I personally want to invite you to Gathering 2026 in July in Salt Lake City. I recognize you may be asking why your attendance is important or maybe even why we gather at all.
Those are fair questions, and they are not new ones.
Mennonite Brethren churches in the United States began gathering together
nearly 150 years ago, only a few years after arriving as immigrants. These early congregations were busy settling into a new land, forming communities and establishing churches. Yet they sensed a deep need to come together. Their purpose was not merely social connection or organizational governance—it was mission. The primary reason they gathered was to seek God together and to discern how best to live faithfully into the call God had placed on them.
The earliest gatherings, dating back to 1878, look surprisingly familiar. Churches
worshiped together, shared meals, discussed pressing issues and devoted time to
prayer. What stands out, however, is the clarity of their focus. From the beginning,
these gatherings were deeply shaped by a shared commitment to mission.
That same missional heartbeat has guided our plans for Gathering 2026.
Carrying out the Great Commission
A central feature of those early conferences was the funding and sending of traveling ministers and missionaries, some serving locally and others traveling as far as Russia.
By 1880, churches were encouraged to begin taking weekly offerings for missions, which would be gathered at the next conference. Soon after, India was identified as a mission field, resources were mobilized and the groundwork was laid for gospel fruit that would emerge in the years ahead.
When we gather this summer, we will celebrate and pray for new workers and work together to ensure they are resourced.
The driving question I return to again and again is simple: How can we, as MB churches, more effectively carry out the Great Commission together? How do we cultivate faithfulness to God’s call in a rapidly changing world?
When we gather in July, our focus will be on cultivating effective mission—both nationally and globally. Together we will lean into disciple-making, leadership development and church multiplication. We will celebrate what God is already doing in and through our churches, and we will seek fresh wisdom and courage to live on mission with Jesus.
Gathering 2026 is not merely an event on a calendar. It is an opportunity to be
encouraged, challenged and resourced alongside others who share a common
calling.
I invite you to join us as we continue a long tradition of gathering—not for our own sake, but for the sake of God’s mis sion in the world.
Aaron Box began serving as the USMB national director in July 2024. Previously, Box served for 13 years as senior pastor of North Park Community Church in Eugene, Oregon. He has more than 20 years of ministry leadership experience and served on the USMB Leadership Board from 2014-2022. Box and his wife, Jennifer, have two children and reside in Eugene.
