After meeting in closed session June 11, the board of directors of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), A Corporation released word that it had elected Kathy Lueckert as president of the A Corporation, for a four-year term subject to approval by the 2020 General Assembly.
Lueckert – a ruling elder and currently director of finance and administration at the 4,800-member Village Church in Prairie Village, Kansas – served from 1999 to 2004 as deputy executive director and executive vice president of the General Assembly Council, a precursor to what’s now known as the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
She also has administrative experience with World Vision, the City of Seattle and the City of Plymouth, Minnesota.
The A Corporation is the corporate entity for the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General Assembly. In her new role, which she is to start on August 12, Lueckert will manage the Administrative Services Group – roughly 80 employees in seven departments, which previously were part of the Presbyterian Mission Agency but were spun out into a new configuration in January.
Lueckert left the PC(USA)’s national staff in November 2004, one of two employees who lost their jobs after a fact-finding trip to the Middle East by a delegation from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy that included, along with meetings with political, human rights and religious leaders, a controversial meeting with Hezbollah.
The decision to hire Lueckert was announced via a news release posted on the denomination’s website. Here’s the text of that announcement.
Kathy Lueckert named president of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation
‘God seems to be tapping me on the shoulder,’ she says
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation Board of Directors today elected Kathy Lueckert as president of the A Corporation, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. Beginning August 12, Lueckert will lead the corporation, reporting to its 11-member board, and manage what is currently known as the Administrative Services Group.
“Filling this role was a priority for us so that we can continue to provide support for essential Church functions,” said A Corporation Co-Chair Bridget-Anne Hampden. “It was a blessing to find someone as talented as Kathy, who not only has the collaborative skills necessary to run a complex organization, but a deep love for the Presbyterian Church.”
“God seems to be tapping me on the shoulder,” said Lueckert. “Friends encouraged me to pursue the position, and once I learned more, I realized it was a perfect fit. No one is more surprised than I am to find myself in this role. God sure has a good sense of humor.”
Working with the national firm BoardWalk Consulting, the A Corporation launched its search for a new president in February. The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, were included in the interview process.
“In the midst of doing church there is a need for hope and possibility,” said Nelson. “Kathy is a familiar face around here, and the gifts she brings can lead us to a new way of thinking about how the church might work together with a renewed spirit of collaboration.”
“The Holy Spirit moves among us making connections, guiding minds, inspiring hearts and nudging us into action,” added Moffett. “I believe the Holy Spirit was instrumental in bringing Kathy back to Louisville and in a role where her gifts will help build up the realm of God.”
Lueckert, a ruling elder in the PC(USA), is currently the director of finance and administration at Village Presbyterian Church in the Kansas City area. Village Presbyterian is a 4,800-member congregation with 200 employees and an operating budget of over $8 million. Prior to her work at Village Presbyterian, Lueckert served as the Director of Strategic Projects for World Vision, a $2 billion Christian humanitarian aid, development and advocacy organization operating in 100 countries. From 2005–06, Lueckert worked as the corporate services director for the City of Seattle. Before that, she served for almost six years as the executive vice president and deputy executive director of the General Assembly Council in Louisville — a predecessor to the Presbyterian Mission Agency. Lueckert’s resume
“I am excited to return to Louisville to be a part of the changes to A Corp. and the Church I love so deeply,” added Lueckert. “I look forward to rebuilding old relationships and starting new ones as A Corp. helps ministry flourish.”
The A Corporation is the principal corporate entity of the General Assembly of the PC(USA). It owns the real property and other assets not managed by the Presbyterian Foundation and provides treasury and administrative support for the General Assembly, including, for example, employing all the staff of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) and its own Administrative Services Group.
“The A Corporation Board of Directors is deeply grateful to Deputy Stated Clerk Kerry Rice for filling the leadership role with the A Corporation since March,” said A Corporation Co-Chair Chris Mason. “In addition to his usual duties in OGA, Kerry stepped up at a critical point for the A Corporation, and we are thankful for his service.”