Johnson and Ridley in Elements of Mentoring define mentoring in this way: “Mentoring relationships (mentorships) are dynamic, reciprocal, personal relationships in which a more experienced person (mentor) acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced person (protégé). Mentors provide protégés with knowledge, advice, counsel, support, and opportunity in the protégé’s pursuit of full membership in a particular profession. Outstanding mentors are intentional about the mentor role. They select protégés carefully, invest significant time and energy in getting to know their protégés, and deliberately offer the career and support functions most useful for their protégés. Mentoring is an act of generativity— a process of bringing into existence and passing on a professional legacy.”
Ministry mentoring includes the above definition but occurs primarily in the context of Christian ministry development. Ministry mentoring also focuses as much on the growth of Christian character of the one doing ministry as on ministry competencies.