The Rev. Eric Fondel has a long history of preaching and pastoring in the Teche Area and considers his vocation to be a blessing from God.

Fondel, 53, has served as the pastor for St. Mark Baptist Church in Jeanerette for almost 13 years.

The Olivier native said he got his pastoral call while attending Zion Hill Christian Fellowship under the Rev. Darren Sophus.

“I answered my call under him,” Fondel said. “Just having a relationship with the Lord showed me that I was supposed to be.”

Having preached for over 17 years, Fondel said he has a ministerial focus on faithfulness to God, a subject that remains at the core of his spiritual message.

Fondel said he has spent his entire pastoral career at St. Mark and growing in his role with the congregation there has been a positive experience.

“It’s been quite a journey for me,” Fondel said. “I never pastored before, and it felt like we were all growing together. We’ve had some bumps and bruises; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Fondel has also volunteered his time speaking for other public events in the area, including the recent Juneteenth celebration that was held at King Joseph Recreation Center in Jeanerette earlier this month. Fondel served as the keynote speaker and offered a message of hope to those attending the holiday event.