The Rev. Dr. Clive Samson
Chaplain Clive E. Samson joined Episcopal City Mission in January 2020. He is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, currently serving as the Vicar of Faith Christian Church of India (FCCI) in Ellisville, MO. FCCI is a mission church of Indian and International, which was started by him and his wife 3 years ago. Clive’s biggest strength is his wife of 21 years, The Rev. Sujanna Raj, and his Son, Cavin Clive, student at Maryville University, worship leader, and gifted Musician. Clive speaks four languages including English and can play various classical Indian instruments.
Clive ministered for 15 years as an Episcopal priest in the Church of South India. He held responsibilities as the Director of the Diocesan Youth and Young Adults and as the Synod State Director for Youth for four years. After completing his tenure as the priest of a very prestigious church in India (St. John’s Fort Church), Clive came to the United States to earn his Doctor of Ministry in 2014 during his sabbatical.
While a student at the Eden Theological Seminary, Clive served as a chaplain at St Alexius Hospital, where he often encountered children and people from prison who were there for treatment. This gave him the opportunity to work with psychiatric patients. This experience reminded him of his ministry among the children in Juvenile Detention Centers in India, most of them the victims of caste discrimination and prejudice. Eventually, this led him to connect with Episcopal City Mission to participate with his congregation in hosting birthday parties at the City Juvenile Detention Center.
God’s call to Clive to serve the children in the Juvenile Justice System in St. Louis is strong, and he considers himself as part of the mission – like everyone is supposed to be and called to be, for ‘lifting the valleys and bringing down the mountains’ to extend the values of the kingdom, to empower the weak, love them the way they are, and accept who they are. Justice is to be seen from others’ point of view and not from our own understanding.