About the Clarks
Robert and Kim have been serving in ministry together since before they were married in 1983. Prior to marriage they served with Campus Crusade for Christ's summer outreach project to Japan, Hong Kong and China where they both separately received a missionary calling while serving among Japanese college students. Following seminary in 1988, Robert served as an associate pastor of Foothills Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. The Clarks were commissioned as missionaries with EFCM in 1989 and raised support to serve as church planting missionaries in Czechoslovakia. They arrived there in October of 1992 and by January 1993, the country became known as the Czech Republic. From 1992 until 2007 they worked with Czech national believers and other missionaries to pioneer many new ministries in evangelism, leadership training and discipleship among adults, youth, children and families. In September of 2000, they were blessed to plant a new congregation in Brno, the capital city of the Moravian region. In 2004 that new body of believers were led to begin a new church plant in the south part of Brno, which was planted in 2007 and the Clarks led various aspects of that church planting team effort. Following this they were led to a new ministry focus of training nationals at a Bible college or Seminary. A change of mission agencies helped lead them to serve in Theological Education and MK Education in the Philippines in February of 2013. Robert serves with Baptist Bible Seminary in their pastoral ministry department and with preachers in Emmanuel Baptist Church of Taytay, Manila. Kim serves as a HS mathematics teacher and in discipleship among high school girls at Faith Academy (an international Christian school). Their heart's desire is to deliver the gospel of Christ to those who do not yet believe and establish and train a new generation of Filipinos for Christ to serve in the local church. Many of those they work with are renewing their commitment to the Word of God as their sole authority for faith and ministry. To see the people of the Philippine islands rejoicing in Christ as their sovereign Lord and Savior is a constant prayer. As it says in Psalm 97:1 - "The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad." The Clarks are "empty nesters" now as their 6 children (3 girls and 3 boys - ranging in age from 23 to 33 years old) live, work or are in college in CA, VA, WI, FL and Sydney, Australia. They had the privilege of seeing their youngest daughters' graduate from Faith Academy. The Clarks now have 5 grandsons! The Clarks are presently stateside as the Covid crisis has the country of the Philippines locked down. Their trip to VA for their youngest daughter's wedding in May coincided with recommendations from the US Embassy and their mission agency's crisis task force. However, this means they came stateside and were scheduled to return on July 27th, yet the continuing crisis canceled that plan. The Clarks are grateful to be able to stay in SoCal with a supporting pastor's family while they serve at their respective schools via online distance learning. Meanwhile they watch the news, communicate with missionaries and Filipinos and pray for the Philippines to open up again allowing foreigners with short term visas to return. So far, as of August 20, 2020 there is no "green light" to return. They would appreciate your prayers for them on this. |
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