Reaching the urban poor with the transforming Gospel of Jesus means finding and equipping leaders who can speak powerfully into the urban context.
That’s why we developed The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI), an affordable, seminary-level training specifically developed for the urban context. And success stories like Dennis’s show it’s working.
Dennis was born in the Philippines and migrated to the States. By age 12, he was skipping school to hang out with his friends in San Francisco’s SoMA district. The boys spent their days smoking cigarettes and marijuana, and funding their fun by stealing coins from newspaper machines and parking meters.
By age 14, the boys had added alcohol and cocaine to the list of their recreational substances, and Dennis soon joined a violent Philippine gang called BNG. In the gang he began committing more serious crimes, including burglary and armed robbery.
At age 21, Dennis had become a full-time cocaine dealer, and he spent the next 20 years living the drug and gang life. Eventually, he was overcome by addiction to the drugs he sold, and he found himself homeless on the streets of San Francisco. Now in his 40s, the loneliness, despair, and shame of a life apart from God overwhelmed him.
Dennis finally surrendered and entered Cityteam ministries’ treatment program, where he found Christ and gave his life to following Him.
Upon graduation from Cityteam, Dennis joined World Impact’s urban leadership training program. Four years later, he became one of the first TUMI graduates from the San Francisco leadership training center. Dennis is now a successful associate pastor of Bay Community Fellowship in Oakland, and he manages World Impact’s Leadership Training Home in Oakland.
TUMI is filled with students like Dennis who are eager to take the light of Christ into the darkest corners of our cities. With classes currently being taught in 14 countries around the world, we’re excited to see how God uses these future leaders for His sake!
More stories for you:
Communities Transformed Through Urban Church Plants
Partners Like You Help Bring Lasting Change to the Urban Poor
How Your Support Provides Practical Care to Those Who Need It Most