Jon Fletcher is the president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS). He is a United States Army veteran and a Crown Alumnus with a heart for community, service, fun, and trusting in the Lord’s plan.
Jon’s decision to come to Crown, along with his wife Abby (2009), was a result of God’s call to ministry. He considers Crown to have been a good environment to both understand their calling and to grow in their marriage.
Jon and Abby had known each other since they were young children. She asked him out, and they began dating in their teenage years. After they were engaged, Jon and Abby decided to attend Crown College together. They got married and moved into Faith Village in the summer of 2006, starting their collegiate careers as newlyweds. Jon said he was shaped by Dr. Gene Rivard, who spoke truth into his life and pushed him to progress. Dr. Bill Kuhn (1992, 2021) was a professor who mentored him. Many others encouraged him also, leading him to express gratitude for the collective impact.
“People surrounded me and put a floor of ministry around me as I went through challenges of growing up, being in a new marriage, or just facing different things,” Jon says, “Having folks around to provide bumpers or a safety net, showing ‘here’s how you do this’ was significant.”
Jon recalled how the Crown student body surrounded and supported him and his wife both when their daughter was born during his senior year (2008), and when he was deployed overseas post-graduation. Though he said it was sometimes hard to recognize in the moment, Crown’s community and culture made it easy to form connections that continue to this day. He intentionally stays connected and supports the lifelong Crown community, particularly those in ministry.
The week after graduation, Jon was deployed overseas. He served in the U. S. Army for eight years and is an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. His time in the military further deepened his capacity for self-motivation. This skill pushed him to take opportunities as they appeared, rather than shrink in fear or self-doubt.
There were many times Jon felt that he was inexperienced for the responsibilities he was given, but he learned to accept the opportunities with trust and joy. Crown provided him with a faithful foundation to stand on, enabling exploration of ministry and worship in new ways. At Crown, Jon began to understand how much God pursues him. Using a lyric from Reckless Love by Cory Asbury, Jon highlighted the sacrifice of Jesus’ relentless pursuit: “There’s no shadow [He] won’t light up, mountain [He] won’t climb up, coming after me. There’s no wall [He] won’t kick down, lie [He] won’t tear down, coming after me.”
In 2008, John graduated with a degree in Worship Arts. However, he felt God calling him to ministry in a different way, so he learned to embrace some of his other skills – business and finances. He received an MBA in Finance and continued the path of ministry to which God called him.
Jon believes the responsibilities and opportunities he received were guided by God. “Looking back, it’s easy to see how each one was preparing for another step, then another step, then another step…” he says, “Each successive opportunity was like God opening a door.” He became intentional about saying “yes” whenever possible and seeing where God led. By trusting God’s plan, Jon learned to have faith when doors closed and to take action when a door was opened.
One door Jon stepped through was becoming the President and CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS). He started working with PHS at the vice president level eight years ago, moved to a senior vice president position, and worked to prepare himself for whatever role was next.
As the organization looked for their next President and CEO, Jon believed it was important to have a leader who understood the Christian culture of PHS. Because of this, he felt obliged to throw his hat into the ring. Jon said, “I’m very comfortable as a leader with this culture, and I’m willing to help protect it, preserve it, embody it, extend it…and I don’t know if I have all the skills, but I’m willing to give it a shot.” He ascended to the position in February 2025 and has focused on protecting and preserving the values of PHS. Jon didn’t plan to be president or CEO, but he felt called to the position as God led his ministry.
Throughout his journey, Jon has depended on his wife. He says, “There is no ‘I’ in this; it’s ‘we.’” Abby has been supportive through every challenge and role, Jon says, and she steadies the balance between his work and family. Her support for him has been crucial, especially in his new role as Jon takes on additional responsibilities. In addition to being an encouraging wife and mother to two children, Abby is a mental health therapist, which Jon loves and supports her in as well.
When all is said and done, Jon likes to have fun and enjoy life along the way. He believes there are plenty of opportunities to be challenged and encourages others to have fun, laugh, and be willing to engage with new things. He is excited about this new role and the responsibility of supporting the people in the organization. The employees, residents, and their families return support to him and his team, creating a community within PHS. To the Crown community, Jon encourages students – “don’t assume you won’t be in a position to influence ministry. Embrace whatever skills you have and find unique ways to apply it.”
