A Special Purpose

a special

PURPOSE

Dr. Crawford G. Clark, pastor at Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill and at Roxborough Presbyterian Church, has written books on relationships/marriage, workplace issues and the role faith plays in both.

His third and latest book, about parenting special needs children, really hit home for him. The book, “Called According to His Purpose – A Journey into the World of Parenting Special Needs Children,” is about his and his wife’s journey of raising children with disabilities, sharing the mental, emotional and spiritual battles their family has faced. The couple have a daughter Danielle, 29, and a son, David, 26.

The book was published last November. Pastor Clark spoke about it with Masonic Village residents in April. He also gave a talk at church and on a local radio show.

“I write as a clinician and a pastor, as well as a parent,” he said. “I kind of mix all three of those perspectives in the writing and talk about the different issues we’ve had to deal with along the way.”

The book covers subjects including: knowing how to clearly understand your children, since they can’t always articulate what they are thinking; challenges with discipline and how to discipline; financial issues; and how God views disabilities.

Pastor Clark hopes the book will shed light on an issue not many people openly talk about but are going through with their own family members.

“It’s a look inside the family life of raising kids with special needs and their struggles,” he said. “It’s a caretaking situation. It’s constant – it never stops. People don’t see that. A lot of times we don’t tell people what we’re going through because they have their own things to worry about. It’s not secretive, but we sometimes keep it to ourselves.”

Pastor Clark said he was inspired to write the book during the COVID-19 pandemic. He completed it over a period of five months.

“When I write, I don’t do a lot of research – I write from the heart,” he said. “A lot of people who have known me most of my life had no idea what I was dealing with. The human connection of what I was putting out there really connected with them. I tend to write early in the morning. If there were things on my mind when I woke up at 3 or 4 a.m., I would go to my computer and the floodgates would open.”

In addition to the main topic of the book, Pastor Clark also shares the story of Theodore DeShields, as told by his mother. While Theodore was never supposed to be born, he became a strong person of faith who blessed all those around him. Pastor Clark said he included the story in his book because it tied into “purpose.”

Pastor Clark’s first book, “Relationships – Reflection of the Image of God,” published in 2016, was inspired by all he learned during pre-marital counseling sessions he led with couples. “After a couple years, I started seeing some patterns with millennials, specifically,” he said. “There was a disconnect between the practical versus the theological. There were also communication issues — they didn’t know how to connect or go deep enough with their partner.”

His second book, “Being Transformed by God in the Workplace,” was published in 2019. Pastor Clark drew from his experiences working in management for 30 years for the City of Philadelphia, while he was also active in his ministry.

“I wrote about all the things that people have to deal with in the workplace and in their personal lives, because it crosses over,” he said. “I talk about that crossover and how God uses the workplace to grow us in our faith.”

The desire to write came later in life for him, while he was in the process of retiring from the city.

“I had to have surgery on my foot and couldn’t move, so I did a lot of reading,” he said. “I felt prompted by the Lord to pick up my pen and start writing, and nine days later I had 200 pages I had written by hand. It was just pouring out of me.”

Pastor Clark self-published his latest book in an effort to get the word out and quickly reach people in need. There are many Biblical references throughout the book, examining how God views the issue, as well as scripture that explains it.

“The bottom line is, I wanted people to really get a deeper understanding of what families with special needs children deal with on a regular basis, and how they can come alongside of them to help them,” he said. “In the midst of all the issues that may be associated with special needs individuals, God has a purpose for their existence.”

Dr. Crawford Clark earned his doctorate in Christian marriage and family therapy and a Master of Arts in religion. He is the founder and executive director of With His Love Christian Ministries in Philadelphia. Pastor Clark has been with Masonic Village for five years, leading bible study classes on Fridays and Sunday services for residents. His latest book, published by WestBow Press, is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Dr. Crawford G. Clark’s book, “Called According to His Purpose – A Journey into the World of Parenting Special Needs Children”