2
Augustine was considered the foremost mentor during his time. Throughout the centuries,
with his careful teaching and preaching ministry, he also mentored through training men in the
mechanics of teaching. Mentoring “refers to a boy becoming a man, a young man learning a skill
like playing the drum, or a novice apprenticing under a master in a trade like carpentry.”1 There
are numerous ways to mentor inside the church; Augustine went about mentoring spiritual
leaders within a group setting, allowing him to participate and build relationships with his sound
teaching; the most evident form was within the monastery. Augustine was able to mentor those
around him early in Christianity. His inspiration remains today as many people look for a new
relationship with God.
Augustine was always with a group of friends; Smither states, “from his sermons, four key
themes emerge: the group must live together in unity; the community itself is a means of spiritual
growth; growth is facilitated by Christian friendship, and the group is a model for the church.”2
He also surrounded himself with though that were like-minded as he was in a monastic setting,
following the ways of Christ; Augustine also mentored in a community setting of men. His
thoughts were that keeping men and women separate would relieve the sexual pressure that could
cause problems with their spirituality. In particular, human nature has this incontrollable power
of sexual desire, which he understood as an obsessive and unrestrained element in sexuality. This
was the reason for “two monasteries, one for women and one for lay monks.”3
1 Edward L. Smither, Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders (Nashville, TN: B&H
Academic, 2009), 9.
2 Ibid, 184.
3 Ibid, 172.
3
Augustine was also mentored through the councils he was on in a group setting. These
councils set church doctrine and influenced the growth of the church. As Smither states, “One
reason he taught on the creed at the council of Hippo in 393 was to educate bishops and clergy
who were weak in their theological understanding.”4 he also used the council to help instruct the
clergy that was not ready to teach, as Smither states, “church leaders in his day were poorly
prepared to teach the Scriptures and inept at defending Christianity against heretics and pagans.”5
He also looks within the community for like-minded people in a welcoming setting that would
allow the growth of the individual and the community. He also felt mentoring someone should be
on a personal level and suggests the church should follow this model when it came to teaching;
Smithers states, “As the Trinity modeled Christian friendship for the monastic community,
Augustine also believed that the group in the monastery should be a model for the church.”6
Augustine thought that as a mentor, one should continue to learn and understand humility,
leading to a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and the Lord. This would be referred to as
the table talk; this allows the member to learn from each other about their success and failures.
Smithers mentions this, “aspect of table talk allowed the group to reflect on the day by sharing
victories and failures while finding renewed courage and vision to carry on in the work of
ministry.” this allows the mentor to help with the struggles and problem-solving of the clergy.
4 Ibid, 193.
5 Ibid, 124.
6 Ibid, 187.
4
members were going through. This type of setting would allow collaboration between the mentor
and the members, which would help to develop their theological understanding of that day; this
is why it was suggested that its members should read Scriptures or a letter from one of the
Apostles throughout the day to capture one reader sees one meaning. In contrast, another reader
captures a different purpose. Augustine acknowledges that he did not know everything that was
to be known; as Smithers mentions, “Augustine confessed his limited understanding and that a
spiritual leader need not have an answer for every question to be able effectively to teach a
catechumen, but in fact, he urged the teacher to be open to learning from his students.”7, by doing
this he would gather nightly around dinner time to hold discussions in the monastery. Today’s
spiritual leaders could learn from Augustine that when like-minded people surround themselves,
they are more open to a dialogue about beliefs. Christian friendship must facilitate these
discussions as a means to spiritual growth.
As I prepare myself to start my ministry working with young adults, I must surround myself
with like-minded people because it is essential to understand how others think. Although no one
could be wrong in their interpretation, it is necessary to see how far off from understanding the
scriptures. This is important, especially when working with teenagers and young adults; it’s
essential to have an open dialogue with them. But when it comes to consistently reading the
Bible with young adults and engaging them in spiritual discussions, it is essential to guide them
in understanding what God requires of them as a person. I have five young adults in my
7 Ibid, 177.
5
household; I find it somewhat challenging to educate them about their spiritualities; of course,
they know everything, right?
In some aspects, I lean on the elders when teaching God’s word, but how do we engage the
young today? I see it is difficult to reach them in terms of what is right and wrong, especially
when this world has some much influence. When it comes to social media today, spiritual
leaders must know how to engage with our youth in today’s society. The world has gotten
smaller as technology brings people closer together yet farther apart. The methods of
communication are very different from Augustine’s period, but we also could use the Scriptures
as a foundation for communicating in modern ways. I think parents, youth pastors, and
volunteers need to acquire how to put the Bible’s application on display for students; it is
important to teach youth a basis of critical thinking when it comes to their faith and taking
personal ownership when it comes to having a relationship with the God. Therefore, we must
understand the modern influences on young Christians for us to identify with them and build a
meaningful relationship with them.
In conclusion, Many of Augustine’s methods and examples are still used by mentors in
today’s society. We are commanded to make disciples, which would include a mentoring
relationship. Jesus’ call to discipleship, “follow me,” implies mentorship. In Matthew 28:19,
Jesus states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit” discipleship is all about being a disciple of Christ. As
followers of Jesus Christ, we must become a beacon for a lost world.
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