People-Pleasing Pastors by Stone Charles;Stetzer Ed;

Author:Stone, Charles;Stetzer, Ed; ["Stone, Charles"]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780830871902
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2013-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

The inventory asked forty-six questions related to each of these categories on a six-point scale from “not true of me at all” to “very true of me.” The lowest score for each category would be a one and the highest a six. Figure 7.1 below shows how various groups of ministry leaders self-reported.

Figure 7.1.

The higher bars indicate healthier patterns, and conversely the lower bars indicate less healthy patterns. For example, in the category “Bible study/Sunday school/small group” leader, the highest bar is connectedness in relational tension (emotional cutoff). It means that this group of leaders rated themselves higher in that category than they did in the other categories.

The chart also reveals that the weakest area across all categories of ministry leaders is emotional restraint (emotional reactivity). In other words, when compared to all four domains, a ministry leader’s least healthy responses to anxiety most often show up as emotional reactivity—that is, not being able to restrain emotions. Here are some fascinating findings from my surveys related to emotional control:

Pastors with a high school education showed the same reactivity as those with a doctoral degree.

Experienced pastors showed less reactivity than less experienced ones. Those with at least twenty years of experience showed the least reactivity. However, those with ten to twenty years showed the greatest reactivity.

Older pastors showed less reactivity than younger ones.

Board members indicated less reactivity than senior pastors. (Some pretty significant implications there.)

Associate pastors showed less reactivity than senior pastors.

Pastors in churches with an attendance of greater than one thousand evidenced less reactivity than pastors in smaller churches.

There was no difference between the reactivity of men and women (perhaps dispelling the myth that women leaders are more emotional).

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