From business to priesthood: Lithuanian man leaves corporate career after health scare

A Kaunas resident has traded a successful corporate career for the priesthood after a series of health crises prompted him to reassess his life, LRT.lt reports.

Dainius Jaudegis, now an ordained minister in the Evangelical Reformed Church, said a doctor’s warning—”make serious conclusions”—after six surgeries in two years led him to leave his executive position. “I did. Later, when I returned, I told him I would become a priest. He said, ‘I told you to make conclusions, but I didn’t expect you’d take it this far,’” Jaudegis recalled with a laugh.

His path to ordination began in 2017 after meeting Frank van Dalen, a missionary priest who had served in Pakistan. “I’d spent 18 years in IT, climbing the ladder, earning well. Everything seemed perfect. But when I met Frank, I realized he was like an NBA-level coach in our small town—I wanted to help him,” Jaudegis said. For years, he balanced corporate work with weekend services, weekday theological studies, and family time before fully committing to ministry.

## A calling rooted in communication
Jaudegis draws parallels between business and priesthood, emphasizing that both demand strong interpersonal skills. “In both fields, the most important thing is the person—learning to communicate with all kinds of people,” he said. Preparing a single sermon can take up to 10 hours, a task he approaches with the same diligence as his former corporate role.

The hardest part of his new vocation? “Seeing people suffer. But in those moments, being present is what matters most,” he said.

## A church reborn
His work now centers on Kaunas’ Evangelical Reformed Church, returned to the congregation in 2018 after decades under Soviet rule—when its sanctuary was repurposed as a sports hall. “Not many churches still have the free-throw line visible,” Jaudegis joked, nodding to Lithuania’s passion for basketball. Restoration is underway, with the upper tower rebuilt, though much remains to be done.

Weekly services now draw around 30 Lithuanians and 30 foreigners, a small but growing community in the historic space.