Originally, I was going to be writing about being an Introvert as a missionary. The problem was that I was using a sort of folk understanding of introvert. Generally, introversion has to do with how one feels good and charged up. Extroverts want to go out and interact with other people. Introverts like to get get away from people to recharge. This is not the same as being shy or socially awkward. Extroverts can be socially awkward as well. Also, although optimism or pessimism does not fully correlate with introversion and extroversion, there is a loose correlation between optimism and extroversion, and an even stronger “folk-link” between them.
Still, Introversion is part of the formula in some ways. Many people think that those in ministry should be extroverts— idealizing the ones who do home visitation, regularly join social events, glad hand all visitors, and so forth. While both introverts and extroverts can do this, it is the introverts who would tend to find this to be a tiring or even frustrating part of the job.
Therefore, I would like to explore this issue of Extroversion and Introversion first.
Was St. Paul an Extrovert or an Introvert? Who do we picture when we think of St. Paul. I think many see him as one who fearlessly traveled from city to city, preaching in the marketplace, and defending himself and his faith before kings. That seems to be pretty outgoing. However, Paul expresses a very different image in II Corinthians 10:1, 10.
Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ — I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. …
For it is said, ‘His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.”
Paul appears to be describing his reputation as one who is great at writing, but pretty poor in public presence. Why might that be? Perhaps he is trying to avoid his tendency toward aggression. After all, we first meet up with him early in the book of Acts as a Jewish rabbi raging against the Christians and leading them off to prison, and even supporting their deaths. However, another possibility is that he is an introvert. As an introvert, I can be bold and expansive in my writing, but awkward and uncomfortable in my relationships face-to-face. Introverts often struggle with relationships— at least having many social interactions. Personally, I deal best in a public situation when I have a clearly defined role and relationship with others— like being a team leader or a teacher. Paul may have been comfortable with a clear public role, like being a “grand inquisitor.” However, in the chaotic relational setting of the first century churches, he was, perhaps, much less comfortable.
Paul may or may not have been a great missionary. The fact that Luke focused on him should not be read into much. Luke worked with him. He may or may not have been the “greatest missionary” of his day. His greatness is certainly not in how many churches he planted or how many people he baptized. The greatness appeared to be in how much he wrote, documented from the first century of the church (second only to Luke in his writing), and his emphasis on mentoring in a small team setting. I would argue that these strengths are more characteristic of an introvert. Introverts are not antisocial. Rather, they focus on a few close relationships.
If Paul is indeed an introvert, that is not suggesting that introverts necessarily make better missionaries than extroverts. I think it is safe to at least suggest that Peter and Barnabas were extroverts. They were wildly successful missionaries— perhaps more successful in direct mission activities than Paul (we really don’t have enough documentation from that era to judge).
Ultimately, I am trying to suggest that good missionaries can be extroverts and they can be introverts.
