My recent tweet question about whether Introverts or Extroverts make better priests has caused a flurry of interest.....so I thought it might be interesting to conduct a very quick survey to find out if more introverts or extroverts are actually in ordained ministry and whether there is any difference in the balance between the two based on the gender of respondents. This is obviously totally unscientific as it is possible that more extroverts or introverts are on twitter but I thought it would be fun all the same. Please do answer the question above this post.....come on, don't be shy!
About Me
- DIACONALLY
- Partner at Tulchan Group. Priest in Church of England. Bad dancer
Wasn't sure that I could answer your poll as I'm not ordained yet! But, there's some interesting research around regarding the ways in which churches take on the characteristics of its leader, particularly with regard to introvert/extrovert. I can't point you in the direction of it off the top of my head, but personally, I find the whole thing fascinating!
ReplyDelete(If I do count, I'm a female introvert...)
I'm a Methodist Local Preacher, which means that I perform the preaching role of a priest, but not the sacramental or pastoral ones. I would say that I am an introvert (not sure what the criteria are for this though) and I'm female.
ReplyDeleteMy instinct would be that a certain amount of extroversion would be necessary for the pastoral side of ministry - otherwise how would you ever manage to open conversation with a member of your flock? But, as a member of teh congregation, I would be very put off by an overtly extrovert minister. So maybe a balancd personality is ideal?
It's an interesting fact that many Clergy are Introverts.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was preparing for BAP, we were put through both Myers Briggs and the Eneagram. Our DDO did both alongside us and turned out to be INFP and Type 4 (Individualist) with wings (as they are called) for Type 5 (Investigator) and Type 3 (Achiever).
I turned out to be marginal ENFP on Myers Briggs and Type 9 (Conciliator) which helped to console me when BAP said NOT.
The reality of personality type assessment seems to have taken over how selection for ministry is run to an extent. The intent is to help individual self-awareness, but is used by some churches, particularly the RCC as a formal part of their selection process.
I wonder how you replace the face to face meeting, chat, astute questioning and opinion forming of the normal recruitment process, by a quasi-scientific psychological assessment.
A Psychiatrist friend of mine (with 40 years of experience) says that any personality test can be fooled by the determined and that it is all psycho-babel. As a Scientist and a Christian, he has strong doubts about its use so widely by the church.
I'm an enneagram 8 ( be afraid!) rare in women apparently, and an ENFP, moderate E strong NF and off scale P
ReplyDeleteagree with caveats on all these -but also important to note that Extravert doesn't mean " loud & outgoing" nor introvert " shy & retiring" For people not familiar with the MBTI/Jungian psychology it can be confusing ( grandmother meet egg I know in present company"!)
Ps Im a Priest, but only ordained 18 mths, so part of the new wave?!
Been ordained for a long time I have done Myers Briggs a couple of times & come out as EN(T)P. The T is marginal & on one test been an ENFP. I have noticed that once I was an extreme E and P but much less extreme 15 years into ministry.
ReplyDeleteI am uncertain if these personality tests have much use & I once described MBTI & eneagram as the Christian answer to the signs of the zodiac.