From Paper to Practice

2024-25: Forming Ministers for the Service of the Church and the Community. UNILIMI develops academic programs to address the need for ministerial and spiritual training for pastors and ministers of urban churches, with a focus on the Latino community in U.S. cities. Many ministers have great potential but face barriers such as language and limited resources, preventing them from fully serving their communities. UNILIMI offers Competency-Based Theological Education, tackles challenges like limited tech skills and study time by offering flexible online alternatives, and offers mentoring. The “Forming Ministers for the Service of the Church and the Community” project will focus on Garner, NC and Garland-Dallas, TX, two cities with a high Hispanic population. This planning and research project involves bishops, pastors, ministers, leaders, and future leaders of the two cities. As part of our efforts at this stage, we are developing relationships with those city agencies that collaborate with churches in order to serve their leaders effectively.

2025-26: Helping Young People with a Global Conscience (Affinity Working Group). Youth in the 21st-century has grown up in an information-rich world where they are encouraged to embrace multiculturalism, fight for justice-related issues, and expand their global understanding. They are globally informed and prepared to work in diverse cities and cultural contexts. They take risks in advocating for justice and immersing themselves in intercultural experiences. However, despite their global awareness, these young adults seem unclear about what the gospel is beyond simply “doing good.” Even though they align with the Christian faith, they avoid wrestling with theological issues, particularly regarding the uniqueness and exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation. They love the tangible expression of the Christian faith, but most of their theology and practice center on acting according to the gospel in the here and now and addressing current global needs.

We believe it is important to connect young people today with the Pentecostal theological concept of the “already, but not yet,” which emphasizes the reality of God’s presence in our present while looking forward to its ultimate fulfillment in the future. It is a celebration of God’s presence in a world filled with justice, love, mercy, and abundant life, with a hope for future fulfillment. This can help young people constructively relate their present and future.

2025-26: “From Paper to Practice” is a new mentoring initiative designed to strengthen the connection between theological education and real-world ministry. The pilot project, requesting a $50,000 grant, will guide eight doctoral students in applying their research to transformative practices within their churches, ensuring that academic work translates into practical impact.

Over a three-month term, the program will train mentors, implement mentoring tools, and assess outcomes to refine the process for long-term application. By fostering meaningful relationships between students, churches, and the institution, “From Paper to Practice” seeks to enhance ministerial effectiveness while advancing the institution’s mission of bridging the gap between the academy and the church.