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Understanding How Temperaments Affect Local Church Life

Understanding How Temperaments Affect Local Church Life. Willie E. Hucks II Associate Secretary General Conference Ministerial Association. Temperaments – a definition . “Characteristic of habitual inclination or mode of emotional response.” In other words, it’s the way we are “wired.”.

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Understanding How Temperaments Affect Local Church Life

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  1. Understanding How Temperaments Affect Local Church Life Willie E. Hucks II Associate Secretary General Conference Ministerial Association

  2. Temperaments – a definition • “Characteristic of habitual inclination or mode of emotional response.” • In other words, it’s 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 • Don’t handle conflict well • Can be self-centered

  5. Benefits of Sanguine • Outgoing; easy to befriend others • Fearless in evangelistic pursuits • Creates beneficial pastoral persona

  6. 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

  7. Characteristics of Melancholy • Sensitive to others’ feelings; empathetic • Good listeners • Can be prone to discouragement, depression

  8. Benefits of Melancholy • Has the patience to listen, console, counsel • Greater caring for each parishioner and the congregation as a whole

  9. 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.

  10. Characteristics of Phlegmatic • Easygoing; unflappable • Calming influence • Tends to avoid conflict (averse to conflict) • Vacillating, wishy-washy

  11. Benefits of Phlegmatic • Unruffled • Can bring calm to the midst of a storm

  12. Drawbacks of Phlegmatics • Checking to see which way the wind is blowing • Have difficulty taking sides

  13. Characteristics of Choleric • Bold, assertive, decisive • Opinionated • Can be inflexible/stubborn

  14. Benefits of Choleric • Take-charge personality • “Born” leader

  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 elder be/covet? • Can the elder be a combination of several characteristics?

  17. Maximizing and Minimizing • How do you accentuate the positives and limit the negatives?

  18. Maximizing and Minimizing • Know yourself. Be honest with yourself. • Focus on the strengths of your personality. • Depend upon others to supplement the deficiencies of your personality. • Use the strengths of your personality as a foundation to improve upon your deficiencies. • ALWAYS TURN TO GOD FOR POWER!

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