Born in Salem in Livingston County in western Kentucky, Clarke is the second of two children of John Weldon Clarke (1921-2015) and the former Marca Lee Boswell (1928-201), who are interred at Salem Cemetery.<ref>Marca Lee Boswell Clarke (1928-2001) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed September 23, 2021.</ref> At a young age, he became interested in singing and playing guitar. He did his undergraduate work at then [[Campbellsville University|Campbellsville College]] in Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky. He subsequently attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Louisville]], Kentucky, from which he graduated in 1988.<ref name=burna/> | Born in Salem in Livingston County in western Kentucky, Clarke is the second of two children of John Weldon Clarke (1921-2015) and the former Marca Lee Boswell (1928-201), who are interred at Salem Cemetery.<ref>Marca Lee Boswell Clarke (1928-2001) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed September 23, 2021.</ref> At a young age, he became interested in singing and playing guitar. He did his undergraduate work at then [[Campbellsville University|Campbellsville College]] in Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky. He subsequently attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Louisville]], Kentucky, from which he graduated in 1988.<ref name=burna/> |