New Members
Everyone is welcome at UBC. There are membership classes for those interested in formalizing their presence within the congregation. They happen a few times a year depending on people's schedules. We have a special category of membership for people who expect to be here for a short period of time and want to maintain their membership in their home church. We call this a community/university member. Since we're a Baptist church, we believe that baptism decisions ought to be made by people who are old enough decide for themselves. We call this Believer's Baptism. We practice Baptism by immersion. It's a beautiful thing to behold, especially with all of the water sloshing around afterwards. We recognize and accept previous baptisms and confirmations and we don't require you to be rebaptized, unless you want to.
We celebrate the remarkable life of
Tai Shigaki
June 10, 1921-May 30, 2024
There will be a Celebration of Life service for her at University Baptist Church, 1219 University Avenue SE in Minneapolis on Sunday, June 9th at 10am. The service will also be livestreamed. You can find the service above, and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ9Fm-4s2jg
Tai had a long and distinguished life. Born in California to immigrant parents from Japan, she was interred in a relocation camp along with thousands of other Japanese Americans. She received a scholarship from Denison University in order to leave the camp. She later went on to graduate from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. After serving churches in Hawaii and Minnesota, she became the director of the local YWCA, while she got yet another degree-this time in Social Work. She then became the first woman to become a director at the Shakopee Women's Prison. She served there for 25 years.
In her retirement, she served on the American Baptist Churches, USA General Board, served as chair of the Asian American Baptist Caucus and was a founding board member of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America~Bautistas por la Paz. She travelled the world spreading wisdom, solidarity and peace. When she couldn't travel, she quietly funded others' expenses.
She married Spencer Parsons at the age of 86 and lived in Massachusetts until his death a few years later. She then came back to Minnesota before moving to Chicago to be closer to her extended family.
We are so blessed to have shared life and ministry with this remarkable woman.