Mentor's Manual

Sec t i on I : Under s tand i ng The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute 51

diverse arguments and weigh evidence. Much of our effort as Mentors is enabling our students to engage widely divergent views on a controversial matter, discussing it fairly, in a respectful way, while listening to others in a way that encourages open dialogue. These kinds of skills undergird much of what ministry is, and we must learn ways to train our students to adopt these dispositions and employ these basic leadership tools in their Gospel work. TUMI is unashamedly committed to the historic orthodox faith, seeking to confess the same biblical truths proclaimed by the apostles, and defended through the ages by those faithful to Jesus Christ and to the Word of God. We firmly believe, too, that in order to rightly divide the Word and provide a clear and compelling witness to the lost in the city, we must be well versed in the Word of Christ enough to engage those who oppose our faith. For this reason, we expose students to ideas and notions with which we ourselves do not agree, and which may not be consistent with the truth as we know and confess it in Christ. The motive here is not to undercut our students’ faith and convictions, but rather to strengthen them. Only if we are able to engage and refute the deceptively crafted falsehoods of much so-called biblical teaching can we protect those whom we are called to serve. Do not be alarmed if in fact you come across materials or assertions in a textbook which seem off-center or out of sorts with what we consistently profess and teach in our modules. No leader can be effective today in our diverse, post-modern, and scientifically oriented culture without respectfully listening to positions that they do not agree with, and responding with the calmness and clarity which is due to all people, even those whose views are not consistent with historic orthodox teaching. A Conflict of Visions: Sincere Christians Handling Disagreement Battling wrong doctrine is not the only task of the Christian leader. He or she must also learn to converse and to agree to differ with believers whose views do not line up with their own. Our students represent many faith traditions holding to differing theological systems. It is easy to demonstrate historically that godly, sincere, and biblically grounded leaders and traditions have disagreed with one another. TUMI’s emphasis on the Great Tradition captured in Theological Preparation: The Historic Orthodox Faith and Teaching Critical Dialogue

Dealing with

Theological Diversity