Marc Lewis was recommended to a third term as president and publisher of Presbyterian Publishing Corp. and James G. Rissler to a first term as president of the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program Tuesday by a committee of the 222nd General Assembly (2016).

In addition to the approval of Lewis and Rissler, the Committee on the Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Presbyterian Publishing Corp. and the Presbyterian Foundation, also recommended for approval several board members and trustees.

During his first two terms of service, Lewis helped the organization make the transition to online bookselling. He also led the organization during the development and publication of the well-received new hymnal for the denomination, Glory to God, the first new Presbyterian hymnal since 1990.

Lewis received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and his master’s in business administration from Vanderbilt University. Prior to his role as publisher, he was general manager of PPC from 1999–2007 and, prior to that, served in a variety of management roles with Cokesbury and the United Methodist Publishing House.

Rissler was elected by the PILP Board of Directors in October of 2104 to serve a four-year term as president, effective Jan. 1, 2015. He joined PILP in 1999 as vice president of finance and administration and was elected to the position of senior vice president in 2004. Prior to joining PILP, he spent 17 years in the banking industry, most recently serving as a vice president with PNC Bank.

Among the board members and trustees approved and recommended Tuesday were:

  • Sandra Copenhaver Browne and Christopher Y. Nicholas, to the New Covenant Trust Company Board of Directors.
  • Steven Bass, David Ezekiel, Chad Herring, Thomas McNeill, Manley Olson, Josephene Stewart and In Yang , to the PILP Board of Directors.
  • Mary C. Baskin, to the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

In other business, the committee unanimously recommended  the  continuation  of  the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation’s church-wide gift program.

At each General Assembly,  the  foundation  trustees  ask  the assembly to endorse its work in support of mission and ministry throughout the church. A total of $118 million was made available through the foundation for mission and ministry in congregations, mid councils, national agencies, and related entities in 2014 and 2015.

New gifts and accounts amounting to more than $125 million were received over the course of the two-year period.

The committee disapproved with comment, 38- 1, Commissioners Resolution calling for creation of a special committee to conduct an administrative review to assure compliance with donor and GA restrictions on the administration of the Jarvie Service. The comment states: “In the interest of Christ’s reconciliation and the hope for closure, the 222nd General Assembly (2016) would strongly recommend that both parties (commissioners and Foundation) avail themselves of the Foundation’s offer to mediate all issues in this resolution.”