A man who, without being himself a recognized New Thought leader, has been highly influential in introducing New Thought ideas and techniques into the churches, was Glenn Clark (1882-1956). A Presbyterian, reared in the church, teaching in a Presbyterian college, and teaching also a Sunday School class in his home church of St. Paul. For thirty years he was a professor of literature and athletic coach at Macalester College, A Presbyterian liberal arts college in St. Paul, Minnesota, where a Department of Creative Living was established for him.

He was deeply religious and something of a mystic, a great believer in prayer. He first came into prominence through an article in the Atlantic Monthly, "The Soul's Sincere Desire" He began to be much in demand as a speaker in the churches and in summer camps. In 1930 he organized a summer camp of his own in Koronis, Mn., to which he gave the name "Camp Fathest Out." Here for a period, amidst pleasant surroundings, a group of congenial and serious-minded people met for a season of fellowship, relaxation, and spiritual renewal, under the direction of Dr. Clark and others of somewhat similar views. In 1942 he resigned from his position at the College to give all his time to helping others discover this integration of body, mind and spirit in God.

The Camps Farthest Out multiplied from the original one until in 1961 there were forty-one of them, meeting in almost every section of the country. He sometimes called the camps "laboratories for experimentation in the art of praying," as prayer and the disciplines of silence and meditation played such an important role. Through these camps has been introduced into the life of the churches much that is central in New Thought teaching and practice.

One finds again and again in his writings whole paragraphs that might have been found in any of the better New Thought writers' books. His favorite of all the New Thought writers was Walter Lanyon, and Clark's own books bear many similarities to those of Lanyon.

New thought people regarded him as one who spoke their language. He was a welcome visitor at the headquarters of New Thought in Washington. The INTA Bulletin reported that he met with a dozen teachers and workers and that all were uplifted by this time together and sustained "in our realization of the active power of concerted constructive thought and prayer."

He spoke at the International New Thought Alliance Congress held in Minneapolis in 1939, and appeared again at the San Francisco Congress where he spoke on "Our Responsibility toward World Peace."

As one of the most widely published authors on the life of prayer in the 20th century and founder of the "Camps Farthest Out" movement, Glenn Clark has left an unforgettable mark on the spiritual life of our day. He has influenced all kinds of people -- the sick at heart, the discouraged, the unchurched, and those who were angry at the church. Through such books as The Soul's Sincere Desire, I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, and many others, Glenn Clark enriched the lives of millions.