Founding and History
The establishment of Urban Ministries, Inc. was the fulfillment of a boyhood dream that Melvin E. Banks had at the age of 12. Soon after becoming a Christian, Banks gave his testimony on one of the back roads of Birmingham, Alabama. An old, white-haired Black man heard his testimony and quoted this Scripture verse to him: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). This verse made a great impression on Banks, and he determined to devote his life to educating African Americans with knowledge of the Bible and Christian teaching.
While working at the predominantly white evangelical Christian publishing company Scripture Press, Banks realized the need for resources that would appeal to African Americans. In 1970, a Board of Directors was selected and Banks’s boyhood dream began to take shape with the incorporation of Urban Ministries. During its first 12 years, UMI operated out of the basement of the Banks family’s home. In the spring of 1996, UMI completed construction and took occupancy of a new headquarters facility located in Calumet City, Illinois, in South Suburban Chicago.
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