Founders
Founders, Chris and Debbie Clark and children (left to right: Sarah, Bryce, and Alyssa)
Chris and Debbie Clark founded Children of the Nations in 1995 in answer to a child's prayer.
Chris is a fifth-generation missionary, born in Japan and raised in Liberia and the United States. In 1984, he graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Law and Justice. However, convinced God’s calling was for him to minister to children, he completed the ordination process and served as a youth pastor for five years. Later, he pursued a career with Youth for Christ (YFC), where he worked as a Regional Director for ten years. Debbie grew up in Edmonds, Washington, and graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. With her interests focused on special education, she eventually worked as a special education teacher in western Washington for eight years. Early in their marriage, Chris and Debbie became foster parents serving many children for over ten years.
In 1995, Chris and Debbie traveled to Sierra Leone with Youth for Christ and witnessed the intense orphan problem. The tragedy they encountered—thousands of children ravaged by a brutal war, without family to care for them and living on the streets of Freetown—forever changed the life direction of Chris and Debbie Clark. Because God allowed Chris’ missionary parents to raise their family in Africa for a time, this uniquely positioned Chris to be ready for God’s call on that day in 1995. His distinctive life experience of witnessing hundreds of missionaries, their organizations, and responding nationals, helped Chris assimilate a philosophy, which COTN seeks to implement presently in each country. The vision Chris and Debbie see for the benefit of the Kingdom is to capture the heart of orphans and direct them to Christ in a way that positions them for leadership. They believe the leadership of this unique group of transformational leaders will alter the issues currently influencing their societies. Moving beyond compassionate care to a place of true empowerment of children and partnership with nationals is Chris and Debbie's true desire and remains the single vision of Children of the Nations: raising children who transform nations.
Chris serves as Children of the Nations international president and on the US board of directors. He is also an honorary board member for each of the nonprofit organizations working under the umbrella of Children of the Nations: COTN–Sierra Leone, COTN–Malawi, COTN–Uganda, and COTN–Dominican Republic. Debbie also serves on the board of directors for Children of the Nations–USA and is a steadying force to Chris’ visionary passion. As the Senior Director of Sponsorship, Debbie also oversees the US Sponsorship department and travels to each country and works with her national staff members to maintain the quality standard of care the children receive physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and socially.
Chris and Debbie regularly interact with US and international board members, national staff and our children. They maintain contact by annual visits to each country and via personal communication. He is “Rev. Clark” to the national staff and “Daddy Chris” to the children, while the children call her "Mommy Debbie" or "Mom Deb." Chris and Debbie are viewed by the children as beloved "parents" who celebrate their achievements, share their sorrows, and pray for their concerns. The children understand, from Chris and Debbie's actions, that their welfare is Chris and Debbie's God-given passion and their mission in this life.
Chris and Debbie Clark have three children: Alyssa, Sarah, and Bryce, and live in Silverdale, Washington.
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Children of the Nations is rated by Charity Navigator as among the top-rated children's charities, Christian charities that help African children, and organizations sponsoring children.
Children of the Nations is a registered 501(c)3 Christian charity whose mission is to help children in Africa and the Caribbean by raising children out of poverty. Find out how to sponsor an orphan or child living in poverty.