John Clements was born in 1948, the son of an Anglican clergyman. In 1975 he completed a 3-year teacher training course validated by Durham University at Neville’s Cross College, Durham, qualifying him to be a teacher of religious and moral education. This was followed by a decade of teaching in state-run and private boarding schools.
There are two great passions in John’s life, his deep love of God out of which come his love for serving others. Having had to overcome many obstacles and set-backs in his own life John gained accreditation as a Christian counsellor and as a life coach in order to help others find victory in their own lives. He then developed his own private practice. He was invited to be an “agony uncle” for a weekly paper and also contributed articles on aspects of personal development for the American magazine Personal Excellence. His first book, Make Your Walls Tumble: How to Change Your Impossible to Merely Difficult, Then Achieve Success, was published by Lexington House Books, in America in 2001. Other books have followed, his latest being How to Get What Money Can’t Buy: Personal Peace and Happiness in a World of Unrest which is now in its sixth impression. John now has a literary agent who has great expectations that his main work The Tale of Temporania, once published will become a best seller.
Following further training and gaining a Th.D. in theology, John has served as Pastor of the Old Meeting House Congregational Church in Colegate, Norwich, which was founded in 1643 by the Puritan William Bridge, (see www.oldmeetinghousechurch.org.uk for further details) from 1995 – 1997 and from 2015. Another passion in his life is understanding the history of the Christian Church. He has recently had published by Parson Porch Books in America A Brief History of The Old Meeting House Congregational Church (founded in 1643): Our Story So Far – copies can be purchased on Amazon. In 2020 he edited with Prof. Michael Haykin and Dr Roy Paul, Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth, which was brought out to remember the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim Fathers. John also wrote the introduction. The book was published in Canada by H & E Publishing.
He is a retired Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a member of the Society of Authors. He is also an honorary Chaplain of the Grand Order of Knights Templars of Wales. John and his wife Sarah have an adult son and daughter – Timothy and Rose. In May 2022 he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus. Thankfully it was caught in time and John is still recovering.
Positive praise for John
Many people have said favourable words about John as a coach and mentor. On the link below there is a short recording by Robert Kerridge, now retired.
