Associate General Minister W. Mark Clark shares his enthusiasm for the UCC

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Associate General Minister W. Mark Clark shares his enthusiasm for the UCC

> Written by Jeff Woodard and Eric Anderson
> July 4, 2011

A self-described "church geek" addressed General Synod delegates on 
Monday morning, seeking to serve the United Church of Christ as its 
next Associate General Minister. W. Mark Clark told the assembly, 
"Our message and ministry of continuing testament, extravagant 
welcome and changing lives is so important in today's world.

Clark, 57, reflected on the recent closure of the First 
Congregational Church UCC in Tucson, Ariz., where he had been a lay 
leader. The resources from the closure, Clark said, will support the 
founding of a new church in the Southwest Conference committed to the 
message and ministry of the UCC. "We have to do something totally 
different, and it may be something we really don't want to do.  But 
we have to do it."

Why seek a position that would take him from the sunny Southwest to 
Cleveland, one which may disappear in two years? From the podium, 
Clark recalled his experience in Atlanta in 2005 as a first-time 
Synod visitor. During the vote on the Marriage Equality resolution, 
he found his hand gripped by members of a youth delegation, and as 
they held hands they prayed. When the affirmative vote was announced, 
they cried.

"It is for those young people, and the countless others in our 
churches, young and old, and those new folks to come, that I want to 
do this work."

Clark has served as president and chief executive officer of CODAC 
Behavioral Health Services, Inc. in Tucson. CODAC is a nonprofit 
managed behavioral health-care organization based in Pima County, 
serving 12,000 individuals annually with a staff of 325 and a budget 
of $36 million.

A lifelong member of the UCC, Clark has been active at all settings 
of the church. In college, he worked as an intern with the campus 
ministry and spent a year as director of Christian education at 
Flagstaff Congregational UCC. He has been a member of five UCC 
congregations in two Conferences and served on four of those church councils.
Clark also chaired the Southwest Conference Minister Search 
Committee. While on the Board of Directors of the Office of General 
Ministries, he chaired its Budget and Finance Committee and served as 
an OGM Board representative to the Executive Council (2005-2009). He 
also served as chair of the Executive Council's Committee of 
Reference for General Synod 27.

At the hearing Sunday evening on his candidacy, the Rev. Allen 
McCarty spoke highly of Clark. "I was the pastor who showed up at 
First Congregational when Mark was president of the church youth 
group," McCarty said. "His mother came up to me one day and said, 
'Allen, you've got to talk to Mark and keep him from spending so much 
time at church, he's got to keep a job.'

"It really speaks to Mark," said McCarty. "You just don't run into 
young people like that who are so dedicated. He was constantly dedicated."
McCarty recalled a time when Clark was at a crossroads, his 
discernment ending painstakingly when he opted not to pursue ordained 
ministry. "There was a sense of pain, of loss, when he had decided it 
wasn't going to be the direction he was going to go," said McCarty.

"I told him, 'We just can't leave the church to the ordained clergy. 
It's too important,'" said McCarty. "It's the lay leaders like Mark 
who bring what they bring to the table, that's going to keep us a 
healthy church."