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The
Rev.
Dr.
John Wayne Clarke
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| Born
& Raised |
Born 1947 in Newton,
Massachusetts |
| Education |
- Newton High School 1964
- Thomas
Edison State College 1984 B.A.
- Bangor
Theological Seminary 1984 M.Div.
- Luther
Theological Seminary 1995 (Certified in
Geriatric Pastoral Care)
- Providence
College and Theological Seminary 2002 (Doctor of
Ministry)
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Family
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John and Maria
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John married Maria Lucia Clarke
in 1965. They have known each other their entire lives.
“We have never even dated another person!”
Maria is a
paralegal and works as an Assistant Clerk in the Bridgeport
Probate Court. Maria and John have one child, a son, John
Clarke Jr., age 32. They now reside in Meriden.
John served in the U.S. Army
from 1967-1970. He served in Vietnam from 1967-1968 and he
is a life member of V.F.W. Post 9460 in Stratford, CT.
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| Ordained |
1984
(United Church of Christ) |
| Previous
Experience |
Prior parishes served are in
Calais/Perry ME, South Britain, CT and Stratford, CT.
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| The
Call |
On Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002,
the members of First Congregational Church voted unanimously and
joyously to extend a call to the Rev. John Clarke to become
our sole pastor. He accepted this call. This completed a 1½
year process by the Search Committee. The Rev.
Clarke began his ministry here on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2002.
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...and
in his words
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“I
am an avid Red Sox fan, which proves I am a
person of great faith! I enjoy all kinds of
music. I am a product of the 60’s music scene
and still enjoy groups like Pink Floyd, The
Beatles and other music from that era. My
favorite church music remains the classic hymns.
One of my favorite times of the week is when the
congregation stands and sings together.”
“I love
to preach. I am aware that preaching is God’s
activity and that I am simply the communicator
of what God has to say. The struggle is to work
at bringing the word in such a way that God’s
people find nourishment and hope each and every
time I preach. One of the things I like most
about preaching is the research that goes into
putting a sermon together.”
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“If I
were to be labeled theologically, I guess you
would say that I am moderate in my biblical
theology, and more liberal in terms of social
issues that are a part of our daily lives. I see
no conflict in uniting these two parts of my
religious thought as I have long held the strong
conviction that we, who call ourselves
Congregationalists and members of the United
Church of Christ, are, when you come down to it,
what I call “Evangelical Liberals.” Our
church in Meriden should always be a place where
all people, regardless of religious tradition or
ethnic origin, feel welcome. But, we must always
be first and foremost the church of Jesus
Christ, and proclaim that without compromise.”
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