David Fogal hasn’t followed a typical path to a career in ministry, but after stepping in as pastor at Tri-County Alliance Church along Highway 24 just south of Clearwater, Fogal said he feels confident that he is fulfilling his calling in life.
Along with his wife Tera and three sons, 16-year-old Jarrod, 13-year-old Jack and 10-year-old Ben, Fogal moved up from Chicago in April and has spent the past six months getting acclimated to the area.
"It’s been a great experience – six months already, but the time has gone by quickly," said Fogal.
Tri-County is Fogal’s first church, but he is no stranger to the life of a minister. Fogal, 40, grew up the son of a pastor, and attended Crown College in St. Bonifacius where he graduated with degrees in business and biblical studies. After college he returned to Chicago and embarked on a 17-year career with Moody Bible Institute in human resources and staff development positions.
"It was a great place. I thought I would retire from there, but sometimes our plans aren’t the ones that turn out," he said.
The career change is ironic because when Fogal and his wife were dating in college and discussing marriage, she made him promise not to make her a pastor’s wife. He readily agreed and went ahead with his business career, but over time both he and his wife felt that he was being led toward becoming a pastor.
"Last summer I stepped away from my position without necessarily knowing what was next. I don’t recommend that to anybody," said Fogal with a laugh. "I did some business consulting, but I really believed that working in the church as a pastor, vocationally and not just as a lay person, but doing it and giving my life to it was what I was supposed to be doing."
Over time, working through the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination, Fogal looked at a variety of churches with pastor positions to be filled and felt a pull to the Tri-County congregation. Mutual interest was confirmed after an interview with the church last January.
"My sense from some of the other churches was that they were what they were going to be. Their potential had been reached," said Fogal.
"But I sensed great potential here in terms of what’s happening in the area, what’s happening in Clearwater with the development and growth and potential. So that excited me about coming here, and it’s been a great decision. It’s been a really good connection and fit."
Establishing a vision
Fogal estimated that the church had a weekly attendance of 40 to 50 people over the past year, with that number growing to around 100 recently. More important than numbers, however, is the impact the church has upon those individuals, and in turn what effect they have on the world around them, according to Fogal.
"My vision would be for this to be more than just a gathering place, but a place where people can come and have a sense of being renewed and refreshed and encouraged and strengthened, and then sent out to make a difference in the world. So my emphasis is not so much on just the people who come and how many come and how many we can get, but what difference, what impact those people are making in the world around them," said Fogal.
"I wrestle with the question, if this church ceased to exist, would the community notice? I want the community to notice if we’re not here anymore. So we want to be people who make a difference with great news and great deeds that we’re called to do in the life around us. As we’re faithful to those things, then good things are going to happen."
On a personal level, Fogal said his objective is to serve his congregation in both a spiritual and a relational manner.
"I came with the goal of just being faithful to what I’m supposed to do: preach the word and love the people," he said. "If you do that things will fall into place."
Embracing transition
From his own childhood, Fogal knows that there are challenges and expectations that go along with being part of a pastor’s family, but he said his boys have handled the transition well and that the people of the church have been genuinely welcoming.
"The people here have been wonderful. They’re embraced me and my wife and our kids and just allowed us to be who we are. I’m grateful for that," he said.
Professionally, the switch from business to pastoral leadership has also been an adjustment, but one that Fogal said has been ultimately fulfilling.
"I’m 40 years old. I have a lot left to give. I’ve got energy and vitality, ideas. I want to go after it," he said. "But yet that’s balanced with a certain amount of experience and discernment and life under my belt to kind of help balance some of that enthusiasm. I just want to give God my best and this church my best in the prime years of my life."
Outside of work, Fogel enjoys spending time with family, which can involve travel around the country, playing sports and being outdoors, and reading.
While there have been big changes for the family in the past year, Fogal said they all have been leading in the right direction.
"The people have been great, the community has been great and the church has been great," he said. "We have felt very welcome here."