Our Values

In everyday life and work, the Seminary community subscribes to a value system derived from the person and character of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures.

In interpersonal relationships Jesus Christ serves as the model for all interactions and service. In the world of the mind, the arena of academic inquiry and critical thought, all proceeds from the insight that Christ is the integrating center for thought and truth. We who study and work at Urbana Seminary recognize the need to form an outlook on and approach to life that is truly Christian and hence, modeled on the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. As a result we uphold and pursue a set of values that enable us to work and learn in a way that reflects God’s glory here on earth.

We value the expression of Christ-like character.
What higher goal could we have than to complete the work God has for us to do in a way that truly reflects the character of Jesus Christ in all our relationships? The world sees Christ through his people. We want the world to see a clear reflection of Christ in what we and our students do and say, as we relate both to each other and to those around us.

We value teamwork as we pursue God’s calling and mission.
A practical outworking of our desire to model our interactions after the life of Jesus Christ is evident in our commitments to each other as we work together. The faculty and staff of the Seminary are a team whose basic purpose is to serve God and his church through investing in the lives and ministries of our students. Students also are part of that team as they pursue gaining the knowledge and resources to carry out what God is calling them to do.

We value thought that is truly Christian and critical.
Christ is the integrating center of thought. Our training is conducted within a framework that is derived from and builds on the revelation of truth found in the Bible. We engage in Christian education and formation within a framework derived from and built on the truth of the Scriptures, helping and guiding each student to integrate Christian principles into his or her life, study, and work. Our training is graduate level; hence, it involves learning the skills of critical and independent thought. We encourage student learning and research that gives understanding of disciplines and issues in depth. We desire to train people to think in a way that integrates these principles, teaching high quality thought that is both Christian and critical.

We value understanding the big picture of God’s mission for the world.
Since Christ is the source of all truth, knowledge gained by the Christian mind is not fragmented. So we pursue understanding the big picture, with the conviction that knowledge makes sense as part of a larger and whole framework of understanding. The result is to be able to situate knowledge in a framework that reveals the place of each part within God’s mission in this world, to reconcile people to himself through Christ and the cross. God’s plan for the ages serves as the backdrop of all learning.