Mentor's Manual

Sec t i on I I : Under s tand i ng the Ro l e of the Mentor

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to be helpful, responsible, and credible enterprises that move forward responsible scholarship and higher education.

Nevertheless, TUMI maintains proudly our non-accredited status. This decision in no way speaks of any desire to ignore traditional academic and ministry standards for its educational programming. On the contrary, we deeply respect and partner with accredited institutions who are equipping leaders for the Kingdom. Rather, we have chosen not to participate in formal accreditation processes in order to remain available to as many urban leaders as possible. While accreditation establishes strong criteria to ensure educational and professional excellence, the process can both unknowingly and unfortunately eliminate or exclude many deserving potential students. Without realizing its power to exclude, accredtation may block many students who, because of lack of funds or poor educational back- ground, may be disqualified from leadership education opportunities. From the beginning, TUMI has asserted that the call of God and the gifting by his Holy Spirit are the ground of all authentic leadership service. In conjunction with this, practical ministry experience becomes one of the most essential prerequisites for those desiring and deserving ministry training. We believe it is our responsibility as a missions-based training center to remain available to students who are called of God regardless of financial status or academic background. Therefore, we unashamedly make our training avail- able to students who, under traditional circumstances, would never be able to participate in seminary-level instruction. Truly, it is not by power, nor by might, but by the Spirit of the Lord that men and women are called into the ministry of the Gospel (Zech. 4.6). Again, our decision to remain non-accredited does not, in any way, reflect a lack of commitment to academic excellence. On the contrary, we believe that those preparing to do God’s work deserve a faculty who has been well prepared academically and programs that present an intellectual challenge. At The Urban Ministry Institute , students will find courses that are both stimulating and demanding, along with a faculty of experienced ministers and missionaries who have earned degrees from outstanding colleges and universities. For specific information on the actual hours and training for Capstone , refer to Capstone Student Educational Learning Hours in the Appendix.

TUMI Course Credit and Accreditation