World Hope Ministries International

What World Hope Ministries International does

World Hope Ministries International (WHMI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1977 by Dr. Harold Davis and headquartered in Houston, Texas, that provides foundational, evangelical theological training to underserved pastors and church leaders worldwide through the WHMI Bible Institute. Its core technology is a deculturalized, theologically orthodox curriculum stewarded by a Curriculum Editorial Board, delivered in person at 398 active locations across 59 nations (as of March 31, 2026), serving 11,043 currently engaged students and 6,237 cumulative graduates. The operating model is a "link-and-chain" replication approach based on 2 Timothy 2:2, in which trained graduates become instructors; approximately 90% of courses are now taught by national instructors rather than US-based faculty, a share that has risen from 82.5% in 2023.

WHMI is entirely donation-funded, with four primary revenue streams: unrestricted Kingdom Investor gifts, restricted team-member support, restricted project/team donations, and designated instructor support. The optimal stated cost is approximately $150 per student per year, which supports its cost-leader positioning versus Western seminary alternatives. Distribution is direct: in-person Bible Institute locations (field/enterprise), Global Reach mission trips (event-driven), and the whmi.org donation portal (e-commerce). Marketing relies on content (website, quarterly newsletters, annual reports, video, field stories), an Ambassador referral program, and organic social. The organization holds ECFA accreditation, a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating, Excellence in Giving certification, and the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Strategically, WHMI launched the Accelerated Growth Initiative in 2020 to place leadership in the hands of national partners, established the Board-level Long Horizon Task Force in 2023, and continues to scale courses (756 in 2023 → 1,468 in 2025), locations, and student enrollment. Leadership includes President & CEO Dr. Stuart Sheehan (PhD), VP and Bible Institute Director Billy Ross (DMin), Provost Noel R. Vincent (M.A. Christian Apologetics), and Director of Curriculum and Partnerships Casey Hough (PhD), who also serves as Director of Europe.

Name

World Hope Ministries International

Legal name

World Hope Ministries International

Website

https://whmi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Theological education programs
• Pastoral training services
• Bible institute courses
• Church planting initiatives
• Ministry training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Kingdom Investor Campaign Donations: Unrestricted gifts that support the general ministry budget, allowing WHMI to allocate funds where most needed.
2. Direct Team Member Support: Restricted gifts for employees, contractors, and volunteers who raise their own support for ministry activities.
3. Projects and Teams Donations: Gifts restricted to specific projects or ministry teams, including church planting, community transformation, and various development initiatives.
4. Instructor Support: Donations specifically designated to support US-based and national Bible Institute instructors who travel to teach theological courses globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WHMI delivers foundational theological training to pastors and church leaders worldwide through the WHMI Bible Institute, using a New Testament replication model where trained graduates become instructors who open new teaching locations. As of March 31, 2026, the Bible Institute operates 398 active teaching locations across 59 nations, serving 11,043 currently engaged students with 6,237 cumulative graduates. The organization also runs the WHMI Global Reach program, enabling supporters to participate in mission trips and community transformation projects alongside Bible Institute graduates.

Product overview

WHMI operates primarily as a single unified product—the WHMI Bible Institute—which is a theological education program designed to provide foundational pastoral training to pastors and church leaders in developing nations. The organization functions as a non-profit ministry rather than a technology company, offering educational courses, downloadable resources, video materials, and mission engagement programs. The core Bible Institute program uses a replication/discipleship model where graduates become instructors to train others, supported by introductory documents, video resources, and the Global Reach mission engagement program. No software-as-a-service platform, API, or technology product integrations are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WHMI Bible Institute: The primary theological education program of WHMI, providing foundational pastoral and ministry leader training globally through a network of in-person locations.
• WHMI Global Reach

Products and services

• WHMI Bible Institute
• WHMI Global Reach Mission trip and community transformation program providing structured opportunities for individuals and church teams to travel internationally, support partnering churches, and engage in field ministry alongside Bible Institute students and graduates.
• WHMI Bible Institute Instructor Program Service program for theologically qualified pastors to become WHMI Bible Institute instructors, providing teaching assignments, travel logistics coordination, and access to the Deculturalized Curriculum for international deployment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,043 currently engaged students and 6,237 cumulative graduates across 59 nations as of Q1 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHMI partners with local churches in 59 nations to establish Bible Institute locations where theological training is delivered to pastors and ministry leaders.
• Mission OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHMI collaborates with mission organizations to extend theological training reach, combining resources and expertise for greater global impact.
• Like-Minded Great Commission PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHMI works alongside other organizations committed to fulfilling the Great Commission through theological education and church multiplication.
• Botswana Baptist SeminarynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership where WHMI-trained pastors from Botswana Baptist Seminary traveled to Namibia to assist WHMI Bible Institute students in completing coursework delayed during COVID.
• Enterprise Baptist Church (Guyana)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuyana Council and Enterprise Baptist Church partnered to raise funds and build a boat for transportation and accommodation to teach Bible Institute courses in riverside communities.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Train International: Global pastoral training ministry that equips national pastors and church leaders with theological and ministry training through a comparable in-person, indigenous-led model across the developing world.
• Reaching & Teaching International: Mission organization focused on training pastors and ministry leaders globally through country-specific, indigenous-led pastoral education programs that closely mirror WHMI's Bible Institute approach.
• e3 Partners Ministry: Global church planting and leadership training ministry operating in numerous countries, training indigenous leaders to plant and lead churches; comparable donor-funded model and global footprint.
• Pioneers: Global missions organization that plants churches among unreached people groups, often including training of national pastors and leaders; comparable donor-funded structure and global pastoral development work.
• Greater Europe Mission: Evangelical mission organization focused on Europe and beyond, including church planting and training of national leaders; comparable donor-funded, indigenous-led pastoral training philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Dallas Theological Seminary: Established evangelical theological seminary providing graduate-level biblical and theological education; comparable doctrinal tradition and curriculum focus, but US-centric and degree-based rather than non-formational.
• Moody Bible Institute: Long-established evangelical theological training institution offering biblical education and pastoral preparation globally through residential, distance, and extension programs; comparable doctrinal stance and pastoral training mission.
• Tyndale University: Canadian evangelical university and seminary providing theological education and seminary degrees; comparable evangelical tradition and theological curriculum focus but serves a more formal degree-track audience.
• Columbia Bible College: Evangelical Bible college and seminary in western Canada offering pastoral and theological training; comparable in doctrinal position and curriculum focus, though smaller-scale and regional.
• Liberty University: Large US evangelical university with extensive online theological training programs including seminary degrees; comparable doctrinal alignment but operates a formal degree model at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pray4whmi
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorldHopeINTL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-hope-ministries-international

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World Hope Ministries International