Mission

The mission of Urbana Theological Seminary is to provide graduate theological education which prepares people for Christian ministry and leadership, equipping them to love, know, and serve God.

As a graduate theological school, we offer courses and academic credit leading towards Master’s degrees, with the goal of discipling and leadership training. The development of student is our priority. It is crucial for each individual to discover and use their unique gifts while gaining a deeper understanding of God’s nature, Word, and work.

Vision

Urbana Seminary will seek to serve God and his eternal purposes by providing an education that will be academically excellent, faithful to Scripture, missional, and student-focused.

The Vision statement provides a broader context for what we want to accomplish and the qualities for which we will become known as a seminary. We desire to serve God and fit in with his eternal purposes to bring people into covenant relationship with himself. We conceive of our work in terms of the Kingdom of God and the church of Jesus Christ around the globe. As an interdenominational ministry we affirm the unity of the church around the world comprised of all those with faith in Christ. God is at work in many different contexts and is not limited by human boundaries.

An Urbana Seminary education will be academically excellent. Our objective is to be known as a center of Christian learning of the highest quality in our teaching, research, and student services. We envision a theological curriculum that integrates faithful reliance on the Scripture as our authority with God’s mission in the world and how the church is called to fulfill that mission. The programs of study will challenge students to think as Christians, to pursue advanced research, and to apply their knowledge amidst the rapidly changing currents of contemporary society.

An Urbana Seminary education will be faithful to Scripture. Urbana Seminary is grounded firmly in the historic Christian faith revealed in the Bible. The Old and New Testaments are our authority for belief and life. Our aim is both personal grasp of God’s message in the Scriptures and obedience to his mission in the world. Along with this understanding of truth we seek to develop each student’s abilities to clearly and passionately explain the intention of the Bible in all of its depth and richness.

An Urbana Seminary education will be missional. We will glorify God through participation in the fulfillment of God’s mission for the church in the world. We train students from many different backgrounds who will serve God in a variety of diverse contexts and roles around the world, each striving towards the completion of the Lord’s overarching purpose to bring a great throng of people “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9) to worship and serve him. To reconcile people to God includes bringing them into relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, a ministry to the whole person that touches all aspects of life, and a transforming involvement in society.

An Urbana Seminary education will be student-focused. We desire that each individual student would love God more deeply, know his truth more profoundly, and apply it daily. Each student should know what he or she believes and why, should have the tools and resources needed for ministry, and be able to provide biblical responses to the rapidly changing culture of our world. We demonstrate this priority on students through accessible professors, quality student services, flexible curriculum, and maintaining lower tuition rates.

For the Student:

When a student comes to Urbana Theological Seminary, we want that individual to

Love God more deeply … with a personal experience of drawing closer to our Creator in a relationship that engages heart and emotions.
Know God’s truth more profoundly and be able to use it … that study would fill the mind with knowledge of God, Scripture, and the big picture of his work. For students to have the skills to contemplate these truths and the resources to find answers when facing unforeseen circumstances.
Serve God in practical daily settings in the church and the world … that the student’s education would overflow in service to the people God brings into each one’s life—that seminary study would complement ministry within the church.

For the School:

We desire to establish a seminary that will be a global leader and innovator in theological education for the twenty-first century. Towards that end, we will aim for

Depth of impact … faithfulness to Scripture to make clear God’s meaning in exposition, an atmosphere that fosters devotional pursuit of God, and growth in Christ within a school that will represent the voice of Christ in academia today.
Breadth of impact … a broad reach to equip as many as possible, including future leaders, for the church as well as laypersons and undergraduates; a desire to remove barriers that keep people from receiving training; a student body drawn from across the United States and from around the world of the highest quality spiritually, academically, and in ministry potential.
Quality in ministry to our students … creativity and high standards in all we do—teaching, student services, scholarship—conducted in a state-of-the-art facility; a team of faculty and staff comprised of experts in each field and profession; a truly outstanding resource center for theological education; the location of choice for people to come and do research in any area of the theological disciplines.
Reliance on God and His resources … a vast support base of individual Christians and churches that will pray for an support the work at hand.