The Leprosy Mission has a new CEO, Greg Clarke, former leader of Bible Society Australia and co-founder of the Centre for Public Christianity, CPX. Greg brings a wealth of knowledge in running a Christian organisation to his new role at the helm of The Leprosy Mission Australia (TLMA), like Bible Society, a venerable, well-loved ministry.
The Other Cheek is especially grateful to Greg, who served as CEO of Bible Society as Eternity, the news service I founded, came on board Bible Society soon after Greg started there. He was a very supportive boss. The Leprosy Mission statement says, “Dr Clarke was the Group CEO of Bible Society Australia for nine years, growing the 200-year-old charity through acquisitions to become a prominent media company, publisher, book retailer and thought leader alongside its global charity work.”
“I’m excited to be part of the ‘endgame’ for leprosy, a disease which has been the scourge of humanity for millennia,” Clarke told The Other Cheek. “Leprosy sufferers drew immense compassion from Jesus, and the Bible even talks about its alleviation as one of the signs that a better world is coming. It’s one of the things Jesus told his disciples to do: deal with leprosy! The drug treatments are here, they are incredibly effective, and we now need to get them to sufferers ASAP. As Bono puts it in a U2 song, ‘In science and in medicine/I was a stranger, you took me in.’
“I’m in awe of the dedication of researchers and field workers, who have taken on one of the world’s most feared ailments and are beating it. I can’t wait to help.”
In announcing the appointment, the Leprosy Mission’s Board Chair, Jennifer Ward, said, “We are delighted to welcome Greg to the TLMA family. He brings rich and varied experience in the charity sector, media and publishing, and education, and we look forward to working together to further increase the impact of our work as we pursue our ‘Triple Zero’ vision—zero leprosy transmission, zero new disability, and zero discrimination by 2035.”
With John Dickson, Clarke successfully launched CPX, creating a source of thoughtful apologetics for Australia. At Bible Society, I witnessed him bringing six separate state-based organisations together. While it took Australia decades to federate, the Bible Society took almost two centuries! Purchasing the Koorong stores for Bible Society- a highlight of Clarke’s tenure – ensured that Bibles remain within easy reach for Australians.
The Leprosy Mission will be a place to watch.