Two OCA Priests Receive Lilly Clergy Renewal Grants

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Two priests of the Orthodox Church in America’s (OCA) Diocese of the South have received grants through the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs to support planned sabbaticals in 2027 and 2028.

Archpriest Marcus Burch, chancellor of the Diocese of the South and rector of St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Greenville, South Carolina, and Archpriest Theophan Buck, dean of the Southeastern Deanery and rector of St. Innocent Orthodox Church in Macon, Georgia, will use the grants to take time away from their regular pastoral duties for a time of prayer, reflection, and personal renewal.

Fr. Marcus plans to divide his sabbatical into several periods throughout 2027. His plans include pilgrimages to Sinai and the Holy Land, visits to monasteries and communities in Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece, and time in the Appalachian Mountains.

Fr. Theophan plans to take a single three-month sabbatical during the 2027-28 period. His plans include time with his family, outdoor activities, and pilgrimages to Scotland and Alaska, where he hopes to attend the feast of St. Herman.

Both sabbaticals will allow the priests to spend time with their families and return to their parish responsibilities with renewed energy and perspective. The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs, administered through Christian Theological Seminary, provide grants for pastors to step away from their daily responsibilities to strengthen their spiritual lives and personal well-being.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the OCA held a strategic planning meeting for the Lilly Endowment Initiative.