Leaders and Staff

Our church is led by a group of elders, deacons, and staff members. We would love to meet you in person, but here is some information to help you become more familiar with us.

Click below to learn more about our different leadership teams!

Our highest form of church leadership is our church Council. It is made up of men and women from our elder and deacon teams who make high-level decisions, create policy, and oversee the financial well-being of the church.

Nate Benner

Senior Pastor

Nate is married to Alyssa and together they have two active boys. He earned his Master of Divinity degree, but continues to love learning through reading. Most of the time he is reading books on spiritual formation and mental health. He is from upstate NY, yet Phoenix, AZ is home to him. He has been at Union Center since April of 2022. Nate is an avid soccer fan. You can count on him being up early on Saturday mornings in order to watch Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. 


Email Nate: nbenner@unioncenter.org

Allyson Aylesworth

Director of Family Ministries

Allyson has been a part of UCCC since she was a toddler and joined staff in 2018 after returning from 15 years on the mission field. She loves discovering value, beauty and potential in places others often don’t. She thrives in creating spaces that help people discover both God’s heart toward them and their identity in Him. She enjoys deep conversation (especially over a cup of dark roast coffee), gardening, writing, photography, trail running and pondering the intersection between child development and spiritual formation. She is married to a man who was definitely worth the wait and has two adult stepsons.  


Email Allyson: aaylesworth@unioncenter.org

Scot Cook

Director of Music

Scot has been a staple on the Union Center music team. His desire to lead people toward Jesus is what drives him to do what he does. He hopes to model his style of ministry after John the Baptist, who pointed to Jesus and got out of the way. Scot is married to his wife Heather. 

Laura Kasson

Director of Operations

Laura is a wife, mother and grandmother who enjoys long walks, reading and occasional quilting. She has attended UCCC for more than 30 years and has been on staff for over 20 years. She values simplicity and clarity in everything she does, from routine church operations to tangibly practicing the way of Jesus. She is learning to see and experience God in all the details of everyday life and to care about the things He cares about. It brings her life to journey with others in this and is often asking the questions: How do we see God in daily life? and How do we radically love others like Jesus?


Email Laura: lkasson@unioncenter.org