TUMI Chester

About Us

Our purpose:

The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) is a ministry that exists to equip and empower urban church leaders in Chester and the wider mid-eastern region of the U.S. to use and apply the Word of God, the Gospel, among the most desperate and disadvantaged people of our cities. Our aim is to advance God’s Kingdom through trained leaders who will lead their churches to address the wide range of spiritual, material, and social needs that confront the impoverished city neighborhoods.

What We Believe:

  • We believe the Bible is the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the revelation of God’s truth and is infallible and authoritative.
  • We believe in the Holy Trinity. There is one God, who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  • We believe that all are sinners and that we can do nothing to save ourselves, but must rely on God’s mercy.
  • We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. Good works are the evidence of salvation rather than the means of it.
  • We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who will trust in Him alone for salvation.
  • We believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself.
  • We believe that those who are Christ’s enter into Heaven and its eternal joys upon death.
  • We believe that those who are not Christ’s enter into Hell and its eternal punishments upon death.
  • We believe that all aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

How we are funded:

All of our mentors (instructors) are either qualified volunteers or mission staff supported by churches and individuals for this ministry. You can view our current mentors under the Staff and Faculty link.

All our courses, therefore, can be offered for very low tuition costs (our tuition rate is $15 per course) and the cost of textbooks. Even some of these may be borrowed if a student finds he cannot purchase the required textbooks.

The only required textbook every student must purchase is the student workbook for $25. (The exception to this is for students in prison settings. Churches and individuals make donations to cover these costs, as no sales of any kind are permitted within the prisons.)

TUMI-Chester charges no other fees to churches who host our counseling courses in their church for their leaders or for sending their leaders to attend TUMI courses. The Counseling Curriculum link has more details about bringing counseling courses to your church.