Les Clevenger was born in Okinawa, Japan, while his father served in the United States Marine Corps. He prayed for Japan and Asia from an early age, believing he would someday be a missionary to Japan. While growing up in Moore, Oklahoma, his calling to Japan was confirmed at age fourteen. Laura grew up in North Carolina. At the age of fourteen, she also felt the call to missions. Les and Laura met while attending Gateway College of Evangelism. They married in 2001 and began to prepare for where God would send them. On May 4, 2006, thirty years to the day since young Les and his family had moved to the States from Japan, he and his wife arrived in Okinawa. They served twelve years on Associates in Missions (AIM) and then in the Associate Missionary Program (AMP) under Missionary David Doan. During that time, he pastored, taught, and administrated multiple Bible school campuses, served in various capacities on the Japan UPC General Board, and served as the National Coordinator for the many Bible school campuses throughout Japan. Laura started a Christian school and served as a teacher and Principal of World Changers Academy in Okinawa from 2007 to 2015. They moved to the Island of Kyushu in 2015 to pioneer a church where they currently live.
Due to the recent passing of Missionary David Doan, the Executive Board of Japan UPC appointed Bro. Clevenger to fulfill the unexpired term of Brother Doan as the General Superintendent. In May 2022, he was elected at the General Conference to serve as the General Superintendent for the Japan UPC. There has been tremendous growth in the past four years, including establishing a Bible school and thriving church in Fukuoka that serves as an Apostolic hub for their three preaching points in addition to the overseer of the two churches in Okinawa started by Brother Doan. Their preaching point in Hiroshima/Yamaguchi prefectures has nearly twenty-five people in regular attendance. Training is at the heart of all the Clevengers do. They have seen exponential growth in leaders and ministers as well as daughter works, preaching points, and churches started while serving in Japan. They have a clear vision to see a church established in every community and a Bible school in each of the forty-seven prefectures in Japan. Their passion is equipping, empowering, and sending national ministers to fulfill their God-given potential into the Lord’s Harvest.