Where is UBC located? We are located at 3200 Arlington Loop, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, in the heart of Midtown Hattiesburg. We’re about 4 blocks west of Forrest General Hospital and 3 blocks south of the University of Southern Mississippi. Our campus is surrounded by the University Heights Neighborhood and is a stone’s throw from our partner, Thames Elementary School.
What’s it like to visit UBC? Jesus describes the Kingdom of God as a great banquet where all are welcomed. When we say all, we mean all. We hope you get a taste of that when you visit UBC. Old or young, dressed in a suit or sporting your most comfortable jeans, a long-time follower of Jesus or new to the faith–whoever you are, however you come, we hope you find a sense of belonging here.
What’s your Sunday morning schedule?
Our choir begins rehearsing at 8:30am and throughout the morning people gather around coffee pots and in our library for conversation. Around 9:15am every Sunday morning people begin gathering for any one of our eight study groups. These begin at 9:30am. From discussions on social justice issues and book studies to traditional Bible studies and our Godly Play program which starts at 9:15. There’s something for everyone. We worship together as a church family at 10:30am (we have a nursery for our youngest children and extended session for preschoolers who leave worship about halfway through the service). We have recorded services available on our YouTube Channel for those who would rather worship from home or those that are homebound.
Baptists? What sort of Baptists are you? It’s not uncommon for first time visitors to wonder about our Baptist identity. For several years, our congregation has wrestled with how best to articulate what it means to be an inclusive, progressive, liturgical, and Baptist community in south Mississippi. We welcome anyone who walks through our doors. We believe God’s love and grace is big enough to cover us all. We believe God was sincere in saying, when looking out upon creation, “It is good.” We have ordained women as deacons and ministers since 1976. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their gifts and shape our community from all levels of participation and leadership. We follow the Christian year in our patterns of worship. We partner nationally with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists. In addition, we partner with the churches of the Great Rivers Fellowship, a new region of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship that connects individuals, churches and partners across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and beyond for collaborative mission and ministry. We also are a supporting congregation of the Baptist World Alliance.
Who is welcome at UBC? We warmly welcome everyone, regardless of any human distinctions we might make – age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, wealth, marital status and other distinctions. Several years ago, we created a billboard which was displayed at the corner of 34th Avenue and Hardy Street in Hattiesburg which simply said, “Jesus welcomed everyone. So do we.” We mean it. Not only is everyone welcome to visit UBC anytime, we invite everyone to make UBC their church home we welcome all who do into full participation within the life our congregation – from attending worship or small groups to leading committees, serving as deacons, and pursuing ordination. We mean it when we say, “You belong.”
What if I have more questions? Feel free to call us at (601) 264-6908 or email any of our staff members. They’re always happy to talk to you about life at UBC. You can click HERE to send a general message to our office or HERE to sign-up for our weekly updates. When you worship with us, we encourage you to fill out a visitor’s card so we can tell you more about our church family.
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