Who We Are
UBC exists to live out the gospel of Jesus and be an affirming example of God’s light to all.
Our Mission
We seek to experience God in new and creative ways. We grow together in community. We strive to be a living example of God’s kingdom on earth—embodying love, inclusivity, and justice.
Who do we mean by all?
In this fellowship “there is no longer Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave nor free, there is no longer male and female, for all of us are one in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:28). Therefore, we encourage full participation in the life of the church and its ministries regardless of church office, possessions, education, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental ability, physical ability, or other distinctions.
Our Values
INCLUSIVE
“Jesus loves everyone. So do we.” You may have seen these words on a billboard but they aren’t just words on a page. No matter who you are, no matter where you’ve been, or where you’re coming from, ours doors are open to you to be who God calls you to be. In worship, in education, in leadership, and in mission, we welcome all to share their gifts and graces in our community.
INQUISITIVE
Paul Tillich once said, “The opposite faith isn’t doubt. It’s certainty.” Life brings innumerable questions and concerns our way that lead us to wrestle with their answers and their meaning. Over and over in scripture, we see people asking big questions of each other and of God. As much as we seek to find the answers, we also believe that asking the right questions will help us in our search.
COMMUNITY-MINDED
The Church is not a building. It’s a gathering of people living and worshiping together as the Body of Christ. We take this belief seriously, seeking out ways to engage our community through our faith. We believe we’re at our best when we’re working together toward something bigger than ourselves.
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Jennifer Brown
Senior Pastor
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Zack Jackson
Pastoral Resident
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Dr. Ian Cicco
Director of Music
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Tina Parks
Financial Administrator
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Idella McSwain
Childcare Provider
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Olivia Carter
Childcare Provider
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Willie Holloway
Custodian
1928 TO NOW
Learn more about the history of University Baptist Church.
Worship at UBC
Our worship strives to align with what we believe to be the character of God. We seek to explore our relationship to God in a variety of ways in worship – through prayer, song, liturgy, the Word, and the Table. We worship according to the instruction of Jesus, “God is spirit, and those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth,” (John 4:24). We ask big questions, we wrestle with the truth, and we hope to come out of it all transformed by the Holy Spirit moving in our midst.
We rely heavily upon lay leadership. Members participate each Sunday by leading litanies, prayers, and scripture readings. Children also help lead worship regularly, reading scripture, singing, and participating in our liturgy. Our pastor generally bases her sermons on scripture using a set of weekly readings called the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL covers most of the Biblical narrative in a three-year rotation. Each summer we depart from the lectionary for different sermon series.
We follow the liturgical calendar and observe the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter as well as holy days like Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Pentecost, and World Communion Sunday. Special emphases, worship aids, colors, and banners highlight each season or Holy day.
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