Greg J Clarke

Gregory James Clarke is an Australian writer, academic and CEO. Since 2023 he has been the CEO of The Leprosy Mission Australia. Previously he has held roles leading research centres at University of New South Wales and Macquarie University and faith based media companies, such as CPX before moving to the leadership role at Bible Society Australia. A research academic in English literature, Clarke is a frequent newspaper contributor and the author of several books, largely on the intersection between faith and culture.

Early life and education
Clarke's spent his early childhood in western Sydney, living in Greystanes and part of a strong Anglican community in Wentworthville. His father's career as an educator saw the family move frequently, so from age 8 he lived in Armidale, moving to Moree at age 14. Clarke did his high school years here, under his father, who was the school's deputy principal. Clarke describes the period of being formative, realising that in a new town he was free to reinvent himself, only to discover he still shared the same Christian faith of his parents. In his HSC year, he was named regional Young Writer of the Year by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Academic life suiting him, Clarke took research, teaching and leadership roles at several Australian universities and colleges. At the University of New South Wales, Clarke studied English literature under the literary biographer, Professor Peter Alexander. A resident of New College, he won the university's 1991 English Society Prize and the Alumni Scholarship, enabling him to complete his honours year. Clarke was Senior Tutor at the college from 1994 to 1996, and credits this time for the his subsequent leadership roles, particularly in arts and education. He began doctoral research at University of Sydney, with some course work at Moore Theological College, on Australia's only Nobel Prize winner, Patrick White, the writer's struggle with the Christian faith, and his nuanced idea of Eschatology. Clarke received an Australian Postgraduate Award for this research and he was awarded his PhD in 2001. This period saw several pieces of his poetry, short stories and reviews published in Australian literary journals, including Studio, Idiom and Southerly.

Media and think tanks
In an interview, Clarke has said his goal has been to see Christian faith communicated in public contexts. Now outside formal academic settings, he joined the start-up Matthias Media, creating apologetics content, and eventually becoming the Managing Editor. In 2003 he was made the Director of the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education, based out of New College. This was followed by leadership of the larger Macquarie Christian Studies Institute in 2007 to 2008. In these two roles, much of the work was, unexpectedly, prompted by the popularity of the book The Da Vinci Code, followed by the film, which challenged traditional Christian beliefs. It led to lectures on university campuses, presentations interstate, along with the first of many appearances on ABC radio, along with a book.

In 2008, Clarke launched the Centre for Public Christianity with John Dickson, later handing on the leadership to Simon Smart. A research and media group, CPX was established by a grant from Mission Australia to promote the public understanding of the Christian faith. An early mover on podcasting and YouTube, the centre enjoyed endorsements from high-profile Christians such as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, producing content that included interviews of noted intellectuals such as John Lennox and David Bentley Hart. With this platform he became a public speaker at conferences and events, authored over 200 articles and reviews in such as ABC, Eternity News and The Sydney Morning Herald. Again, much of this activity was prompted by the popularity of an anti-Christian book, in this case The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and the rise of what became known as New Atheism.

Bible Society Australia
In 2010, the businessman Richard Grellman, was given the task of creating Bible Society Australia from its six state-based movements. His board appointed Clarke to the newly created position of CEO later that year.

Clarke led several corporate acquisitions in the role, including the retail group Koorong, Acorn Press, Eternity News and the think tank he had co-founded, CPX. He served in the role for nine years, by which time donations and bequests had risen to $12.1 million, the highest level since nationalisation. By the time he handed leadership to Rev Melissa Lipsett, the organisation had 407 staff, 1271 volunteers funded by total revenues of $55 million, with $9.2 million tagged for scripture distributions and missions in Australia and globally. Clarke launched a digital campaign delivering 25-word Bible readings was able to engage 2,500 separate church communities in 2014.

During this period of leadership, notable projects include the translation and publication of the Kunwinjku Shorter Bible and the Pitjantjatjara Audio New Testament for Indigenous Australians, which were both completed by 2019. In that year, the group gave out 90,000 scriptures through grants to Australian chaplains working in schools, prisons, hospitals, and the Australian Defence Force. At the global level, the Australian Bible Society had delivered the Maumi New Testament for local people in the Tailevu Province of Fiji. Clarke had championed a partnership with the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing. Under this program, Bible Society Australia provided free paper for the printing of 1.4 million Bibles. Noted media productions from Clarke's time include the documentary "For the Love of God" shown on ABC series Compass; Mr Eternity, the first published biography of Arthur Stace and Our Mob, God's Story where 66 Indigenous Australian artists contributed Bible stories in visual form.

Much of Clarke's work from this time was advocacy against "Biblical illiteracy" which gave Clarke media exposure, notably on ABC platforms. This came, in part, from the publication of The Great Bible Swindle where Clarke made the case that if education systems don't include the Bible, people will never be able to understand Shakespeare, the art of Leonardo da Vinci, the lyrics to U2 songs or The Simpsons. The book was named Australian Christian Book of the Year for 2014.

Australian Institute of Music
Clarke served as the CEO of the Australian Institute of Music, Australia's largest tertiary music education school, from 2020 to 2022. Taking the role just as COVID-19 hit Australia, Clarke walked into "a silent music school." As such, his role was dominated by supporting the rollout of the group's digital transformation.

The Leprosy Mission Australia
Beginning in 2023, Clarke has served as the CEO of The Leprosy Mission Australia. A Christian charity based in Melbourne, it currently attracts funding from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for its work in the treatment and support of around 200,000 people who are diagnosed with leprosy. While connected to the global ministry The Leprosy Mission International, as of 2024 the Australian group funds projects in around 20 countries, including India, Nepal and Nigeria. When interviewed by ABC radio, Clarke set the group's goals as being: zero transmission, zero new disability, zero discrimination, with the disease being "eliminated from the world after 4000 years of terror and suffering." He has openly connected the work with its Biblical roots, that, "As we care for those who are the most rejected and outcast, we are Christ-like.”

Personal life
Clarke is married to Amelia Haines, a medical doctor and podcast host. Together they have five children.

Dissertation

 * Clarke, G. J. (2001) The future of Patrick White : eschatology, apocalypse and 20th century fiction. (University of Sydney).

Documentaries

 * Clarke, Greg; Dickson, John. (2009). Life of Jesus. Australia: CPX
 * Clarke, Greg; Dickson, John & Smart, Simon. (2011). God Science Creation Darwin and the End of Faith. Australia: CPX

Journal articles

 * Clarke, G. J., Cameron, A. J. B., & Jensen, M. P. (2009). Toward a Christian understanding of the concept of human 'Community', with special reference to the praxis of a non-government human services delivery organisation. Evangelical Review of Society and Politics, 3(2), 22–40.

Lectures

 * Clarke, Greg. (26 October 2007). Outgrowing Religion: Is Christianity an asset or a danger to Australia's future?" 2007 Smith Lecture: Museum for Contemporary Art, Sydney.
 * Clarke, Greg (May 14, 2007). “Where Richard Dawkins is not a Scientist”, School of Physics, UNSW.