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Professional Assessment Program

The professional assessment (PA) program provides a systematic review of the student’s personal & professional gifts, potential, and development for ministry. The primary aim of this program is to assist the student in personal and professional growth for service in the Christian Church.

ETS 2000-2001 Catalog, p. 31.

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Portfolio: PA Components

• Entry level: (1) autobiography, (2) Ministry Specialties Test (MST), and (3) Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

• Mid-level: competencies assessment and/or additions to portfolio (statement of faith, sermon, CE project, etc.). Anticipated

• Exit level: Senior Exit Interview.

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Ministry Specialties Test

• Do preferences match ministry goals & interests?

• Seek to develop less preferred ministry functions or, at least, one’s appreciation of them.

• Descriptive, not prescriptive, use! No excuses!

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Myers Briggs Type Indicator

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Carl Jung (1875-1961)

• Swiss psychiatrist

• Father was a Reformed Lutheran pastor

• Psychological Types (1923)

• Focuses on predictable and differing patterns of normal behavior

• Behavior due to differences in the way people prefer to use their minds

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Jung’s Core Idea in Psychological Types

• When your mind is active, one of two mental activities is occurring:

– Perceiving - taking in information

– Judging - organizing that information & reaching conclusions

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P vs. J

• Perceiving • Judging

Sensing iNtuition Thinking Feeling

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Judging & Perceiving Occur in:

• The external world of people, things, and experiences - EXTRAVERSION

AND

• The inner world of ideas, reflections, thoughts, and feelings - INTRAVERSION

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Katharine Briggs & Isabel Briggs Myers

• Mother-daughter team who developed Jung’s types into the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• Romans 12:4-8

• Four categories, each with two sub-categories

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Four Main Categories of MBTI

1 Where you prefer to focus your attention

2 How you take in information

3 How you make decisions

4 How you orient yourself to the outer world

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Categories & Sub-Categories of MBTI

• 1 Where you prefer to focus your attention?• Extraversion --------------- Introversion

• 2 How do you take in information?• Sensing --------------------- iNtuition

• 3 How do you make decisions?• Thinking -------------------- Feeling

• 4 How you orient yourself to the outer world?• Judging --------------------- Perceiving

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The MBTI Sub-Categories

• (E)xtraversion ----------------- (I)ntroversionE I

• (S)ensing ----------------------------i(N)tuition

S N

• (T)hinking --------------------------- (F)eeling

T F

• (J)udging ------------------------- (P)erceiving

J P

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Sub-Categories Defined (*)• Focus Attention:

– Extraversion - direct & receive energy to/from outer world– Introversion - direct & receive energy to/from inner world

• Take in Data:– Sensing - data from the five senses– iNtuition - data from perception of meaning; gut-feeling

• Make Decisions:– Thinking - logical, objective, analytical approach– Feeling - value-centered, subjective (likes & dislikes)

• Orientation to Outer World:– Judging - live ordered, structured, planned lives– Perceiving - flexible, spontaneous orientation

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A Word of Caution!

• Strength of preference does not imply excellence or competence!

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MBTI Preferences

• Clergy U.S. Population• Extraversion 61% 75%• Introversion 39% 25%• Sensing 43% 76%• iNtuition 57% 24%• Thinking 32% 50% (60 m/ 40 f)• Feeling 68% 50% (40 m/ 60 f)• Judging 70% 55%• Perceiving 30% 45%

– ENFJ ESTJ male• ESFJ

female

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Male Protestant Clergy

• ISTJ 4.12 %• ISFJ 10.29 %• INFJ 10.22 %• INTJ 4.25 %• ISTP 0.55 %• ISFP 2.26 %• INFP 8.30 %• INTP 1.37 %

• ESTP 0.48 %• ESFP 2.88 %• ENFP 13.72 %• ENTP 2.13 %• ESTJ 4.66 %• ESFJ 13.24 %• ENFJ 15.98 %• ENTJ 5.56 %

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Using the MBTI

• Need to develop less preferred options for a more rounded approach.

• Awareness of stress & emergence of the “dark side”

• View people of differing types as resources; opposites can complement each other . . .– and get on each others nerves!

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MBTI & Learning Styles

• What implications come to mind for you?

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A Helpful MBTI-related Website

• www.keirsey.com

• Includes online assessment for temperament as well as descriptions of each

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Suggested Books on MBTI

• Myers, Isabel Briggs with Peter B. Myers. Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black, 1995.

• Keirsey, David & Marilyn Bates. Please Understand Me. Prometheus Nemesis, 1984.

• Oswald, Roy M. & Otto Kroeger. Personality Type & Religious Leadership. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1988; rpt. 1989.

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Temperaments

• If the second letter is “S,” then the next most important letter is J or P.– S >>> J or P SJ or SP

• If the second letter is “N,” then the next most important letter is T or F.– N >>> T or F NT or NF

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Temperaments in Ministry

SJ: + conserving, serving pastor; traditionalist; stabilizer; back-bone of most societal institutions; lowest clergy divorce rate

– strong need for connectedness; most susceptible to burn-out

SP: + action-oriented pastor; open, flexible,

spontaneous; best negotiators & crisis resolvers – difficulty functioning in an orderly fashion

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Temperaments in MinistryNT: + intellectual, competence-seeking pastor; change-

oriented – difficulty with interpersonal skills; often appear

arrogant & distant

NF: + authenticity-seeking, relationship-oriented pastor; most romantic & idealistic; usually articulate & effective communicator; superior interpersonal skills

– needs to please everyone; tries to rescue; are conflict-evaders (yet with training in conflict management skills, usually develop better than average abilities to deal with conflict); can be the most seductive (self first, then others)

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Temperament Preferences

• Clergy U.S. Population

• NF 41% 12%

• SJ 35% 38%

• NT 16% 12%

• SP 8% 38%

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Professional Assessment Report

In a one-page, single-spaced report:

1) Cite three significant learnings from your MST & MBTI interpretation experience

2) Cite three implications of your MB type for your specific work in ministry

3) Be sure to include your name & the date.