About Us

About Us!

University Congregational Church is a progressive Christian church that holds the intellectual pursuit of truth equal to the emotional aspects of spirituality.  On any given Sunday you will encounter a wide variety of people who hold various different beliefs.  It is not odd to have a former Catholic on one side of you with an avowed atheist on the other.  All are welcome in this community of Christ.  We would love to see you at a worship service, Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m., so you can see for yourself where your spiritual path might lead.  Or check our our educational page and see if there is something of interest for you there.

University Congregational Church held its first informal meeting in April of 1983, and officially organized soon thereafter.  This is a covenant church in which the congregation vows, in the love of truth, and in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ, (to) join with one another to worship and to live so that peace, justice and brotherhood may prevail in the world. The church embraces an inclusive philosophy, believing that a variety of approaches are welcome in considering the life and teachings of Jesus.

The church’s name stems from the fact that the first pastor also was a professor at Wichita State University as were a number of its charter members. Wichita State University has a Congregational heritage, with its first four presidents being Congregational pastors. It is the largest university in the nation stemming from Congregational roots.

Church membership consists of 270 individuals. This represents a professionally and philosophically diverse membership. The church holds one Sunday worship service, with attendance averaging 150.

The church is housed in a New England Colonial-style structure built in 1987, with a Fellowship Hall added in 1991. In March of 2010, the church opened a new office complex behind the Fellowship Hall wing.

Rev. Paul Ellis Jackson, Senior Minister

Rev. Paul Ellis Jackson, Senior Minister, is a graduate of Phillips Theological Seminary (M.Div. and currently enrolled in their DMin program), a member of the Board of Directors of Camp Sunflower and the Phillips Seminary Alumni Association. Paul is an avid bicycle rider and can often be seen tooling around the streets of Wichita on his recumbent trike. Paul was the Director of Christian Life at UCC from July 2013 to June 2017 and the Associate Minister at UCC from June 2017 to October 2023. Paul was named the Senior Minister of University Congregational Church in February of 2024 after serving as the Interim Senior Minister from October of 2023 to February 25, 2024. Paul can be reached at his email: paul@ucchurch.org