National Urban Ministry Conference

 

Conference History

 

1990       Dallas.  No info on 1990. 

1991       Dallas, Charles Landreth helped to coordinate.

1992       Memphis, Harold Shank, coordinator.  The conference at this time was called the (3rd) National Conference for Ministries to the Poor and Homeless.  This was the first meeting of inner city ministry directors to discuss the conference and develop a networking of support and ideas.

1993       Houston, Charlie Middlebrook. Theme: "Unless the Lord Watch over the City . . . Psalm 127:1."

1994       Birmingham, Ron Pittman, chairman.  Effort was made in the directors meeting to begin a National Urban Ministry Steering Committee designed to allow those serving in urban ministry to lead the direction and themes of the conference.  Larry James was appointed chairman. The goal was to develop a conference theme around how church planting ministries and support services ministries could work more closely together.  The National Steering Committee was finally realized in a meeting at the close of the 1995 conference and ideas drawn from the committee were implemented in the 1996 conference.  Although the National Steering Committee had grown to function well, the theme of the conference had not returned to the goal laid out in the 1994 meeting.

1995       Dallas, Larry James, chairman.  Theme:  "Heavenly Treasure and City Streets." The Conference Steering Committee met on Saturday following the conference, and Frank Lott was selected as chairman.

1996       Chicago, Frank Lott, chairman.   Inner city ministry directors met in Little Rock to plan the conference.  Theme: "Building Bridges over Troubled Waters."  First year to have a combined Saturday session focused on racial reconciliation with apologies made between a black and a white brother.  The Conference Steering Committee met, theme, date changed, and Anthony Wood selected as chairman.

1997       Memphis, Anthony Wood, chairman.  Theme: "Jesus Lifted Me" with texts taken from the Gospel of Luke. This was the first year to have two non-white (Black and Hispanic) evening keynotes and a daytime class track exclusively devoted to Hispanic ministry.  The combined Saturday session was devoted to "The Church's Response to Welfare Change," Harold Shank facilitator.

1998       Memphis, Harold Shank and Evertt Huffard chairmen, Highland St.

1999       Nashville, Todd Flowers chairman, Hermitage Church

2000       Impact Houston, Ron Sellers chairman

2001       Atlanta, Alfred Donald and Geoff Geisman chairmen, North Atlanta Church

2002       Tulsa, Frank Lott chairman, Contact Church

2003       Little Rock, Keith Lape chairman, River City Ministry

2004       New York, Jared Looney chairman, Bronx Fellowship

2005       Memphis, Anthony Wood chairman, MUM—cancelled[1]

2006       Montgomery, Alabama, Jonathan Mosby chairman, Montgomery Inner City Ministry[2]

2009       St. Louis, Jim Harbin chairman, Memphis Urban Ministry (MUM) - National Urban Ministry Summit.  Urban Ministry Conference name changed to National Urban Ministry Conference.  National Urban Ministry Association formed.

2011       Houston, Impact Staff, Doug Williams, Impact Church of Christ

2012       Memphis, Jim Harbin chairman, Harding School of Theology, first NUMC organized by the National Urban Ministry Association

2013       St. Louis, MO, Daniel Gray chairman, North City Church of Christ, National Urban Ministry Association

2014       North Little Rock, AR, Keith Lape and Anthony Wood co-chairmen, Levy Church of Christ, National Urban Ministry Association