University Baptist Church sits at the corner of West Main Street and Jefferson Park Avenue in Charlottesville, a short walk from the University of Virginia. For more than 125 years, the congregation has brought university students and neighborhood residents together in worship, study, and service. Its mission is to minister to the university community and to residents of the Greater Charlottesville-Albemarle area, serving as agents of Christ's love and justice for those in need while offering a vital family of faith.

A Church Formed in 1900, Walking Forward Ever Since

The congregation traces its beginning to 1900, when a split within Charlottesville Baptist Church led eighty-three members to gather at the Levy Opera House and form a new body. The resignation of Dr. Henry Tribble was the catalyst, and under his leadership the church grew quickly from about eighty to four hundred members. In those early years, money was tight - the congregation often had to borrow to cover expenses and struggled to pay their pastor on time - but the commitment to mission work never wavered.

By 1929, the original home on High Street could no longer hold the congregation, and the church moved to its present location, taking the name University Baptist Church. A period of renewal followed under Dr. Cecil Cook. Beginning with only thirty-nine people at his first meeting, Cook guided the church back to financial health, helped it repurchase its building, and grew the membership to 428.

Inclusivity became a defining mark. In 1969, amid racial tensions across the country, the congregation passed a resolution stating that membership would be based solely on a person's Christian commitment, without regard to race or background, a decision that cost some members but established a long-running commitment to equality. Later decades brought the ordination of women as deacons and a formal decision to welcome people of every age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, and background. Reverend Richard (Dick) Myers began a twenty-two-year pastorate in 1963 that produced Jubilate, the auditioned college choir, and deepened the church's community engagement. Subsequent ministers, including Dr. Tom Leland and Dr. Michael Cheuk, expanded outreach locally and globally. Dr. Matthew Tennant, who came to UBC in 2017, has launched the Myers Lecture Series, hunger-relief efforts, and adapted the church's ministry through the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025 the congregation marked its 125th anniversary with a goal of 125 Acts of Service between January and the celebration weekend in October, a goal it reached.

Worship on Sunday Mornings

The Sunday morning rhythm is simple. Sunday Morning Bible Study begins at 9:45 a.m., and worship follows at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The style is described as traditional yet creative, drawing on the liturgy and practices of the wider Christian tradition while preserving the congregation's Baptist heritage. Greeters are posted at each door to help newcomers find their way.

Worship is broadcast live each week on three channels: a video stream on YouTube and Facebook, and a radio broadcast on WINA 1070 AM and 98.9 FM, so that members at home or traveling can still take part. Bulletins for each Sunday are posted as downloadable PDFs and the church also produces a weekly newsletter called The Word.

Jazz Vespers adds a second regular worship gathering to the calendar. Held in the Sanctuary on Friday evenings, usually once a month, this casual service pairs a brief message from Dr. Tennant with live jazz by local musicians - saxophone, piano, bass, and drums - performing standards and jazz renditions of traditional hymns. Childcare is provided.

A Music Ministry Centered on Choirs

Music is central to worship at UBC. The Sanctuary Choir anchors the music ministry, rehearsing on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Music Suite on the second floor and leading worship each Sunday morning and at special services through the year. A multi-generational Summer Choir runs during the summer months as a relaxed way to try the choir.

Jubilate, an auditioned choir for undergraduate and graduate students, has been part of UBC for more than fifty years. Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a student dinner in the Fellowship Hall. The choir performs a wide range of styles, from classical to contemporary, and has toured to New York, St. Louis, Baltimore, Houston, Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, and across New England.

For younger singers, Voces Laetae (pronounced Vo-chess Lay-tay) is a community youth choir for middle and high school students that began in 2022. The group rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and gives three or four concerts during the school year, including leading UBC worship several times a year. Handbells round out the Wednesday evening program, with a 5:45 p.m. rehearsal.

Children, Youth, and the College Ministry

The children of UBC begin in the Nursery/Preschool Suite on the ground floor, with trained caregivers looking after infants through preschoolers during both Sunday Morning Bible Study and the worship hour. Coordinators Judy Gough, Diane Woerner, and Catherine Cooper lead this work. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade gather upstairs in the Children's Suite (Room 212b) under Laura Faye Groff and Laura Morris. During the worship hour, children start the service with their parents and then head up for Worship+Wonder, a worship experience designed for them. Children's activity bags are also available from the ushers.

Yearly activities for children include Vacation Bible School, Touch-A-Truck, special Easter and Christmas activities, movie nights, field trips for putt-putt, hiking, and swimming. Service projects include collecting food for the Emergency Food Bank, dropping off goodies at the UVA Hospitality House, and baking cookies for hospital staff.

