A Corp Board names Ian Hall as interim president of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation

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LOUISVILLE — Ian Hall, who’s served the past 3½ years as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, has been named interim president of the A Corporation.

The A Corporation Board took that action in closed session this week, announcing it will begin searching for a permanent president late this year for confirmation by commissioners to the 227th General Assembly in 2026. Hall’s selection by the board included consultation with the Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the Interim Unified Agency.

The current A Corporation president, Kathy Lueckert, announced her retirement last month. Her last day in the position is Friday. Hall begins as interim president on Monday.

Hall served in the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church for 20 years before coming to work for the A Corporation in 2021. He spent the last five years of his employment with the Indiana Conference working as director of administration and financial services. “I think I learned a lot in that period of time which has proven to be rather relevant,” he told Presbyterian News Service on Thursday. “A lot of that experience translated to my role here at the PC(USA).”

Hall said he’d be remiss not to say that “a big part of why I am attracted to this [interim] role is Kathy Lueckert,” who has built “a really good team, and I have enjoyed being part of that team.”

Even in his new role, Hall will continue some of his current duties as CFO and COO. “That will only work,” Hall said, “because of the senior leadership team” within the Administrative Services Group, the workforce of the A Corporation which provides services such as human resources, Ministry Engagement and Support, Global Language Resources, legal and risk management, and information technology to clients including the Interim Unified Agency. “We have divided some responsibilities as I fill this new role.”

The support of the A Corp Board “will be key in this process,” Hall said. He plans to meet weekly with the board’s co-chairs and regularly with the chairs of its three committees. “There will be more communication back and forth,” Hall said. The chairs of the A Corp Board committees “will come together on a more regular basis so that I have not only a sounding board, but guidance from that team as we move forward in the interim.”

When discussing his interim role with the board, Hall asked board members this question: Is this about keeping the lights on, or is it about moving forward?

“They have been clear it’s not just keeping the lights on,” Hall said. “It’s about supporting client partners and innovating” while “acknowledging this is a time of transition.”

Hall praised Lueckert’s “non-anxious presence” helping to complete complex projects including developing the denomination’s new website, pcusa.org. “The president’s office didn’t create the new website,” Hall said, “but Kathy’s influence and presence helped move the project along to its launch.”

While some of his current duties will remain, Hall said he and other senior leaders in the Administrative Services Group “hope to have all our ducks in a row” about who’s responsible for what within the coming week or so. “It’s a balancing act,” he said. “This is an interim gig. There will be some things we need to prioritize.”

The A Corp Board “is looking for a sense of stability,” Hall said. “I think that’s partly why they wanted to keep this as an internal piece of the puzzle rather than looking outside. I am happy to provide that stability.”

“Long-term, there is a big process that needs to be figured out,” he said. “I am sure the Board is talking about that and it’s appropriate that I don’t know all the details about that.”

Hall describes himself as “a cradle Methodist” and notes “the obvious differences” in polity and tradition between the United Methodist Church and the PC(USA). “I also think when it comes to my United Methodist faith, the Jesus I serve is the same Jesus y’all serve,” he said. “I think we align on the same core principles … We struggle with a lot of the same issues, and fundamentally we are delivering the same message: a redemptive Jesus Christ.”

“Right now, this is the place I am called to do ministry,” he said of the PC(USA). “I think my experience and faith mean that I am not a bad fit for this role.”

In fact, during the 226th General Assembly (2024), Hall became a popular internet meme among commissioners and assembly observers for his ability to explain complex financial concepts in ways that made sense to ordinary Presbyterians.

As the Interim Unified Agency and the Administrative Services Group continue to evolve, “a little bit of grace would go a long way,” Hall said.

“I don’t know a better way of putting that,” he said. In the current transition, “if we look at everybody from the Unification Commission to the people who work in the everyday administration of the church through a lens of grace, we end up in a good place.”

“When change occurs, mistakes are going to happen. That’s the bottom line,” Hall said. “I think there needs to be a little bit of patience and grace.”