Union Of Black Episcopalians

What Union Of Black Episcopalians does

Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) is a Delaware-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1968 (originally as the Union of Black Clergy and Laity, renamed in 1971) and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Its mission is to combat racism, injustice, and prejudice within The Episcopal Church and broader society, while supporting full participation of Black Episcopalians in the denomination's mission and governance. UBE operates as a confederation of more than 55 chapters and interest groups across six U.S. regions (Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Western, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Western) and internationally in the Caribbean, Canada, Africa, and Latin America, overseen by appointed regional directors and a National Board.

UBE's core offerings are membership programs (Individual, Family, Senior, Youth, Young Adult, Student, Life, and Member-At-Large tiers), an annual National Conference (the 58th edition scheduled for July 28 - August 1, 2026 in Raleigh, NC), regional meetings, weekly Zoom-based prayer lines, monthly Bible studies, scholarships, recognition awards (Sankofa Awards, Rev. Deacon Pearl Slay Award), a Mental Health Task Force, and an online merchandise store. The organization runs no proprietary technology platform; digital delivery is limited to a WordPress website, social media channels, email newsletters, and third-party Zoom and fulfillment tools.

The business model is nonprofit membership-funded. Revenue streams include annual membership dues, chapter assessments, corporate/diocesan/church sponsorships ($250 per church, $500 per organization annually), conference vendor/exhibitor fees ($200-$300 per table), donations via a fundraising page, and partnerships including a designated relationship with Episcopal Relief & Development for disaster-relief contributions. UBE operates with 1-10 employees and is governed by an elected National Board under its Bylaws and Policies and Procedures Manual, most recently revised in 2024 and 2025.

Name

Union Of Black Episcopalians

Legal name

Union of Black Episcopalians

Website

https://www.ube.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Union of Black Episcopalians is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1968 that operates 55+ chapters across the U.S., Caribbean, Canada, Africa, and Latin America, advancing racial justice and supporting Black Episcopalians through membership programs, annual conferences, regional events, and advocacy within The Episcopal Church.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: UBE generates revenue through annual membership dues from individual members, families, seniors, youth, young adults, students, and life members. Dues vary by membership category as specified in Addendum A of the Bylaws.
2. Chapter Assessments: Chapters pay annual regional and national assessment fees by January 31st of each year, contributing to organizational revenue.
3. Conference and Event Revenue: The organization collects registration fees for the annual National Conference (e.g., 2026 conference in Raleigh, NC with vendor/exhibitor fees of $200-$300).
4. Donations and Fundraising: UBE accepts donations through its fundraising campaign page and members are encouraged to support the organization financially.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate, Diocesan, Church, and Institutional sponsors pay annual sponsorship fees to support UBE's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Union of Black Episcopalians is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that advances racial justice within The Episcopal Church through a confederation of more than 55 chapters and interest groups. It offers tiered individual memberships (Individual, Family, Senior, Youth, Young Adult, Student, Life, Member-At-Large), sponsors an annual national conference and six regional gatherings, and provides spiritual programming including a weekly prayer line and monthly Bible study.

