Personality Type in Congregations

Personality Type in Congregations Buy this book now »

Lynne served for four years as the interest area coordinator for religious and spiritual issues for the Association for Psychological Type This book grew out of dozens of phone calls with people who wanted to know how to use type in their Christian congregation, synagogue, Buddhist temple, prison ministry, etc. In this book, Lynne explores the ways personality type, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, can be used in many different kinds of congregations and groups of people who have a spirtual focus. This practical book includes discussion about

  • leadership teams
  • personal spiritual development
  • roles of volunteer service
  • how and why to “type” a congregation

The "articles" page of this website has an article Lynne wrote on Type and Burnout.

Reviews

Anonymous review: "excellent balance of theoretical discussion and examples" »

Anyone who is involved in local church ministry and has at least basic familiarity with the Myers-Briggs personality types will find this book a wonderful help. Ms. Baab includes personal spirituality, worship, Christian education, congregational business meetings, and the best utilization of volunteers in her discussion of type in the congregation. She offers an excellent balance of theoretical discussion and examples that always allowed me to understand where she was going.


Baab writes as an "old hand" rather than as a new convert to the use of type, and her experience shows. Her last chapter gives solid advice to those who might move too fast in implementing type. She also recognizes that type is only a partial description of a person. Family experiences, spiritual maturity, and simply the sovereignty of God all affect how a person will best grow in his or her relationship with God and in service to the church.


I teach in a Bible Institute, and have found the book useful in advising students in their spiritual lives, as well as in teaching in a way that reaches students who are not of my type.

Anonymous review: "included the best review of the relevant literature I have ever seen" »

Over the years I've discovered that books about Myers-Briggs type theory tend to get very confusing very quickly, and this one was no exception. By the end of the first chapter, terms like "function pairs," "temperament types," and "tertiary functions" lay in a garbled heap in my head. But I forged on to the following chapters and found much of value. Unlike many writers about typology, Baab suggested ways of using type information to develop and enhance our less dominant functions. She gave specific, credible examples to back up her assertion that it is unwise to make generalizations about people on the basis of type. And she included the best review of the relevant literature and annotated bibliography about this topic that I have ever seen.

Anonymous review: "lots of practical help" »

For those with at least a beginning understanding of the Myers-Briggs personality types, this book will offer lots of practical help. Baab includes sections on prayer and Bible study, placing volunteers, Christian education, the sometimes tricky area of committe meetings, and worship. As an instructor in a Bible Institute, I have been able to reach more students by using her suggestions. I particularly appreciated that Baab sees the limits as well as the value of personality type. She avoids the error of forcing people into the box of their personality type. Her last chapter gives wise advice to those who are recently introducted to type. She gives enough examples so that I was always able to follow her thoughts, although I am not trained in type.