Editor’s Note: Rev. Tom Clark is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church (UMC) and a member of the UMC West Virginia Annual Conference. A native of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Ohio State University and Methodist Theological School, Delaware, Ohio, he has served pastorates across West Virginia. Since 1981 he has led short-term mission groups to over 50 countries, and since 2000 he has served as the full-time director of West Virginia’s UMC Volunteers in Mission (VIM). Rev. Clark gave the following interview as he prepared to retire from his many years of service with VIM.
Editor: When did you lead your first short-term mission?
Rev. Clark: It was 1981 to Jamaica.
Editor: How many short-term missions have you led, and how many of them have been to post-Soviet states?
Rev. Clark: I do not have an exact count, but I have led several hundred mission teams, and about one-third of these have been to Russia, Hungary, and Kosovo. Most of the missions to Europe have been to Russia.
Editor: Approximately how many people have gone with you on short-term missions to Russia and Eastern Europe?
Rev. Clark: About 1,000 to 1,200, with some going more than once.
Editor: Please describe you short-term missions in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Rev. Clark: I first led a team to Russia in 1994 with 43 people, with the peak years being 1994 to 2003. In 1994 and 1995 I led teams to Oryol southwest of Moscow to work on rural housing and to help restore an Orthodox Church that had been converted into a barn in the Soviet years. In 2000 I led a team to Kosovo to build a playground. I also led five or six trips to Hungary where we did repair work on two churches. However, I would say 98 percent of my mission teams to that part of the world were to Russia to work with orphans, primarily in Moscow and the Moscow Region, with some teams also ministering in St. Petersburg and Tomsk in Siberia. For 13 years in a row we traveled to Russia in winter to host Christmas parties in over 50 orphanages. Most Russians celebrate Christmas later than we do in the West, so taking teams there after December 25 in time for the Russian Christmas worked well. Especially in the early years our mission trips included donations of material goods. For example, in 1996 we delivered some 3,000 pounds of clothing, shoes, and toys.
Editor: How has the situation for Russian orphans changed over the years?
Rev. Clark: The government, Russian businesses, and Russian churches are doing much more to support orphanages now. At the same time, it has become much more expensive and difficult to travel with extra baggage on short-term missions to Russia. Airlines formerly allowed us extra bags for free or for reduced rates. As that changed, we had to rethink our strategy. One year we spent $7,500 in shipping orphan gifts. After that experience we began to take less baggage and to purchase more of our supplies and gifts in the country. The downside of this approach has to do with less personal involvement. People feel more connected to a mission project when they obtain and pack items for Russian orphans themselves, versus giving money for the same. Personal “sweat equity” is important in missions, both for those going and for those supporting a short-term mission. Editor: What have been the greatest challenges you have faced as West Virginia’s VIM director? Rev. Clark: In addition to the supplies issue I just discussed, funding has always been a challenge. The increased cost of airfare is a factor. Making sure people going are serious about ministry in Russia is also important. Finally, dealing with Russian bureaucracy has been a challenge, for example, the sudden shutdown of access to an orphanage with a new director.
Editor: From your experience, what advice would you offer those leading short-term missions?
Rev. Clark: Start early with fund-raising and involve the local church as much as possible. It is best if the church financially assists individuals who have committed to going on a short-term mission organized by the church. Also, trip leaders need to prepare participants to be flexible and to be open to differences in cultures, including food. Leaders should also encourage participants to try the language, learn the culture, and be willing to stretch—like sled-riding at 30 below zero!
Editor: What have been your greatest satisfactions in short-term ministry?
Rev. Clark: Seeing the positive impact on Russian orphans has been pretty satisfying. Even with all the blue jeans disappearing from one clothing shipment, we still had much to share with the children. I have been encouraged seeing people new to overseas missions learning how to give and help someone else. One parent, for example, shared with me that a son returning from Russia had been absolutely changed. I have seen our VIM trips serve as life-changing experiences. I have appreciated the chance to put people in places where they have been able to have a positive spiritual impact.