the church in the UK. While raising three children and supporting her husband in ministry in Derby, Birmingham and Bristol, she managed a graduate center run by University of Birmingham and the Selly Oak Federation of Mission Colleges, UK, offering training in the areas of management, leadership development and cross-cultural mission. She was also involved in university ministry during her time there.

Three years ago, in another continental maneuver, they found themselves in New Haven USA, following God's call to ministry in the city. Chitra encountered Christian Union through its then student executive members and was drawn to the mission and vision of CU for university contexts such as Yale. Investing in the development of young Christian student leaders, who could have a profound influence for the glory of God in the US and beyond was a powerful vision and Chitra felt the strong call of God to actively participate in it. She has worked as a Ministry Fellow with CU Lux for over 6 years.

To see her students grow in faith during their time at Yale and discover more of the immense potential that God has designed for each of them brings her great joy!

In her free time, Chitra enjoys playing tennis, walking, exploring the subject of nutrition, cooking healthy, and being hospitable. She loves stocking up the ‘Mouse’(the student hangout space) with a variety of teas and other delicious things. So stop by to meet her for a cuppa, snack, and a chat!

Michael Racine

Ministry Fellow and Writer

Michael Racine has been with Christian Union since 2017, first as a Ministry Fellow at CU Lux, and then as the writer of a series of Christian Union Bible Studies, the first three volumes of which were released by Tyndale House Publishers in 2022. Having written full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was delighted to get back on campus in the fall of 2022 and resume his work with the students of CU Lux.

Michael was highly involved in campus ministry as an undergrad at Brown, leading worship, co-leading small groups, and graduating with a concentration in Religious Studies. Upon graduation, he moved to Hunan, China, where he taught English for two years at a public middle school and led a small house church. Michael later headed English teaching and curriculum development for a college scholarship program in Haiti, then taught for a year in Spain before returning stateside to study at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.

He earned his M.Div. from Yale in 2015, and besides his work with Christian Union he has been an active musician, singing, playing, and directing in a range of settings and styles from Renaissance polyphony to funk. He currently serves on the worship team at Vertical Church in West Haven.

Bethany Walsh

Administrative Assistant
Bio coming soon.

Princeton, New Jersey

Christian Leadership Development Program

Princeton Faith and Action (PFA) is a student organization focused on Christian leadership development, and resourced by Christian Union.

PFA provides in-depth study of Scripture, Christian leadership training, fellowship, and support for Christian students as well as resources to help non-Christian students learn about Christianity. Open to all students, Princeton Faith and Action's main activities include intellectually rigorous Bible courses, a weekly lecture series, called Encounter, conferences, and various outreaches on campus.

In addition, Christian Union owns and operates the Melrose Center at Princeton.

Christian Union Faculty

Christian Union's role is to resource students at Princeton by offering mentoring, discipleship and leadership training. Meet the Christian Union faculty team that works with Princeton students. Please contact the Christian Union faculty by emailing: Princeton@ChristianUnion.org.

[ Photo: Princeton University, Office of Communications ]

Serving Students at Stanford University

Justin Woyak

Christian Union Senior Ministry Fellow

Justin.W2018

Justin grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and studied Classics at Princeton (where he made some of his lifelong best friends in a Christian Union Bible course!). After graduating from Princeton in 2009, he earned an M.Div. and a Th.M. from Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, where he also taught undergraduate Bible, theology, and Greek courses.

In 2016, Justin and his wife Kate moved to California to help launch Christian Union’s ministry to Stanford students. Justin enjoys golf and pickle ball, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, audiobooks and boardgames, good food and time with his wonderful wife and their four kids—and seeking God!

Susan Brown

Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Susan grew up in California and can’t imagine living anywhere else. She came to faith at an early age and has sought out opportunities to grow and serve Jesus in her church and local community ever since.

Susan and her late husband, Garrett, the first Ministry Director for CU Caritas, were married for thirty years, serving side by side in different ministries on mission for God the entirety of their marriage. Over the past twenty-five years Susan has served in a wide range of ministry and leadership roles, including the nonprofit sector and the local public schools. She previously served as a volunteer Bible Course leader for Christian Union, helping to launch the very first women’s Bible Course at Stanford. She looks forward to being back on campus, spending time with students.

A graduate of Biola University, Susan enjoys travel, gardening, reading, baking and spending time with her three children and friends.

cu caritas stanford
Since 2016 CU Caritas has worked to bring spiritual transformation and renewal to campus by seeking the Lord, growing in knowledge and love of His Word, and thoughtfully engaging Stanford with the gospel.

The high-caliber ministry faculty at CU Caritas teach intellectually rigorous Bible courses, disciple students one-on-one, and coach students to develop as Christian leaders.

CU Caritas also offers conferences and retreats each semester and a weekly leadership lecture series called Venture, which features great worship, talks from compelling speakers, and space for students to grow together in fellowship.