He was a leading figure within Britain's Evangelical Christian movement for more than two decades until in 1999 he left his wife, resigned from his pastoral ministry and revealed that he is gay.

[5] He returned to the UK in 1979 when he became pastor of Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge, where he developed a highly successful ministry to students.

He had entered a relationship with another man; Chris, a Christian student who had originally sought his help with unwanted same-sex attraction.

Clements had planned to leave his pastorate and undertake new career "as a Christian thinker engaged in the public communication of science".

He confessed to his wife about his same-sex attraction and she gave him an ultimatum: undergo conversion therapy to cure his homosexuality and cease all contact with gay friends.