The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to a sample of 67 male and female United Church of Christ pastoral candidates. The purpose of this study was to determine whether changes in the candidate population (with respect to age and sex) during the 1980s have altered the composite “ministerial personality” first identified by Nauss (1973). Results indicate that this personality profile has remained fairly constant, despite the higher mean age of candidates and the substantially higher number of women seeking ordination. The implication of these findings with respect to congregations’ needs and expectations is also examined.
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