Development of A Comprehensive and Transformative Training in Urban Poor Church Planting: A Case of Mission Ministries Philippines, Inc. (MMP)

This dissertation proposes a curriculum for the training of church planters in Mission Ministries Philippines, Inc. (MMP). Its goal is to formalize the present MMP training and improve it so that it can be used to its maximum effectiveness. MMP has been doing church planting in the slums for over ten years now. It has trained more than fifty workers in that period, and planted dozens of churches. The training program has largely been informal and unwritten.

The question this paper seeks to answer is whether the present and informal curriculum of MMP is effective in training the MMP staff, or in equipping workers to plant holistic churches in the urban slums. And if so, are there changes needed to improve it further, to maximize its effectiveness?

A review of literature was done that examined urbanization, and how these relate to world mission and the training of missionaries. The role of the church in mission and the contents of the modern day gospel are examined in the way these affect the poor. Who are the poor and what are the causes of poverty including solutions and strategies (movements and sustainability) are also reviewed.

The study puts together the experience of the (more than twenty years in urban poor ministry), a review of literature and a survey to present a formal and revised curriculum for the MMP Training program. As a result, what underlies the program are strong biblical categories, viz. putting back the church at the center of the plan of redemption again, promoting the primacy of the urban poor in mission, aiming at sustainability of the ministry from the perspective of God's will revealed in Scripture, and the ensuring that the gospel is really good news to the poor.

The survey consisted of a questionnaire and a focus group discussion workshop which was done among the MMP staff in order to evaluate the MMP training program. The evaluation results showed an overwhelming approval and endorsement of the existing MMP training program contents, methods, materials and evaluation. The revised curriculum is contained in a formal and comprehensive training manual with major additions in the method of teaching, as well as, on monitoring. There is the need to develop instruments for assessments and evaluation of the training program.