Ministry Staff

Brent Isbell, Preaching Minister

Brent has been the preaching minister at UCC since August 2009. Before moving to Abilene, Brent ministered with congregations in Ennis, Grand Prairie and Houston. Born in San Angelo, his family roots are in West Texas, but he grew up in the DFW Metroplex.

Brent is a 1986 ACU graduate, holding a BBA in finance. He also holds two ACU graduate degrees, one in religious education and the other the Master of Divinity. In 2002, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He loves preaching, teaching university students, sports, reading and most things outdoors, including hunting and fishing.

Above all, he loves the Lord and his beautiful family. He has been married to Melinda since 1993, and they have two daughters, Jordan Mei and Sarah Lin, both adopted from China.

Jennifer Welch, Children’s Minister

Jennifer has served as the full time children’s minister since April 2006.  She received a BBS degree from Hardin-Simmons University and Abilene Christian University and her teaching certification from McMurry University.

Jennifer moved to the Abilene area during junior high and graduated from Abilene High School. She met her husband, Roger, after graduating from college. They have two children, Josh, a May 2011 Abilene High graduate, and Sarah, an AHS junior.

The Welch family enjoys various activities together, including playing basketball, tossing the football, fishing, working on their farm, and singing. Jennifer says, “I count my blessings daily, and working with the children at UCC is one I always include. The Lord is good, and he works in mysterious ways!”

Jason Craddock, Youth Minister

Jason has been the youth minister at UCC since August 2008, but he first began working  with the youth ministry in 1999 as a volunteer while he was an ACU graduate student. In 2005, he and his wife Karla moved to the Phoenix area to do full-time youth ministry but after three years returned home to continue their work with their UCC family.

Jason and Karla met at UCC in 2002 and married in 2003. They have two daughters, Kaila and Alexa. Jason has bachelor’s degrees in youth and family ministry and psychology from ACU, and is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. He also has 27 graduate hours in digital media.

Jason believes his entire life, especially the highs and lows of the adolescent years, prepared him for youth ministry. During those years, he was involved in baseball, football, basketball, band and medical career explorers. He started off chubby and short and finished tall and skinny. He had acne, braces, cowlicks, four eyes, a crackly voice, giant feet (size 15) and no coordination. But he did have a church family and a youth group that loved and supported him and helped him grow into someone who really gets what teens are going through and can help them grow through them as well. For that reason especially, Jason loves youth ministry.

Sean Pullen, Worship Minister

Sean Pullen has lived most of his life in Texas – with the exception of two grueling years in California.  His childhood was spent half-in-half in League City and Abilene.  He was reared by musical parents, Milton and Evie Pullen, along side his sister, Tara, and his twin brother, Kyle.  He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Houston and his DMA from Claremont Graduate University in California.

Sean and Amanda married in 2004, and he now refers to her as his better 3/4ths.  They have two gorgeous red-haired daughters, Megan and Jenna, and Sean says they both got their looks and brains from their mother.

Sean became a Christian down the road at the Northwest Church of Christ on Willis Street in Abilene in 1983.  He and Amanda placed membership at UCC in 2009 not long after they moved here from League City, where Sean taught choir at Clear Creek High School and Amanda taught private voice lessons.

Sean now conducts the choirs and teaches courses in music at ACU. In November 2010, he became the worship minister at UCC where he plans and leads worship and directs the chorus.

While music is Sean’s passion, he also loves sports, especially baseball.