Temperaments and Pastoral Ministry

1
Temperaments and Pastoral Ministry

• Willie E. Hucks II
• Associate editor
• Ministry magazine

2
Temperaments a definition

• Characteristic of habitual inclination or mode
  of emotional response.
• In other words, its the way we are wired.

3
Four major temperaments

• Sanguine
• Melancholy
• Phlegmatic
• Choleric

4
Characteristics of Sanguine

• Seen as happy-go-lucky
• The life of the party
• Outgoing
• Dont handle conflict well
• Can be self-centered

5
Characteristics of Melancholy

• Sensitive to others feelings empathetic
• Good listeners
• Can be prone to discouragement, depression

6
Characteristics of Phlegmatic

• Easygoing unflappable
• Calming influence
• Tends to avoid conflict (averse to conflict)
• Vacillating, wishy-washy

7
Characteristics of Choleric

• Bold, assertive, decisive
• Opinionated
• Can be inflexible/stubborn

8
Benefits of Sanguine

• Outgoing easy to befriend others
• Fearless in evangelistic pursuits
• Creates beneficial pastoral persona

9
Benefits of Melancholy

• Has the patience to listen, console, counsel
• Greater caring for each parishioner and the
  congregation as a whole

10
Benefits of Phlegmatic

• Unruffled
• Can bring calm to the midst of a storm

11
Benefits of Choleric

• Take-charge personality
• Born leader

12
Drawbacks of Sanguine

• Personality can get in the way of true
  relationships
• Can get in the way of allowing others to be seen
  for who they are

13
Drawbacks of Melancholy

• Can see the worst side of every situation.
• May thus have difficulty in helping others to see
  the best side of an issue.
• Dour approach can lead to dour community spirit.

14
Drawbacks of Phlegmatics

• Checking to see which way the wind is blowing
• Have difficulty taking sides

15
Drawbacks of Cholerics

• My way or the highway
• Can tend to run over others and their ideas
• Brashness can turn others off

16
A Review of the Characteristics

• Which of the four are positive overall?
• Which of the four are negative overall?
• Can each have both positives and negatives?
• Can you think of biblical examples for each
  temperament?
• Is one more desirable than the other?
• Which one(s) should the pastor be/covet?
• Can the pastor be a combination of several
  characteristics?

17
Maximizing and Minimizing

• How do you accentuate the positives and limit the
  negatives?