What does it mean to have an introverted minister?
Since the early 20th Century psychologists have understood that one way people differ is on a scale of “Introversion and Extraversion” (I/E). First, let’s talk about what these things do NOT describe.
An introvert is NOT always shy, and may be quite outgoing. An extravert is NOT always friendly, and may be very obnoxious. Outgoingness and friendliness are not characteristics of the I/E scale.
What the I/E scale DOES measure is where a person’s energy comes from. An introvert derives energy from within. The result is that time spent alone is refreshing, while time spent with others is draining. The extravert has an opposite experience.
Likewise, an introvert processes internally – thinking deeply before speaking, for example. On the other hand, an extravert processes externally, usually through speech. The quote attributed to Sartre, “Hell is other people at breakfast,” is from the perspective of an introvert who has to share a breakfast table with an extravert.
Approximately 25-30% of people are introverts. Some studies suggest that there is a greater proportion of introverts in ministry than in the general populace. Introvert ministers have long been confused and overburdened, because so many people expect extraverted behaviour from their ministers. At the same time, God has called those people to ministry and God made them introverts in the first place, so God must have a purpose in mind.
It is simply not true that one type of person is better for ministry than another. Each type brings certain gifts and advantages. The challenge for the minister is to stretch beyond what is comfortable, while acknowledging that a trait like this is not to be changed. The challenge for a congregation is to recognize the gifts of the minister they have, rather than wishing for the gifts of the minister they don’t have.
So what can be done?
Here are five ways to rewardingly relate to an introvert in ministry.
1. Understand that introversion is not something that a person “gets over”. It isn’t a disorder or a disability. It’s simply a different set of gifts.
2. Keep in mind that any introvert who has become a minister is probably neither shy nor stuck-up – it only seems that way if you don’t understand the I/E scale and are comparing them with extravert ministers.
3. Join your introvert minister in solitude. It’s only groups of people and high-energy conversation that are draining to an introvert. Time spent in sincere one-on-one sharing is something most introvert ministers yearn for.
4. Make some space for your introvert minister to think. When introvert ministers are quiet, it’s not usually because they don’t want to talk to you. It’s because they’re contemplating what to say next. If you open up the time and space to hear what that is, you’ll usually be rewarded.
5. Consider what your introvert minister brings to the table that an extraverted minister has more difficulty with – thinking before they speak, focusing on depth, calm confidence, articulation of complex ideas, and powers of observation.
You may think that having an introvert minister “sounds good in theory” or perhaps it “might be good for someone else”, but that it simply isn’t what you are looking for. I invite you to consider whether God is calling you to stretch yourself into new areas of living. When the Israelites in the book of Exodus were living in slavery in Egypt, God called them to stretch toward freedom, and he chose Moses – an introvert – to lead them into a new divine covenant.
Rev. Murray Speer
December 7, 2011