Product overview

Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) is a nonprofit membership organization, not a technology company. It operates as a confederation of over 55 chapters and interest groups throughout the continental United States and the Caribbean, with members in Canada, Africa and Latin America. Founded in 1968, UBE provides membership programs, national and regional conferences, spiritual programming (prayer line and Bible study), awards and scholarships, mental health resources, and an online store for merchandise. The organization's core offering is its membership structure with various tiers (Individual, Family, Senior, Youth, Young Adult, Student, Life) that grants access to its programs, events, and advocacy work within The Episcopal Church.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UBE Membership Programs Multi-tier annual membership program of the Union of Black Episcopalians, with categories including Individual, Family, Senior, Youth (ages 12-17), Young Adult (ages 18-30), Student (ages 18-22 in post-secondary education), Life (one-time perpetual), and Member-At-Large. Membership grants voting rights, eligibility for office, access to chapters, regional events, the annual conference, weekly prayer line, and monthly Bible study. Dues follow Addendum A of UBE Bylaws and renew each January through December.
• UBE Annual National Conference and Business Meeting Annual national conference that brings together Black Episcopalians, chapters, and guests for education, networking, advocacy, and celebration, including the National Annual Business Meeting. Vendor/exhibitor spaces are sold ($300 vendor, $200 non-seller) and registration fees are collected. The 58th Annual Conference is scheduled for July 28 - August 1, 2026 in Raleigh, NC.
• Regional Meetings and Events Six regional divisions (Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Western, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Western) that hold annual regional meetings and coordinate local chapter activities. Each region is led by an appointed Regional Director who oversees chapter development and member engagement.
• UBE Weekly Prayer Line Recurring weekly Zoom-based prayer gathering held every Tuesday at 8 PM EST for UBE members, providing spiritual support and community connection.
• UBE Monthly Bible Study Monthly Zoom-based Bible study session for UBE members, held on Thursday evenings and led by Carrie Anderson Brown, with a focus on faith formation and spiritual development.
• Resources and Forms for Chapters and Members Standardized documents and digital resources for UBE members and chapters, including membership roster forms, chapter treasurer reports, receipts and disbursements forms, necrology forms, reports of new chapter officers, the UBE Chapter Affiliation Agreement, the Proposed Bylaws Modification Form, and the 2024 and 2025 Bylaws.
• UBE Online Store Online store for purchasing Union of Black Episcopalians merchandise and branded materials, operated through fulfillmentengine.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 55 chapters and interest groups operating across multiple countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• The Episcopal ChurchflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBE is the longest-standing, independent advocacy and racial justice action organization affiliated with The Episcopal Church. The organization represents Black Episcopalians and works to ensure full participation in the mission and governance of The Episcopal Church. UBE's mission aligns with The Episcopal Church's commitment to racial justice and inclusion.
• Episcopal Relief & DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBE's Policy on Requests for Disaster Relief specifies that contributions in the name of UBE for disaster relief shall be disseminated through Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD). Members may request UBE endorsement for disaster relief contributions to areas inside or outside the USA through this channel.
• Episcopal SeminariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBE Bylaws include Seminarians and Deacons in Formation as a membership classification with waived dues for up to three years for seminarians. UBE maintains relationships with seminary communities and 2nd Vice President serves as liaison to Episcopal Colleges and seminaries.
• General Convention of The Episcopal ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBE holds its Annual Business Meeting and National Conference in conjunction with or in years when General Convention occurs. The organization coordinates programming and presence at General Convention, the primary governing body of The Episcopal Church.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR): BMCR is the racial-justice caucus for Black members of the United Methodist Church, structurally analogous to UBE as a denominational advocacy organization fighting racism within a mainline Protestant body, organized through chapters and annual gatherings. Both serve as independent advocacy arms for Black members of historically white mainline denominations.
• National Black Catholic Congress: National Black Catholic Congress serves as the primary national organization for Black Catholics, holding a periodic congress, providing leadership development, and advocating within the Roman Catholic Church for racial justice and representation. Like UBE, it operates as a parallel advocacy structure within an established denomination to advance Black participation and vocations.
• African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA): ADLA is the African Descent Lutheran Association within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), an ethnic/racial caucus supporting Black Lutheran leadership, advocacy, and chapter-based engagement. It is one of the closest structural analogs to UBE within another mainline Protestant denomination.
• The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing: The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing is an Episcopal-affiliated organization advancing racial reconciliation, named after the same 18th-century Black Episcopal leader (Absalom Jones) honored in UBE's heritage. Both organizations share the Episcopal Church context and racial justice mission, with overlapping membership and programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Episcopal Church (Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society): The Episcopal Church is UBE's parent denomination and largest institutional partner. While UBE focuses narrowly on Black Episcopalian advocacy and chapters, the Episcopal Church operates the broader denomination including General Convention, seminaries, dioceses, and Relief & Development — the platforms UBE relies on for legitimacy and reach.
• National Council of Churches (NCC): The National Council of Churches is a broad ecumenical fellowship of mainline Protestant and Orthodox denominations in the United States. While UBE is denomination-specific to the Episcopal Church, the NCC operates at a comparable level of faith-based organizational infrastructure, convening members and coordinating advocacy across member communions.
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People): The NAACP is the largest U.S. civil rights organization pursuing racial justice through advocacy, chapters, and membership. While non-sectarian and far larger than UBE, it is comparable in operating model — chapter-based, membership dues-funded, advocacy-focused on racial equity — making it a useful scale and governance reference.

Others

• Episcopal Relief & Development: Episcopal Relief & Development is the official international relief agency of The Episcopal Church and a designated partner through which UBE channels disaster relief contributions. It is an adjacent enabling organization within the same Episcopal ecosystem rather than a direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPMFNoBJ8Rb36M3qnvcs4dg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union-of-black-episcopalians

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Union Of Black Episcopalians