Malcolm Hall’s introduction to Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly is one that’s quite unique and was a forcible one—at least in the beginning. His father knew the value of instilling the Christian faith in his boys early and told Malcolm that if he and his brother went to church, they would not be required to work. This evoked a newfound desire for Malcolm and his brother to attend church camp every summer where they found a short-lived, but well-loved, break from work while at Mo-Ranch. Malcolm was enamored with the ranch as soon as he first stepped foot onto the property, and it quickly became a place near and dear to his heart that was foundational to his Presbyterian faith.
Malcolm is now a “Mo lifer” who has visited the ranch regularly since the 1950s. His frequent visits are where he developed the desire for upholding and maintaining Mo’s renowned atmosphere and saw the priceless value in doing so. Throughout his years visiting the ranch, Malcolm has attended various church group retreats and Mo specific retreats like the Junior High Jubilee and Men’s Conference. Malcolm is also an avid advocate for Mo-Ranch’s Single Again Moms’ and Dads’ retreats as well as the Women’s Conference because he believes that these events are climatic and highly needed for the wide variety of guests that Mo-Ranch serves.
“My favorite memory is of volunteering at the Junior High Jubilee and serving breakfast in bed to the attendees,” said Malcolm. “I believe that these retreats are what mold and shape the young people of today.”
During his tenure at Mo-Ranch, Malcolm and his family have seen the various phases of growth and progression at the ranch. As he became more involved with Mo-Ranch’s ministry and operations, Malcolm witnessed a great need in Mo-Ranch’s lack of adequate staff housing and accommodations. This was a pressing need because it was affecting the ranch’s ability to attract and retain quality summer staff. He knew that if summer staff had housing that enabled them to stay on the ranch with the full Mo-Ranch experience, they, too, would fall in love with this place and return again—just as he had.
To solve Mo-Ranch’s need for summer staff housing, Malcolm and his family generously helped fund the development of the Caleb Fletcher Summer Staff House in 2006 in memory of their grandson, Caleb, along with the congregation of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin in honor of their then pastor, Dr. Doug Fletcher. Because of this tremendous donation, summer and seasonal staff are now able to live comfortably on the ranch all while embodying the mission of Mo-Ranch and living out God’s purpose in a Christian environment.
“My family and I felt that summer staff housing was an integral part of the Mo-Ranch experience,” said Malcolm. “Having a positive summer experience at Mo will build a connection to this ministry, motivating these young staffers to return again and again to the ranch and become ‘Mo lifers’ that will support this ministry, too.”
Malcolm is originally from a small town in Texas and consequently has a sentimental and deeply rooted tie to small churches. When the idea of a small church pastors’ retreat for Mo-Ranch’s programming came to light, Malcolm was one of the first supporters, both financially and ideologically. At its inception, Malcolm funded half of the costs of the retreat until it gained traction and attendance, becoming a financially self-sustaining retreat. He continues to support small churches as much as possible by providing pulpit supplies and standing in as a guest presenter for Sunday sermons. Today, Malcolm lives in Oklahoma City and attends Webster Presbyterian Church. Although he is physically far from Mo, his love and care live on through his continued support of its mission, retreats and future.