UBCYouth, for grades six through twelve, meets on the third floor (Room 305) on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m., facilitated by Coordinator Kevin Adams. The group also gathers on Sunday afternoons for fellowship and service, with details carried in the newsletter. Retreats and mission weekends take place during the school year, and a week-long youth camp is on the summer calendar.

College students have a strong place at UBC, fitting the church's long relationship with the university across the street. On Sunday mornings during the academic year, students gather at 9:45 a.m. in the College Room (G17) for creative discussion of scripture and a rotating list of writers. On Wednesday evenings they join the church-wide dinner. Once a month there is a special gathering - the annual Friendsgiving Dinner and snow tubing at Wintergreen are recent examples. In the summer, students can take part in CBF programs such as Student Church internships and the Selah Vie retreat. Coordinator for this work is Rev. Megan Sharp, the Associate Minister for Music and College Students.

Adults: Bible Study, Small Groups, and Women's Mission Circles

Sunday Morning Bible Study for adults offers several classes at 9:45 or 9:30 a.m., including Grounded and Growing (currently working through Bless This Mess), the discussion-based Kairos class, New Life, Open Minds (described as exploring a progressive approach to Christianity), and the intergenerational Seekers class in the ground-floor Room G14. ESOL, a free English Conversation class for speakers of other languages, meets in Room 210 with childcare provided.

Wednesday nights pull everyone together for dinner at 5:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, followed by handbells at 5:45 and choir rehearsal at 6:30. Dinner costs $10 for adults; children, youth, and college students eat free.

Several small groups meet outside Sunday morning. Bible & Brews, a casual men's group, gathers on the second and fourth Tuesdays at Three Notch'd Brewing Company to talk through scripture over a beer. The PBJ Bible Study Group, for senior adult women, meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon from September through June. A Women's Book Study meets at the Tennants' house on a flexible schedule and is working through Falling Upward by Richard Rohr.

Two women's mission circles carry much of UBC's mission work. Kittie Colvin Trail Circle, a group of women ages 49 to 70-something, meets in members' homes on the first Tuesday of the month during the school year and over the summer at local restaurants. They have long sponsored a kindergarten class in Nada, Kentucky through CBF, support the UVA Hospitality House, run a Christmas Post Office to turn saved postage into global missions giving, adopt a family through Albemarle County Schools at Christmas, cook dinners for PACEM guests during UBC's two-week shelter rotation, and provide Sunday meals for Jubilate and UBCYouth. Contact for this circle is Debby Johnson at dpjohns33@gmail.com. The Annie Armstrong Circle, a senior women's group, meets midday on the second Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall for lunch and a speaker, and supports local partners like The Alyssa House, Cville Village, Yellow Door Project, Lilypads, AIM, Love INC, and Georgia's Friends, Inc. The Prayer Shawl Ministry, begun in 2009, meets on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings. Knitters, crocheters, and quilters make shawls, lap robes, and quilts for members and friends facing grief or illness. Contact is Sarah Buchanan at sarahbucha@gmail.com.

Local Outreach and Global Mission

UBC's community presence extends well beyond the building. Trailblazer Food partners with nearby Trailblazer Elementary School to provide take-home food for students who lack stable meals outside school. The Ice Cream Ministry sets up around lunchtime on Wednesdays during the warmer months and serves cones of soft serve to passersby until the supply runs out. A Wednesday Work Team meets from 9:00 a.m. to noon to maintain the building and grounds, with periodic breakfasts included. Collections throughout the year support the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, local school supply drives, and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

UBC partners with several local organizations. The Alliance for Interfaith Ministries (AIM) provides ecumenical aid to those in need. Love INC (Love in the Name of Christ) matches churches with community needs like furniture, transportation, and financial assistance. PACEM, the regional overflow homeless shelter, rotates downtown congregations through shelter duty; UBC's Fellowship Hall hosts guests for two weeks each winter, providing dinner, a cot, overnight hospitality, and breakfast. Touch-A-Truck, the church's annual parking-lot vehicle event, draws more than 300 people of all ages. Cookies and treats are regularly placed in staff lounges at the UVA Battle Building. The church also hosts support groups from the Emily Couric Cancer Center for cancer survivors, families, those facing grief and pregnancy loss, and a writing workshop for cancer patients. Long-running service projects support both the Ronald McDonald House and the UVA Hospitality House.

Globally, UBC works through its CBF and CBF Virginia connections, including a sustained relationship with CBF mission work in Nada, Kentucky, one of the poorest communities in the United States, where the church has sponsored a kindergarten class for many years.

