The Reverend Dr. Mary A. Tumpkin is the founding minister of the Universal Truth Center for Better Living (UTC), in Miami Gardens, Florida. For over 30 years Dr. Tumpkin carried out UTC’s mission to “empower people to develop their potential by awakening their divine nature.”

In 1995, the Reverend Dr. Johnnie Colemon appointed Dr. Tumpkin to succeed her as the second president of the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an international association of New Thought churches and study groups founded by Dr. Colemon in 1974. Under her leadership, she established the UFBL’s teaching arm, the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, and expanded the organization’s presence in the Caribbean.

Also an acclaimed teacher, Bible scholar, and author, Dr. Tumpkin held a Doctorate of Ministry degree from the Florida Center for Theological Studies. She lectured throughout the United States, as well as in England, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean. She was known for her powerful, energetic, and often humorous preaching style and her ability to express the message of Jesus the Christ in a relevant, practical, and accessible way. In addition to the UFBL, Dr. Tumpkin served on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion; the International New Thought Alliance; the Florida Center for Theological Studies; and the Westar Institute.

Dr. Tumpkin made her transition in November 2013.