Leadership Transition at Pres House: A letter from Rev. Mark Elsdon and Lee Tan, Board President

August 2024

Dear Pres House family,

Serving as pastor and executive director at Pres House for the past 20 years has been a highlight of my professional career and of my life in general. It is impossible to fully articulate what a gift it is to have been a part of something so remarkable, for so long. When I pulled into a parking space behind the chapel (since replaced by the Pres House Apartments) in August 2004 I had no idea how incredible the journey of the next 20 years was going to be. Many dream of the chance to experience the sort of fulfillment, contribution, and support that I’ve experienced at Pres House during that time.

But even the very best experiences have an end point and there is a season for everything. After a great deal of prayer and reflection I have decided to step down from my current position as executive director at Pres House at the end of 2024.

In recent years I have increasingly felt God’s call, and literally been called on the phone by people throughout Madison and North America, to contribute more to the pressing crisis and opportunity surrounding the future of church ministry, money, and property. I will be doing this by devoting more time to the nonprofit I co-founded in 2020, RootedGood, that helps churches use their buildings and land for new forms of ministry and revenue, and through speaking engagements related to my books. I will also be assisting churches in Wisconsin develop mission-aligned housing and community facilities on their land through Threshold Sacred Development.

As difficult as stepping away will be (and it will be difficult!), this feels very much like the right next step in the journey for me and for Pres House. It is my deep hope and prayer that my work in this next chapter will support flourishing in churches and communities throughout the country. Like Pres House has done with so many students and leaders, you will be sending me forth to serve God and the world in new ways.

You may wonder what comes next for Pres House. I am confident great things lie ahead and Pres House will be stronger than ever in the coming years. Rev. Erica Liu will retain her role as co-leader of Pres House as she has done for the past 20 years in a new form. Erica will become Executive Director and Pastor beginning September 1st. Her experience, insight, and leadership will be an inspiring and steady hand guiding Pres House into the next chapter. It gives me great joy to fully pass the reins to my ministry partner of 20 years and I look forward to supporting her as “pastor’s spouse” in the coming years!

We will be adding a Director of Finance and Operations to the team to assist with the business management of Pres House. And I am supremely confident in the robust team of staff members and contract relationships that Pres House is blessed to have in place. I will remain as a part-time temporary co–director through December 2024 to ensure a smooth and effective transition.

The people and spirit of Pres House are truly something extraordinary. Even as I step away knowing this is the right next step, I have a sense that I may never again be a part of something quite so amazing. I will be forever grateful for each staff member, partner, board member, donor, alum, and most importantly, student, that I have met here. I am humbled to have learned so much, given so much, and been a part of so much over the past 20 years. God’s spirit is with you. Thank you.

Rev. Mark Elsdon

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Pres House I want to thank Rev. Mark Elsdon for the work he has done to recreate this campus ministry into a vibrant program serving the community in so many ways. Of course we will miss Mark’s leadership, but he, along with Rev. Erica Liu, have created an organization which is bigger than either of them and is primed for success going forward. We will continue to have the leadership of Erica and a strong team which has been assembled over the years to guide the ministry through this transition and I know that Pres House will continue to be a strong, vibrant, and critical part of the UW-Madison community.

I am excited that the Holy Spirit has called Mark to share the knowledge and wisdom he has gained through his work at Pres House with the wider church and community. I look forward to seeing what will grow from the seeds which Mark will plant and nurture in the coming years.

The board is working to ensure a smooth transition into this next chapter of the story of Pres House and hope that after a time to absorb the news you will be as excited as we are to see what’s next.

Lee Tan
President, Pres House Board of Directors