The Rev. Luke Fodor, rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, recently returned from his sabbatical. Fodor said the sabbatical created better leadership opportunities for his congregation and allowed him to return with renewed energy and motivation to serve the Jamestown community.

The Rev. Luke Fodor, rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, is ready to bring fresh energy and motivation to his work following a sabbatical from leadership.

In the Episcopal Church, Fodor said the clergy have the opportunity to take a sabbatical every seven years.

“Whether or not you choose to take it is the question,” he said.

While Fodor was originally planning to take a sabbatical last year, he said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his plans. As a result, Fodor took his sabbatical during his eighth year instead of his seventh year.

Fodor said working as a member of the clergy typically leads to burnout because of the “workaholic” tendency of people in ministry. While people in other professions often have the opportunity to enjoy holidays, long weekends and other breaks, Fodor said members of the clergy usually have to perform weddings and other services for the community instead of taking a break.

“That’s why the sabbatical exists, to keep people from burning out,” he said.

Despite the danger of burnout, Fodor said his decision to take a sabbatical over the past few months was for the benefit of the congregation, rather than for himself.

“For me, I get energized by my work, so I wasn’t fearing of my own burnout,” he said. “The justifying purpose was it helps a congregation create greater health. Going a way for three or four months and not being very available, builds leadership capacity within the congregation and makes the system stronger.”

Fodor said the goal of his sabbatical was to develop “greater strength” in the congregation by providing opportunities for other leaders to step outside of their comfort zone and carry out the ministry of the church without his direct leadership.

The sabbatical was the first step in a process Fodor wants to continue at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

“It was a good experience,” he said. “I think it was helpful for the congregation. It’s the beginning of the change for the system. Systems don’t change over night; it takes a while.”

While Fodor said it is easy to fall back to the way things were before, he is committed to helping develop the leadership of the congregation so the church will not merely rely on his leadership.

“When you share leadership, more energy abounds,” he said. “The more leadership we can provide internally, then the more we can provide externally. As a church, we’re trying to be here not just for our own purposes, but to better serve the community.”

Although the purpose of his sabbatical was to develop the leadership of the church, Fodor said the break renewed his energy for ministry. The time away from leading the church allowed him to reflect on his ministry goals; however, he said he was ready to be back to working on a deadline.

During his sabbatical, Fodor said he continued to engage in his work with the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation.

Returning from his sabbatical, Fodor wants to be intentional about meeting the needs of the Jamestown community.

“Part of how I do the work here is kind of organically,” he said. “I have certain ideas about how we can serve, but I basically look to the community to figure out what is needed.”

One of the ministries he is excited to be working is the New Neighbor Coordinating Coalition, which is preparing to welcome the first wave of refugees into the community by this fall.

“Reengaging in that ministry is an important one,” he said.

Another ministry Fodor is planning to further invest in is Father Bernard’s Blessed Biscuits. He explained the business was launched in the middle of COVID-19 as a way to help people get back into the workforce.

For the business to have sustained growth, Fodor said Father Bernard’s Blessed Biscuits will need to be able to sell its products to people who live in bigger cities.

“We kind of launched slow and our capacity hasn’t increased yet,” he said. “We’re waiting for the Mental Health Association to hear back on a grant they applied for that will allow them to have full-time staff to really ramp up that program. We’re going to enhance our operations around Father Bernard’s Blessed Biscuits and take that to the next phase.”

In addition to these ministries, Fodor said he is always looking to build community partnerships. As he returns from his sabbatical he wants to figure out where his energy is best applied and where he can make the greatest impact in the community.

“It’s not about just the building of the church, but taking things further out into the community,” he said.