Joseph Clemens - Missionary Work

Missionary Work

After graduation, from 1894-1901 Clemens was a pastor for the Central Pennsylvania Methodist Episcopal Conference. In 1896 he married Mary. In 1901 he decided to serve his country and became a chaplain in the United States Army. After his commissioning, he was sent almost directly to Hawaii with the Fifteenth Infantry.

From Hawaii, he was moved to the new American possession of the Philippines, recently wrested from the Spanish in the Spanish-American War. One of his tasks there was to bring "civilization" to the natives through missionary service. During one of his first services, on April 13, 1902, more than a hundred locals attended. After that, he held weekly services at the camp. His numbers of interested natives fluctuated; on April 20, for example, there were 50 natives in attendance, though the following week the number went back up to 75. Also, in 1902, while in Samar, he helped to wipe out a cholera epidemic threatening all there. In 1905, he and Mary made the voyage to Mindanao, where Joseph not only continued his missionary practice, but he also began a botanical study with his wife.

In 1918 Joseph was forced to retire from the military due to an injury in the line of duty. He was also by then fifty-six years of age. Afterwards, inspired by his own missions experience, he spent five months lecturing in Pennsylvania in small towns, factories, schools and churches. With the money he earned there, he endowed Dickinson seminary and support missions.

Not having received their fill of traveling, the Clemens' returned to the Philippines in 1922. There, he spent six and one half years doing evangelical work in Luzon. During this time, he baptized 16,000 people.