CCLI’s Gary Christensen Announces Retirement

Gary Christensen, President of Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) announced his retirement today, effective October 30, 2026, after an impressive 28- year tenure with the company.

Christensen joined the CCLI team in 1998 after a 20-year career in banking. In his previous role as Chief Intellectual Property Officer, he was responsible for the publisher and rights owner side of CCLI’s enterprise, and was actively engaged in global copyright matters, including rights, publisher relations, contract development, as well as repertoire and royalty management. In 2023, he was appointed President.

L-R: Gary Christensen, Matt McCoy, Nate Scott

Nate Scott and Matt McCoy have been promoted to CoPresidents of The CCLI Group of Companies effective January 1, 2026, which includes CCLI, Loop Community, Sunday Sounds, Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS), and WorshipTools. Christensen will serve as Outgoing President until October. During this period, he will serve in an advisory capacity to support the leadership transition with McCoy and Scott. 

“I am grateful for all that Gary has accomplished over his outstanding career with CCLI,” said Malcolm Hawker, Chief Operating Officer of SESAC Music Group and CEO of CCLI. “I am very proud of our leadership team, and I have full confidence that Matt and Nate will continue to provide outstanding leadership and service to all our clients.”

Scott previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations at CCLI, where he oversaw a global team serving churches, publishers, and songwriters. He joined the company in 2014 after years as a project manager in the web development industry.

McCoy is the creator of Loop Community, a music technology company providing multitracks, software, and hardware for church musicians in live performance. Additionally, he served as President of WorshipTools and Sunday Sounds, where he supervised teams building simple, powerful, and affordable technology for churches and worship teams.

McCoy and Scott both bring years of service and dedication to their respective organizations, as well as their local churches. Additionally, they share a passion for innovating and equipping churches with the tools and technology they need for impactful worship.

About the CCLI Group:

CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) a global rights licensing and resource company, Church Copyright Solutions (CCS), Loop Community, Sunday Sounds and WorshipTools, serves over 240,000 churches, schools, and other organizations globally and represents the intellectual property rights of over 5,000 church music publishers and song owners. The CCLI group is a division of SESAC Music Group. Learn more at www.sesacmusicgroup.com.

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