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Characters: Taking Advantage of God’s Gifts

How pastors can unlock a world of talent that is hidden by the glare of character deficiencies.

By Clyde W. Harvey

Every church has a cast of characters, and every character provides an opportunity to be used in creative ways.

When talking about characters, I am talking about people pastors normally try to avoid. These people have a single character trait that dominates everything they do.

Instead of wondering Why me, Lord? we need to find creative ways to utilize these active people. How can we take advantage of a special ability or a flower waiting to bloom that is hidden by an overbearing character flaw?

I recently came across an article, “Every Meeting Has a Cast of Characters: Don’t Stifle Them,” by Professor Virginia Kidd, department of communications, California State University, Sacramento, California.

Though it is not a church-based article, I recognized some of the characters I have known in my 30 years of church involvement. I saw Chris the critic, Louie the life of the party, and Molly the monopolizer.

More important, I was stirred by two thoughts: How have I used or abused such people? and How can I take advantage of God’s gifts to my church by enabling these characters in a positive way?

Perfectly charming people with multifaceted personalities can become single-minded, repetitive, and downright annoying when they come between you and the ministry you envision for your congregation. But what if we took advantage of the things these individuals are good at doing? Could we turn a disturbance into a blessing? We need to think on a broader scope and face these characteristics in a proactive, not reactive manner.

Identify Behavioral Patterns As Task Roles

A seminal report by Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats entitled, “Functional Roles of Group Meetings,” from the Journal of Social Issues, No.4, 1948, identifies behavior patterns the authors labeled “task roles”:

The initiator defines problems, contributes ideas, and proposes solutions.

The information seeker asks for clarification, promotes participation by others, and solicits facts.

The energizer prods members into action.

The orientor keeps the group on track and guides discussion.

The secretary keeps track of group progress and recalls past actions.

Do you recognize any of these characters on your deacon board?

Benne and Sheats also consider social activities as maintenance activities for meetings and identify five major roles in this area as well:

The encourager provides support, praise, and acceptance.

The harmonizer resolves conflict and proposes compromise.

The comedian injects humor and relaxes people.

The gatekeeper controls communication channels by allowing each person who wants to contribute a chance. The person in charge of the meeting generally performs this role.

The follower accepts the others’ ideas and goes along with the group.

Do you recognize any of these characters sitting in a pew near you?

In any congregation, some members may be more focused on individual aggrandizement than on the collective good. We need to find ways of turning these individuals into all-minded people — people who will act for the betterment of the whole.

Could the person who seems to keep record of everything be assigned to keep records of important meetings, give reports on the outcome of an evangelism event, or receive and report on newsletters from missionaries?

Could your encouragers and comedians head up the welcoming committee, serve as greeters, and plan social activities?

Could the information seekers do research for church projects, sermon background information, or have possible future ministry involvement in the congregation?

Directing Difficult People

In today’s church, some characters are dominant and some are passive. Let me share a few from my background.

Molly the monopolizer was one of those persons who never let others speak. It was hard to realize that in the midst of all her words, she did have some useful suggestions. With Molly, I started by seating her as close to me as possible simply to prevent eye contact, which releases a person to speak. When she got on a roll, I interrupted by saying, “That’s an interesting point; let’s see what everyone thinks of that.” You can also cue the group: “I’d like to hear the ideas of those who have not had opportunity to express themselves yet.” If these don’t work, talk to her individually, or even ask her to help draw others out.

Sally the silent member was not noticed much, but contained a wealth of ideas. The problem was getting her to contribute. Two approaches worked well with Sally. First, she needed to get to know people before she felt safe. After she developed comfortable friendships, she was more likely to interact. Second, I asked her for feedback away from the crowd to get her honest thoughts. When the Sallys of your congregation do interact, respond positively and affirm their participation.

Wendell the withdrawn was an apathetic person and often felt he was unnecessary. He needed an important assignment. I realized he might not complete the assignment, but having responsibility gave Wendell a sense of involvement. Taking class attendance, preparing refreshments, or serving on a low-key committee was the answer to drawing him into an ownership level.

Louie the life of the party provided tension release, but his passion for laughter was causing tension. I confronted the problem gently, with the understanding that good humor can be useful to a group. We agreed privately that he should tone it down a bit. At the same time I took advantage of his upbeat demeanor by placing him on the men’s ministry board and putting him in charge of church picnic activities.

Chris the critic attacked ideas, yet was not a hindrance to our congregation. When channeled in the right direction, Chris was a vital component to clarification and decisionmaking. The absence of dissenters can result in disaster. A congregation of yes people is not always the most successful in stewardship; sometimes a critic will make you stop and take another look at your motives.

Andy the arguer, unlike the critic, did not help clarify issues. Andy was involved in a role struggle. The surface arguments were a way of getting his needs across. I tried to keep my good humor, sift out the useful arguments, and remember that sometimes argument can keep a group on its toes. If the conflict got out of hand, I tried to resolve the differences by talking to Andy through a third party I trusted.

The church needs to be creative in using the characters God has entrusted into our care. Let us find ways to turn pieces of coal into diamonds, problems into possibilities, and buds into blossoms.

With conflict intervention and by skillfully directing problem people, pastors can unlock a world of talent that is hidden by the glare of character deficiencies. Then we will look forward to walking into our congregation and seeing the Andys, Sallys, and Wendells as the blessings God intends them to be.

Clyde W. Harvey, lead pastor, First Assembly of God, Mason City, Iowa