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Lisa Horst Clark

Lisa Horst Clark is a California native who grew up in San Jose, with a brief time in central Illinois. She grew up in the United Church of Christ at the First Congregational Church of San Jose, who nurtured and supported her discernment to ordained ministry. A graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, CA, Lisa majored in Philosophy with a senior thesis on “Ethics in Mediation.”

In 2005, Lisa moved across the country to New Haven, CT to study at Yale Divinity School. During her time there, Lisa served as a ministerial intern at a large suburban church and a smaller urban congregation. For clinical pastoral education, Lisa worked as a hospice chaplain through VITAS Hospice, ministering to patients and families in homes and facilities. At the conclusion of her time at Yale Divinity School, Lisa was awarded the Wolcott Calkins Prize for Preaching.

For the last three years, Lisa has served as Associate Minister for Children and Families at a large church in coastal Connecticut. Lisa has supported a thriving Christian Education program, led middle school youth group, and two concurrent high school Confirmation classes. In her time there, Lisa has worked with lay leadership to discern a new path for education that is fitting for the congregation and created innovative ways to connect with parents through updates in communication.

Lisa is one of 14 ministers in the United Church of Christ who have been invited to join the first class of the UCC Pension Board’s Target 2030 program. Recognizing a need to support a new generation of local church leadership, each year for the next ten years, the Pension Board is selecting a group of between 10-20 ministers under the age of 35 and within their first five years of ministry. The Pension Board is providing some funds for retirement along with 10 years of continuing education. For the first four years, the group will gather together two weeks each year for educational events focusing on issues found to be most crucial to new clergy. All costs for participation in this program are borne by the Pension Board. Lisa has just completed her first year in the program and is looking forward to nine years ahead!

Lisa and her husband Joshua Clark met at Yale Divinity School and were married last year in New Haven. Josh is originally from Frederick, Maryland and studied Hebrew Bible. Josh is a fan of golf, and DC and Maryland sports teams. Lisa has eclectic hobbies from practicing Spanish, knitting, to occasionally being a math-nerd. Lisa and Josh both enjoy reading fiction, exploring cities, discussing good television and really good food.