World Impact created The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) to overcome four
barriers that urban church leaders face in their efforts to receive theological
education:

  • Cost (many will never afford a traditional seminary education).
  • Educational requirements (many of God's chosen leaders in the inner city have
    little more than a high school education and would not be admitted to institutions
    of higher education).
  • Proximity (most urban leaders have a full-time ministry, a family, and a full-time
    job, so uprooting their family and abandoning their ministry to go away to Bible
    college is out of the question).
  • Cultural relevance (most of what is taught in traditional American seminaries does
    not equip an urban pastor to lead a flock in the inner city, so even if someone
    could afford to go to Bible school, what is taught there is not relevant to daily life
    in the city).


In 1995 we launched TUMI in Wichita, Kansas, and have trained over dozens of
Christian workers, urban missionaries, and pastors there. In 2000 we began
establishing satellite Bible institutes in other inner cities around the country. To
date, we have launched 94 such satellites in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Pakistan,
Honduras, Kenya, Ghana, Guatemala, Bolivia, Liberia, and India.

We offer a variety of training materials available at our website (www.tumi.org),
but our core seminary-level curriculum is called The Capstone Curriculum. It is
comprised of 16 modules under four subject areas: Biblical Studies, Theology
and Ethics, Christian Ministry, and Urban Mission. We also offer a host of
personal and ministry resources at www.tumi.org/products and tumi.org/art.

A Powerpoint presentation viewable on the web that gives background on the
opening of TUMI satellites, as well as general info about the Capstone curriculum
is located at:
http://www.tumi.org/migration/images/stories/uploads/docs/partnership/TUMISatell
iteOppty.ppt

This url provides samples of the Capstone curriculum, with both a written and
video sample, at: www.tumi.org/capstonesample

BACK IN THE DAY
What it used to be, what it would be, what it will be?