Meet the UBA

“What is the UBA?” 

As you might imagine, I get this question a lot. 

Sure, I can rattle off our mission statement: “UBA is a collaborative network of churches focused on the strategic advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” But here’s how these conversations usually go down. 

Imagine the scene: I’m playing indoor soccer and meeting new teammates for the first time. Or, I’m standing on the sideline of my son’s soccer game, talking with one of the other dads. As we exchange pleasantries, I brace for the question. They’ll say, “I’m a chemical engineer,” or “I’m a teacher,” followed by the customary question: “what do you do?” 

Trying to explain a local association to my unchurched friends seems to be the easiest. I describe it as a nonprofit business association crossed with a consulting firm for churches—but without the fee structure. 

My friends with church backgrounds usually want to know more about the nuts and bolts of how the real work is done: what authority I have (none) or which pastors I know. They may relate some funny anecdote about something that happened to them at a church. 

All my kids know about it is that my team helps churches and that some days, I’m “pastor daddy” who goes to preach at various churches. (Though they still insist on pronouncing UBA as “ooh-bah” every time they see the logo just to give me a hard time.)

What is UBA?

But we’re taking the question “What is UBA?” a little more seriously these days, and by that, I mean we’re going to have a little more fun answering it. At the end of the day, UBA is a relational network of churches working toward a common goal. In order to do that well, we have to actually be in relationship with one another, and we need to know why the association exists.

On Thursday, May 6, we’re going to be gathering in person to better understand what UBA is and how we all play a role in working toward the Great Commission together. We hope to have several of these events throughout the year. 

What are we going to talk about?

• Our mission. We want you to know the things we put the most intentional energy toward

• Our team. The UBA staff is not the association, but we will be the ones who help bring connections together, provided expertise in a wide variety of subject matters, and provide quality referrals. So it’s essential to be connected to our people. 

• Our history. Because 181 years of connectivity is meaningful, and we learn from past successes and mistakes. 

Who should come?

1. Pastors and members from churches looking to join the association. This event is now a required part of joining UBA, and it will give churches a chance to connect with UBA staff as well as members of the UBA Association Leadership Council. It’s a quick way to get acquainted with everything UBA is doing around our city.

2. Pastors of existing UBA churches who want to get acquainted with UBA’s vision, staff, and the new churches coming into the UBA family. Since UBA is a network of churches, pastors are more likely to come into the association knowing little of UBA even though their churches have been members for many years. 

3. Staff members of UBA churches because UBA is not just a network of senior pastors. In fact, UBA collaborative partnerships are enacted through church staff members' efforts with the blessing of the senior pastor.

One thing we’ve seen for certain this year has been the importance of real relationships. At UBA, we make that the core of our business, and I look forward to more opportunities to get to know our association's people even better in the days ahead.

Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.