The Process of Self-Discovery

The process of us heading in this direction has a long story, so it needs to be told in parts. This part takes us to one week last August.

Lynn and I attended a retreat centre for pastors in Alberta. It is called Kerith Creek, and is operated by Focus on the Family. Prior to the retreat, we were required to complete an MBTI (Myers-Briggs) self-assessment. We’ve done these before but never put much weight on the results.

During our time at the retreat, we met with certified MBTI facilitators. They presented us with our results, and thus began this journey. Our assessments came back with Lynn being an INFP (the mediator), and me being an ENFP (the campaigner). You will need to read the descriptions of those personality types to learn more, because I’m not going to get into it here.

A long story short, we started to learn things about ourselves that helped us understand why we were struggling in the position we were in. In response, we first attempted to adapt to our situation. We made some changes, and hoped that we could stay where we were and keep doing what we were doing. We loved our home, our church, our community and we had no desire to change.

Through this process, God seemed to snatch away my vision for the ministry I was in. I couldn’t see where I was heading or how I could be an effective pastor. I began going through the motions. We were both unhappy.

Now, we are starting to see what was going on. Being a very stereotypical ENFP, I love to experience new things and I value my own independence. Here’s a great video I discovered yesterday describing an ENFP (particularly the part about being a globe-trotting journalist!).

Being a pastor is great. It’s tough, but it is very rewarding. However, the sort of pastor I was seeking to be simply didn’t line up with how God designed me. I believe He will continue to work through my pastoral gifts and the training I’ve received. However, it will look a little different.

Instead of being in a church, I will be with people as a journalist. I will be encouraging them through validation by hearing and sharing their stories. I will be empowering them by inviting others to support their work.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to your feedback and further conversations with you about this.