Rev. Richard W. Clark
Biography
The Rev. Richard W. Clark was born in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Westminster
College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. In 1979, he received the M. Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass.
Ordained by the Presbytery of Pittsburgh (Presbyterian
Church USA) in August of 1979, he served as pastor of congregations in Paris and
Pittsburgh (Dormont), Pennsyvlvania, and Hutchinson, Kansas. During his
pastorates, he served his presbyteries through evangelism, camping programs,
Committee on Ministry, and as a commissioner to the 206th General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Wichita in 1994. In 1995, when he came out as
an openly gay man, he was
removed from ministry (in flagrant violation of Presbyterian due process). After
spending four years in an "ex-gay" ministry, he was convinced that being gay was
neither sinful nor shameful, but an integral part of who God had created him to
be.
Richard Clark was married for 19 years to Patricia Richards, from 1976 until
1995. They have two daughters, Charissa and Sarah, with whom he maintains a
close and loving relationship. He is now a proud grandfather of Alexis Nichole
Tetrick, born in 2000.
In 1995, after leaving the ministry and moving to the
Washington, D.C., area, he entered a new career with the National Institutes of
Health, where he is currently a Management Intern. He is active in the Episcopal
Church, serving on the Vestry and in the choir of St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church in Darnestown,
Maryland. Though he was raised and ordained as a Presbyterian, he feels very
much at home in the welcoming fellowship of St. Nicholas' Church and the
Anglican tradition. Richard and his life partner, Julian Preisler, a
professional genealogist, are pictured above (Richard on right) and have been
together since August of 2000.
(This biographical statement provided by Richard Clark.)
Biography Date: January, 2004
Tags
Episcopal Church | Presbyterian Church (USA) | Church Trials | Conversion Therapy | Ordination/clergy
Citation
“Rev. Richard W. Clark | Profile”, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed April 19, 2024, https://lgbtqreligiousarchives.org/profiles/rev-richard-w-clark.
Remembrances