Care, Support, and a Circle of Caring

UBC's deacon-led ministry of care is called the Circle of Caring. Anyone with a need - or anyone who knows of one - can call the church office, and the Deacon Coordinator will alert the appropriate teams. Teams include Bereavement (grief support), Celebrations (marking significant accomplishments), Comfort Food (meals in difficult times), Homebound Care (keeping in touch with members who cannot leave home), and Small Jobs and Transportation (rides to church activities and other essential appointments). Members and friends are encouraged to join a team.

Service Teams keep the church running week to week. Current teams include Audio, Baptismal, Floral, Lord's Supper, Music and Worship, Welcome, and the UBC Work Crew.

Baptist Identity in a Welcoming and Affirming Frame

At UBC, life centers on a deep faith in God, revealed through Jesus Christ and guided by Scripture. The congregation values historic Baptist freedoms: Bible freedom, individual freedom, church freedom, and religious freedom, affirming the centrality of Scripture, the autonomy of individuals and churches, and religious liberty. UBC is a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Virginia, a global and regional network of free and faithful Baptists, and is also part of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, which supports congregations in fully welcoming LGBTQ people.

The congregation describes itself as a diverse, intergenerational family that openly welcomes people of all backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, genders, races, and sexual orientations, affirming that every individual has important gifts to share in God's family.

Visiting UBC: What to Know

The church is on the corner of West Main Street and Jefferson Park Avenue, an easy walk from UVA. Parking is available in two church lots entered from 13th St NW; GPS users can navigate to 110 13th St NW to reach the lot entrances. The 14th Street Garage, about a block away and entered from Wertland St, offers additional parking. For Sunday worship, parking in the garage is free when you scan the QR code from the worship bulletin on the way out. The church is handicap accessible with accessible entrances.

Childcare is provided for infants through preschoolers in the Nursery/Preschool Suite on the ground floor during both Sunday Morning Bible Study and worship. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to start worship with their families and then move up to the Children's Suite for Worship+Wonder. Ushers have children's activity bags on hand. The dress code is simply what makes you comfortable. Anyone is welcome, Baptist or not.

Those who cannot attend in person can join worship live at 11:00 a.m. on YouTube or Facebook, or listen on WINA 1070 AM and 98.9 FM. Giving can be done in person at the offering boxes, by mail, by text to 73256 with the message GIVE2UBC, or online through the church's secure giving portal.

Leadership

Dr. Matthew Tennant has served as Senior Minister since 2017. He came to UBC after eight years as Senior Pastor of Kilmarnock Baptist Church in Kilmarnock, Virginia, and holds degrees from Carson-Newman College, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and the University of Oxford. Before ministry he worked in finance. He has written Freedom and Existence (De Gruyter, 2023) and Crossing the Lines We Draw (Judson Press, 2020). He and his wife Melanie enjoy sailing, scuba diving, and hiking, and have two sons, Dean and Eddy.

Rev. Megan Sharp, the Associate Minister for Music and College Students, directs the Jubilate College Choir and the Sanctuary Choir and leads the college ministry. She holds an undergraduate degree in music from the College of Wooster and a master's in opera from the Boston Conservatory, and previously served Needham Presbyterian Church, South Church in Andover, and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville. In the wider community she conducts Zephyrus Early Music Vocal Ensemble and teaches T'ai Chi at the Charlottesville T'ai Chi Center.

Will Cooke directs Voces Laetae and serves as Choral Director at Charlottesville High School, where he leads four choirs. A native of Keysville, Virginia, he grew up attending Ash Camp Baptist Church, holds a degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and has led music in UCC and Episcopal settings. He and his husband David have provided foster and respite care for seven years.

Barbara Taylor Moore has been UBC's Organist and Principal Accompanist since 1987. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in music from Mary Washington College and a Master of Music in Performance (organ) from Baylor University, with postgraduate work at the University of Kansas and the Summer Organ Institute in Zwolle, the Netherlands. She teaches piano and organ privately and on the keyboard faculty at UVA and is a member of the Wednesday Music Club, the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the Charlottesville Music Teachers' Association, and the Charlottesville Fire Company, where she serves as a volunteer firefighter.

Office and Staff

Linda Weirich, the Office Coordinator, joined the UBC staff in 2022 with more than twenty years of church administration experience and a background in music ministry. Amanda Ohlms, the Financial Coordinator, holds degrees from UVA and UNC Greensboro and joined the staff in 2022. Alan Hendricks serves as Church Administrator, overseeing database and IT management, building maintenance, and general administration; he previously worked as an electrical engineer and program manager for maritime navigation and control systems. Hadessah Johnson Tennant serves as Social Media Coordinator, and Hunter Cooper, who grew up at UBC and graduated from Albemarle High School in 2024, assists with a variety of tasks as Maintenance Assistant while attending UVA.

The office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and can be reached at (434) 293-5106.