community

University Christian Church (UCC) is a vibrant community located in the Uptown area of Cincinnati—University Heights, Clifton Heights, Clifton, Corryville, Fairview, and Mount Auburn. We are made up of university students, community residents, and young families.

UCC has been serving God in the Uptown area for more than fifteen years. We encourage people who attend our church to live in the area and become active in our community. Many who attend UCC are members of neighborhood councils, work in area businesses & institutions, volunteer in community organizations, and tutor local elementary school students.

mission

University Christian Church’s mission is to raise up people to be living water for the thristy. We are a community that desires to:

Share the Love of Jesus
Worship God with Passion and Authenticity
Live the Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Racial Kingdom of God
Dry the Tears of the Broken
Walk in Holiness

TROY JACKSON

Senior Pastor

Troy joined our staff as a campus pastor in July 1994 after completing his MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary. He became senior pastor in 1997. Troy was an editor for the most recent edition of the Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Berkeley: University of California Press). He also received his PhD in American History from the University of Kentucky in 2006. Troy and his wife, Amanda, live in the Clifton neighborhood with their three children.

Brandie Atkins

Community and Campus Pastor

Brandie is a graduate of Gannon University with a dual degree in History and Theatre. She has a big heart for her hometown of Cincinnati and is really excited to get students involved in the community. Books are her passion, coffee her drink of choice, and feels that a good conversation is the way to start and finish the day. Brandie lives in intentional community in the Mount Auburn neighborhood.

JP Leong

Campus Pastor

JP is no stranger to the University of Cincinnati, having finished the Electronic Media program at UC's College-Conservatory of Music. Ever a student of culture and trends, his "signature" small group Cinematic Theology has become a fun, relevant way of seeing God outside the walls of the church. He and his wife, Jen, live in the Corryville neighborhood.

Jo Heckinger

Children's Pastor

Jo is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and has previously served as Children's Pastor at two other Cincinnati-area churches. She teaches English at Hughes High School, in Clifton Heights, as part of the Paideia college-prep program.

Mandy Smith

Associate Pastor

Originally from Australia, Mandy studied Biblical Studies at Cincinnati Christian University. She is a local author and artist and creator of "The Collect," a city-wide trash-to-art project. She is married to Dr. Jamie Smith, New Testament professor at Cincinnati Christian University and has two delightful children.

Andy Riley

Campus Pastor

Andy Riley is a part time campus pastor with UCC. When he is not at UCC, he is usually at Hebrew Union College, where he is a graduate student. During his free time he likes to spend time with his family, read, watch sports and study history.