MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile kicked off its first chapel of Spring Semester 2026 by calling students to a year of gospel growth. Led by UM President Charles Smith, the Jan. 14 panel of faith leaders challenged students to envision “an amazing year of faithfulness, joy and gospel growth.”
Dr. Smith opened the panel by reminding students, faculty and staff that gospel growth is the reason the University of Mobile exists.
“We are grateful to offer nearly 80 cutting-edge degree programs – from medicine to marketing – but if this is all students learn at the University of Mobile, we have failed. Our first and most fundamental calling as Christian educators is to help students encounter the living God. When we get this right, students do not merely prepare for a career; they move from death to life, and their vocation becomes a world-shaping calling,” Smith told a capacity crowd gathered in Ram Hall for weekly praise and worship.
“Part of the Good News of the gospel is that God is a God of growth,” President Smith added. “He doesn’t leave us in our sin and immaturity but calls us to grow into all that He has for us.”
Panelists Share Testimonies
Panelists presented the gospel message in a Q&A format and shared their personal testimonies. They encouraged students to look to Jesus, either for the first time or in a fresh way, and to prepare for a season of gospel growth by immersing themselves in God’s Word and joining a local church community that faithfully preaches the gospel.
Panelists included:
- Tim Adams, VP for Student Development & Collegiate Athletics, University of Mobile
- Kathy Litton, Former Director of Planting Spouse Development, North American Mission Board & UM Board of Trustees member
- Ashley Smith, First Lady, University of Mobile
- Joe Lewis Stevens Jr., pastor of Redeemer Fellowship, Hospice Chaplain at Southern Care & UM adjunct instructor for theology
- Ben Stubblefield, pastor of Spring Hill Baptist Church
Tim Adams spoke about the moment he made a decision for Christ.
“I was vaguely familiar with Bible stories and totally unaware of what the meaning of Jesus’ life meant. At youth camp, I heard a gospel presentation that my sin separated me from a Holy God. It was like opening up the reality that Jesus was relational. It changed my life forever,” Adams said.
First Lady Ashley Smith said as she became a wife and mother, she began to ask identity questions, such as who was she beyond those labels.
“The Lord began to unveil the depth of my need, and it changed my life,” she said. “The right question is ‘who is Jesus?’ Jesus is the way, the truth and the light, for you to find the light, you must look to Jesus.”
Joe Lewis pointed students to God the Creator, using his favorite passage, Revelations 21, that speaks of a new heaven and new earth.
“The gospel message is transforming repentant sinners, and it is creating creation again. God isn’t using the work of Christ to refurbish creation, He is recreating creation. Trust and believe in a cosmic Savior who is redeeming all creation.”
Kathy Litton said the power of the gospel carried her through the toughest of times, such as when her first husband died in a car crash.
“That seed of truth has shaped me and given me the power for the darkest days of my life,” she said. “You need the gospel, and the roots that you are putting down by being in a school like this is strengthening you.”
Ben Stubblefield urged students to see yourself as God sees you.
“Consider Christ. There’s a testimony of people who have gone before you who will tell you they would rather have Jesus than anything,” Stubblefield said.
Public Invited to Chapel Series
The public is invited to join UM students, faculty and staff for Chapel, held Wednesdays at 2 p.m. in Ram Hall on campus. Past Chapel messages are available on the University of Mobile Chapel Podcast through Apple or Spotify, and videos are posted on UM’s YouTube channel and UM social media. Access podcasts and videos at umobile.edu/chapel.
Spring Chapel Schedule
Upcoming speakers are:
Jan. 21 – Dr. Tony Merida, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Imago Dei Church
Merida is founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, NC; vice president for planter development for the Send Network, the church planting arm for the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention; and a Board member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of several books, including “The Christ-Centered Expositor,” “Ordinary” and “Orphanology.”
Jan. 28 – Heiden Ratner, Senior Pastor, WALK Church
Ratner is senior pastor of Walk Church in Las Vegas, NV, and serves as the Las Vegas City Missionary for Send Network. Heiden also serves the NFL Las Vegas Raiders and the WNBA Las Vegas Aces as their lead team chaplain.
Feb. 4 – Dr. Alan Floyd, Lead Pastor, Cottage Hill Baptist Church
Floyd is a native of Mobile, holding degrees from the University of Mobile, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of “These Three: A Believer’s Guide to Faith, Hope, & Love” and is executive director of The Hill Collective, a church planting/replanting network.
Feb. 11 – William Smith, Senior Fellow, Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI)
Smith oversees the Conservative Partnership Institute’s Magnus Fellowship and engages with CPI’s partners on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. He has over 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill, where he built a reputation for identifying and training the next generation of conservative staffers.
Feb. 18 – Quintell Hill, Lead Pastor, Multiply Community Church
Hill , a UM alumnus, is pastor of Multiply Community Church in Monroe, NC, and former president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Hill also serves on the mobilization team at the International Mission Board where he seeks to fulfill the mission of the Great Commission.
Feb. 25 – Dr. Kevin Ezell, President, North American Mission Board (NAMB)
Ezell has served as president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention since 2010. He has helped Southern Baptists plant more than 11,000 churches during his tenure.
March 11 – Dr. Derek Allen, Lead Pastor, First Baptist Tillman’s Corner
A native of Etowah County, AL, Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jacksonville State University, Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and PhD in Church Leadership from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After planting Christ Centered Church in Miami for six years, he has served as lead pastor at FBTC since 2019.
March 18 – Dr. Jed Coppenger, Lead Pastor, First Baptist Cummings
Coppenger is lead pastor of First Baptist Church Cumming, GA. He is an author of “21 Days to Childlike Prayer: Changing Your World One Specific Prayer at a Time” and “Fake Christianity: 10 Traps of an Inauthentic Faith (and How to Avoid Them).” Coppenger has worked in Christian publishing, Christian higher education, church planting, served on mission trips around the world, and preached for a wide range of camps, retreats and events.
March 25 – Dr. Paul Chitwood, President, International Mission Board (IMB)
Chitwood was elected president of the IMB in November 2018. He previously served as executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention from 2011-2018. For 18 years prior, Chitwood served as the pastor of local churches of varying size in Kentucky. During his pastorates, he served as chairman of the International Mission Board’s trustees from 2008-10, as part of his tenure as an IMB trustee from 2002-10.
April 1 – Tim Adams, Vice President for Student Development & Collegiate Athletics, University of Mobile
Prior to joining the University of Mobile in June 2025, Adams served as director of student life and events at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His extensive background includes 16 years of pastoral ministry in Liberty and Camdenton, MO, as well as leadership roles with Kanakuk Kamps and K-Life Ministries. At UM, Adams leads the overall student experience through the Student Life and Athletics departments.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university pursuing excellence “For Christ & His Kingdom.” With a vision to “Multiply Kingdom Leaders for the Glory of God and the Good of the World,” the university honors God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known.
The university was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, UM offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Learn more at umobile.edu/um-info and connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.
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