The USMB Leadership Board held its annual spring meeting March 28-29 in San Diego, California. The board acted on several agenda items, heard ministry reports from Leadership Council members and discussed activities and ministries related to the three USMB core commitments: leadership development, church multiplication and discipleship.
Action items recorded in the modified minutes for the Friday Leadership Board sessions that included the Leadership Council include:
- affirming the formation of networks of churches to plant new churches and closing the Church Planting Council (CPC), with designated CPC funds set aside for future church planting projects and
- redirecting budgeted funds to increase hours for the USMB NextGen administrative assistant.
In other business, the Leadership Board reviewed revisions to the Governance Manual and changes to a recommended revision to the USMB bylaws related to reversion of church property.
Treasurer Gaven Banik and USMB bookkeeper J.L. Martin presented a financial report.
Martin, who is also the USMB event planner, reported that Gathering 2026 will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, July 21-25, 2026.
The board discussed avenues for supporting immigrant churches and heard an update on Tabor College’s plans to offer graduate theological studies.
The board discussed the Board of Faith and Life’s work developing a unified licensing procedure that all five district conferences would follow. The goal is to have something to present for implementation at the USMB national convention in July 2026.
BFL chair Jesse Swiers also noted various documents and letters BFL reviewed and reported that BFL considered the 2025 National Pastors’ Orientation to be a success.
Council members give updates
In addition to Swiers, the Leadership Board heard from Aaron Box, USMB national director, and Council members Kyle Goings, USMB NextGen director; Jon Wiebe, MB Foundation president and CEO; Bruce Enns, Multiply general director; and district ministers Jordan Ringhofer (Pacific) and Daniel Rodriguez (Central).
The National Strategy Team also reported. This group works collaboratively with the national director to facilitate the three USMB core commitments. NST members include the USMB national director, the five district ministers, Multiply general director and MB Foundation president and CEO.
The Leadership Board and Council meeting came toward the end of the four-day stretch of one-day meetings that followed the USMB National Pastors’ Orientation. BFL met Wednesday, followed Thursday by the National Strategy Team.
Leadership Board
The Leadership Board reconvened Saturday morning without Leadership Council members to continue discussing several agenda items addressed on Friday and to discuss new business.
The Leadership Board affirmed the direction proposed by the Multiply Task Force. The task force, formed last year at the request of Multiply, was asked to develop an effective bi-national structure for Multiply. It looked at staffing and structure to provide better U.S. engagement and U.S.-based training opportunities.
In addition to USMB national director Aaron Box and Canadian Conference of MB Churches national director Cam Stuart, task force members are Andy Owen, Wichita, Kansas; Luke Haidle, Henderson, Nebraska; Aaron Halvorsen, Olathe, Kansas; Norm Poehlke, Abbotsford, B.C.; and Ben Born, Abbotsford, B.C.
The Leadership Board reaffirmed Yvette Ngale as the USMB representative on the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. board and noted the need for a North American representative to Mennonite World Conference.
The board received updates on memorandums of understanding for church planting, the Christian Leader Editorial Committee, the National Strategy Team and CORD, the USMB ministry with immigrant churches.
The Leadership Board also talked about orienting new members and board member responsibilities and discussed the national director’s upcoming one year evaluation.
Leadership Board members are Dave Thiessen, chair; Jared Pulliam, vice chair; Joan Warkentin, secretary; Gaven Banik, treasurer; and members at large Ross Bentley, Samuel Hailemariam, Amy Jackson-Kincaid, Staci Janzen, Jason Quiring and Moises Tagle Jr. The Leadership Board serves as the U.S. Conference decision-making entity between biennial conventions and holds two annual in-person meetings.
Leadership Council members do not vote and are part of the council by virtue of their ministry assignment. Council members include the five district ministers, BFL chair, USMB NextGen director, the Pacific District Conference Hispanic Council chair, MB Foundation president and CEO and the Multiply general director.
Connie Faber joined the magazine staff in 1994 and assumed the duties of editor in 2004. She has won awards from the Evangelical Press Association for her writing and editing. Faber is the co-author of Family Matters: Discovering the Mennonite Brethren. She and her husband, David, have two daughters, one son, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law and three grandchildren. They are members of Ebenfeld MB Church in Hillsboro, Kansas.
