Moody Bible Institute Names UMI Founder and Chairman 2008 Alumnus of the Year!

On February 5, Dr. Melvin Banks was named the 2008 Alumnus of the Year by the Moody Bible Institute Alumni Association.  The award, presented during the Tuesday evening session of Moody’s annual Founder’s Week conference, honors graduates who have distinguished themselves through faithfulness to Christ, perseverance in service, and contributions to the cause of Christ.

Among other ministry accomplishments, Banks is the founder of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.), a publisher of curricula for use in African American churches and other Christian organizations. UMI serves more than 100,000 teachers with Christian resources that are culturally relevant and theologically sound. 
Banks became a Christian believer in Birmingham, Alabama, when he was 9 years old. Just three years later he heard an old African American man speak movingly about the great spiritual needs within the Black communities throughout the country. At that moment, Banks dedicated himself to this task.

In 1955, he graduated from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and married Olive Perkins.  Shortly thereafter, he went on to Wheaton College where he earned a bachelor of arts in theology and a master of arts and biblical studies degree. He received an honorary doctorate of literature from the same institution in 1992.

After graduation, Dr. Banks was employed by Scripture Press Publications, Inc., where he specialized in leadership development and literature distribution. This experience led to the founding, in 1970, of UMI, which produces Bible study and other resources specifically geared for the needs and life concerns of urban people in general and for African Americans in particular.

“Dr. Banks is a quiet-spoken, yet powerful, man of God who is totally dedicated to the ministry of the kingdom,” says Russell Knight Jr., urban missionary and 2003 Alumnus of the Year. “He is an inspiration to many and a pioneer in publishing. He is a Moody alumnus who has made a difference in his lifetime.”