The United Church of Christ has named Charles Jefferson Jr. as its new director of marketing and communications. He started serving his new position on Aug. 1, 2022.
About the Job
According to the official website of UCC, lifelong Chicago native Jefferson is now in charge of the media impressions of the church. He will lead the work in the Office of Philanthropy, Technology, Identity, and Communications. He will be looking into the internet, including social media and the news on national TV, and formulate strategies from there.
One of the things that he will put into consideration is the Tik Tok generation. He will also engage with people with contradicting opinions and generational gaps.
In Jefferson’s previous church at New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, he saw how the pandemic permanently affected the lives of many, including church attendance.
During the onset of Covid-19, he had no choice but to start their church's media program, which was never active on the internet. He had to set up a website, open social media accounts, and begin streaming church services online through tablets, as mentioned in the article.
Aside from starting everything from scratch, he also went to the church members' houses to teach them how to use Facebook and YouTube. This way, they can attend church online.
With his recent experience, Jefferson also considered the wise use of social media presence in his communication work at UCC. He plans to tap the younger generation for this initiative.
Based on the report, Jefferson believed in the youth as game changers. Platforms like TikTok can be useful for the ministry, he said.
Jefferson has seen how the young have impacted change in work, political, and religious cultures. He saw how they easily set new trends and influence the world. He considers them an essential part of the ministry.
The new director has always believed that visitors' first face when they come to church can make or break their experience. He will be carrying over the same principle to his new communication work for the denomination, as stated in the article.
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a God-centered family of faith that aims to love God and others holistically. It envisions a just world for everyone that is united in the love of Christ and inspired by the grace of God.
The local churches are considered the primary unit of the life and organization of the United Church of Christ. Currently, it has eight UCC Just World Covenant programs that support local churches to build a better world for all. The unique programs the group offers include disability ministries, immigrant welcoming, and open and affirming the LGBTQ community.
Aside from its own ministries, UCC also considers the ministries in the local churches as part of its work in the national setting. It offers resources to the local church both spiritually and operationally. It also offers scholarships and grants in three categories: Ministry Education Scholarships, Program Grants, and Leadership Development Scholarships.
