Do you beleive that certain persoanlity types are drawn to correlated churches/theologies? Good or bad?

We are talking about patterns, not determinations. I’ll define a pattern as something true more than 50% of the time.

By personality types, we are speaking broadly (i.e, those who value deep feeling or those who view everything as black and white/get the job done or those who value order/control or those who value relationships more highly).

Reading the SI filing about a new book that answers John MacArthur’s “Strange Fire,” I began thinking how certain churches I know draw certain personality types. For example, one church draws a lot of really dysfunctional people — single moms who have one broken relationship after another, for example. Another tends to draw the professional class, while another draws a group trying to be upper middle class, another the biker crowd, etc.

It is no secret that every church has a personality and draws a certain type of person (with many exceptions yet nonetheless with a pattern). But is this true in the broader sense (obviously with many exceptions — I feel like I need to say this a million times) with certain theologies/denominations?

If this is so, how do we respond? Look down our noses at those groups? Learn from them? Interact with them?

In the early church, believers from all backgrounds learned to have unity by having Jesus and the teachings of the apostles in common. With so many competing denominations and churches, we now seem to have specialized churches. But are there noticeable patterns, and should we do anything about it?

When we ask if this is good or bad, we are assuming that all choices are at least within evangelicalism.

Also, when considering whether this “drawing to groups based on personality” is good or bad (if it is real, that is), might that also serve to remove people who are unhappy with our church, making our individual church better and less conflicted? A lot to discuss. Please do!

Poll Results

Do you beleive that certain persoanlity types are drawn to correlated churches/theologies? Good or bad?

Yes, personality more or less does drive where most settle, but this is pretty much good or neutral. Votes: 2
Yes, personality more or less does drive where most settle, but this is pretty much bad. Votes: 0
Yes, personality more or less does drive where most settle, but I am undecided whether good or bad. Votes: 1
Not sure if this really happens, by and large. Votes: 2
No, this pattern does not hold even 50% of the time. Votes: 2
Other Votes: 1