PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL
The philosophy of the center is to train an African elite able to bring the Gospel to any ethnic group on earth and influence their churches in being involved in evangelizing the whole world. Thus we work in equipping women and men from various countries for:
- Preaching the Gospel in cultures different from theirs;
- Sharing the missionary vision with their respective denominations;
- Training and sending missionaries among unreached peoples
- Planting new churches
HISTORY
The CUM was founded in Kinshasa in October 1990. Its founder is Professor Nzash U Lumeya (Ph.D), a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Mission since 1988. In this adventure of faith he was shouldered by Donald Nganga, The first Administrator ( Manager of the Center) and Pastor Mambakila, Academic Dean. In the beginning the school’s name was “Centre International de Missiologie” or CIM. It was functioning with two rooms (for five classes) provided by the Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Congo in their Kinshasa Headquarters. In 1998, through partnership with the International Center of Evangelism, the CIM was granted offices and classrooms, thus functioning in better conditions. This same year the school’s Board of directors decided to change its name into Centre Universitaire de Missiologie, or CUM. The school acquired computers and printers, and this allowed the students to write their term papers at low costs. In 1999, Donald Nganga was granted a scholarship by Fresno Pacific College for studies in management, and KUKA KABEMBA replaced him as administrator. By the end of the year 2000, after completing his second mandate, Professor Nzash U Lumeya retired as Dean of the Center. The Board of Directors then appointed Pastor SITA LUEMBA as Dean, with permission to the managing committee to add up a collaborator for more efficiency. In this view the committee hired Pastor SENDA in the capacity of appariteur.
PEOPLE GROUPS AMONG WHOM OUR GRADUATES ARE MAKING A UNIQUE IMPACT AND MINISTRY
The CUM is concerned about all unreached peoples. In the neighborhood of Kinshasa we are targeting the Tekes and the Pygmies, and in a couple of African cities we are encouraging our students to reach Muslims. Two examples will illustrate these assertions. First, the chaplain of the church in the Institut Pédagogique National, a graduate of our school, is influencing the church in reaching the Pygmies in the Bandundu province. As a result, two pygmy families are now attending the CUM for missiological studies. Secondly, two students evangelized and converted a Muslim, Emmanuel Ali. Ever since, they got involved in developing a Moslem evangelization ministry based essentially on Christian – Islamic dialogue. This approach influenced lots of churches in committing themselves to stop the spread of Islam in Kinshasa. One of the graduate of our school has been appointed by his denomination as a missionary among Muslims in Burkina Fasso .
EFFORTS BEING MADE BY YOUR SCHOOL FOR WORSHIP
A lot of churches are reluctant to send their member in seminary because they think theology to be a “cemetery” to the Christian faith. We have tried to take up this challenge by creating in our Center an environment not only for formal training, but for the spiritual development of both student and faculty. Thus we have a worship service on the campus every day from 10 to 11 hours to edify each other through testimonies and sharing of the Word of God. Many missionaries and Pastors visit us during that time to encourage the prospective missionaries. A great number of our students are discouraged by the social conditions, because their sending churches seldom afford the cost of their studies hence the Dean, as the pastor of the academic community, take care of the students spiritually, encourages them, speaks to each student personally and orients their ministry. Life in the Missiology University Center is a Christian family life. Each year we organize sport activities between students and faculty. Interaction and fellowship opportunities include also agapes, worship services during Easter and Christmas, all this aiming to strengthen communion between faculty and students.
CURRICULUM
The university agenda suits with a curriculum adopted by the dean academic.This curriculum goes on fourfold program .On the following we will first argue why we stand for what we consider as our university philosophy and second we will give a thorough summary to help get a picture on what we are doing at the Missiology University Center.
First, the fourfold agenda
Missiology is biblical as it thinks on how God has been working for the world salvation. This thinking include the Old and New Testament Exegesis, the biblical and systematic theology .
Second, the context.
Missiology deals with the context that is the world. where the Gospeli is to be preached. In this field, the missiology science makes useful tools and materials from social sciences in order to understand the context . Those are sociology , leadership, anthropology , administration and management…
Third, the faith community
Missiology is based on the church as the mission cannot be separated from the church . At this point , missiology studies the roles of the church, its various governments as well its history as its practicals and credos
Fourth, the missionaries on the field
Strategies has an important room in missiology. Here, missiology analyses various and update strategies used by missionaries. The purpose is to get rid of errors made by those missionaries and to elaborate new strategies for recent missionaries. To resume all, we may say that missiology is an inclusive science using materials from all the sciences. It is then an integral science.
It provides to the missionary all the fundamental principles, hence allowing him to get a better knowledge of the bible and culture in which he is called to commit. The main advantage of this program is that the student who goes through the whole training with regularity is enabled to exercise both pastoral and missionary work.
| MISSIOLOGY IS | SEMESTER | COURSE | HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ist semester | Greek |
45
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Greek |
45
|
|
| Ist semester | Hebrew |
45
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Hebrew |
45
|
|
| Ist semester | NT Theology |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | NT Theology |
30
|
|
| I.BIBLICAL | Ist semester | OT Theology |
30
|
| 2nd. semester | OT Theology |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | NT exegesis |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | NT exegesis |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | OT exegesis |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | OT exegesis |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Biblical theology of Mission |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Biblical theology of Mission |
30
|
|
| II. CONTEXTUAL | Ist semester | Introduction to sociology |
30
|
| 2nd. semester | African sociology |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Sociology of Urban cities |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Worldview |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Cultural anthropology |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Contextualization |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | African religious |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | African religious |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Contextualization |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Homiletic |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Homiletic |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | writter and speaker expression |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Intercultural communication. |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Intercultural communication. |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Ethnology |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Church History |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Church History |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Advance Issues history church in Africa |
30
|
|
| III. STRATEGIC | Ist semester | Strategy of missions |
30
|
| Ist semester | Church planting strategies |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Christian education |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Conflict transformation & mission |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Evangelism & discipliship |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Evangelism & discipliship |
30
|
|
| Ist semester | Developping and Church Growth |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Principle of biblical(Bible) translation |
30
|
|
| 2nd. semester | Missionary practicum | 30 |
|
| IV.EXPERIENCE & LEADERSHIP | Ist semester | Leadership | 30 |
| 2nd. semester | Leadership | 30 |
|
| Ist semester | Mission history. |
30 |
| 2nd. semester | Mission history |
30
|