The Team
Alongside our Director/Dean and our TUMI Topeka students are our highly-engaged Board of Directors and several teams of volunteers who do all the things. We are a community of servant leaders committed to serving the urban church.
We invite you to click on the “Join the Team” button to apply for a volunteer position!
Mary Flin,
Director and Dean
Mary Flin is our Director and Dean of The Urban Ministry Institute of Topeka. Mary holds a B.S. in Bible/Christian Education with Emphasis in Counseling from Manhattan Christian College and the Master of Arts in Theology (MAT) from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her greatest desire is to help empower urban Christian leaders to advance the Kingdom of God through the local Church in our community’s most challenged neighborhoods.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pastor Hal Smith
In Memoriam
Pastor Hal Smith served as President of our Board until he went home to be with Jesus April 12, 2023. He brought 18 years of Board service to the position, including 16 years as president of the Board for Topeka Rescue Mission. His faith and vision encouraged many pastors, organizations and businesses.
Pastor Hal believed that TUMI Topeka can reach people who desire focused Bible training in a co-hort environment, but who cannot afford traditional seminary. He shared our vision for equipping prisoners to find places of significant ministry and service in their communities and to remain free. As the work of Christ impacts all, so he believed trained, urban leaders will impact all around them. We will forever be grateful for his mentorship, vision, faith and leadership.
Clark Boatright, President
Our Board President, Clark Boatright earned his BS in History with Education Emphasis from Washburn University. He teaches 6th grade history in Robinson Middle School and pastors a house church, Christ the Victor-Fillmore, in Central Topeka. He and his wife, Meghan, and their children open their home and hearts to foster children and adoption.
Clark shares a vision for the potential of house churches to impact neighborhoods through family groups. He believes that, through seminary-level education, TUMI Topeka will continue to send biblically-trained Christ followers into the heart of Topeka to win the city through disciple making.
Kim Teske,
Secretary
Kim Teske, APRN, CNM, is board-certified through the American College of Nurse Midwives. She is an Alum of TUMI Topeka, serves on our Women Who’ve Changed the Heart of the City Team, and has mentored Capstone classes in Shawnee County Adult Detention Center. Kim believes TUMI Topeka’s leadership training strategically places community leaders that can impact others as they serve as role models, mentors, and ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Cindy Patton,
Treasurer
Cindy Patton graduated from Washburn University with a BA in Political Science and JD from Washburn School of Law. She was a research attorney for the Kansas Court of Appeals for taking time to raise her family of four children. She resumed the practice of law in 1994, joining her husband, Joe Patton, in their law firm of Patton and Patton.
Her experience includes serving as Chief Administrator of Cair Paravel Latin School and as Executive Director of the non-profit, Topeka City of Character, mentoring in the HiCrest community, singing with Tokepa Acapella Unlimited, and playing bass on her worship team at Tokepa Bible Church.
Cindy currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of The Urban Ministry Institute of Topeka, and also is on the planning team for the Women Who’ve Changed the Heart of the City event to raise funds for the organization. She will also be using her extensive experience to develop and direct our new Urban Character and Ethics Institute.
Tiffni Williams,
Member
Tiffni Williams, mother of Parker Williams, is 38 years old. Tiff serves with the worship team at Fellowship Hi-HiCrest and uses her gifts for organization and technology as a virtual assistant.
Tiffni is an Alum of TUMI Topeka’s Capstone Seminary program. Coming from a background heavy in musical worship, training with TUMI Topeka has now opened doors to the love of adult Christian Education. In addition to her role on our Board of Directors, she is part of our teaching team in the local women’s prison and is on our Women Who’ve Changed the Heart of the City team.
Tiff believes that through focused leadership training we will see a reduction in unemployment, homelessness and substance abuse. She envisions more “hands on deck” to help where needed, and others to give where the needs are as more disciples become available through our urban training initiatives.
Pastor Norm Jackson,
Member
Pastor “Big Norm” serves under his senior Pastor Cecil Washington at The New Beginning Baptist Church. He graduates TUMI Topeka in September, 2021, and continues to serve our students by leading Fight the Good Fight of Faith and working on projects.
Pastor Norm brings experience with re-entry, recovery and marketplace. He volunteers at Topeka Rescue Mission and fills pulpits as needed at his church, the Mission and wherever needed. A long-time scholar, he is well-read and hungry to continue to learn.
As an alum of TUMI Topeka, Norm sees the potential for affordable, Biblical leadership development in a cohort of like-minded servant pastors and scholars.
John Cantrell,
Member
John is a man of business, an athlete, a person devoted to his family and his community, and a person of heart. He is a current student in the class of 2025.
Holding the dual Heavyweight Boxing titles of Kansas and Missouri, John is also a partner in Topeka Auto Glass and has a dream of building a business in collaboration with individuals re-entering from incarceration. He credits his son, Cooper, and his wife, Tayler, with his inspiration and drive for excellence.
A member of Central Park Christian Church, John demonstrates his faith, vision, and commitment through service in the church and neighborhood. He brings experience with incarceration, re-entry, recovery, teaching, fundraising and project management, along with a firm belief in the power of the Gospel to transform lives.
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in (Christ).”
— 2 Corinthians 1:20
