Biosketch

Dr. Fletcher L. Tink, Executive Director
Bresee Institute for Metro-Ministries
Kansas City, MO 64131

Adjunct Professor of Urban/Compassionate Ministries
Nazarene Theological Seminary
Kansas City, MO 64131

Academic Dean
Rescue College (an accredited undergraduate program of AGRM)
North Kansas City, MO. 64116

Education

• Ph.D. Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies (Pasadena, CA): Urban Anthropology, Urban Ministry and Leadership Development.
• M.A. Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies: Missiology
• Master of Liberal Arts, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA): Romance Languages and Literature.
• M.Th. Luther Theological Seminary (St. Paul, MN): World Religions and Missions.
• M.Div. Nazarene Theological Seminary (Kansas City, MO): Wesleyan Theology, Linguistics and Missions.

Experience

Mr Tink for six years has served as adjunct professor of Urban and Compassionate Ministries at Nazarene Theological Seminary, and four years as the founding Executive Director for the Bresee Institute for Metro-Ministries, a training institution for those seeking placement, or serving in the urban environment. He also teaches regularly at MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, KS) and Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA).

He has served in urban community development for the Peace Corps in Brasilia, Brazil and as a church planter in pioneer areas of Bolivia.  He has taught formal accredited courses in 28 nations abroad: for Nazarene Theological Seminary (Quito, Ecuador), European Nazarene College (5 countries), Azusa Pacific University (17 countries), Alliance Biblical Seminary (Manila), Seminario Nazareno de las Americas (SENDAS) (2 countries) and La Universidad Evangelica de Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Bolivia).  In the U.S. he has taught for Fuller Theological Seminary, Eastern Nazarene College, Indiana Wesleyan University, Messiah College, Eastern Mennonite University, Washington (DC) Bible College and Rescue College (KC, MO) where he also serves as academic dean of the accredited Bachelor of Arts’ urban training program organized by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. 

Dr. Tink has pastored in Kansas City, MO, Minneapolis, Santa Cruz (Bolivia), Los Angeles, Washington, DC.,  and Cambridge, MA along with six interim pastorates.  He has served as a consultant or researcher to World Vision, Pew Foundation, International Urban Associates, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, and many other denominational boards and committees.  He has written extensively on urban and compassionate ministries in Christianity Today, Missiology, Holiness Today, Ministry, and numerous other magazines, journals, and book projects.  He directs a team of eight leaders who provide discipleship training for Protestant inmates at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, under the government-funded Life Connections Program.

Mr Tink has a wife, Dr Joyce Tombran-Tink, molecular biological researcher at the University of Missouri, (KC), and Yale University), four children and four grandchildren.