Our story and yours

The Gathering began in 1985 with a simple purpose. A few of us were interested in Christian philanthropy, and we wanted to serve as educators and encouragers to one another -- to be a sounding board of peers. We needed a safe, neutral place to sift through complex ideas, exchange best practices, and commiserate over missteps. We sought to teach and learn, to relax and refresh. As much as anything, we wanted to build trust. No solicitation. No pressure to give. Just the freedom of friendship.

Our initial conversation centered on philanthropy, and it continues to be our bedrock. But God has entrusted us with a full range of resources that we ought to steward wisely and effectively. So we have expanded our scope to encompass the breadth of capital under our care: from our investment accounts on the balance sheet to the experience of our service in corporate boardrooms, from the hospitality of our homes to the credibility of our reputations, from the supplication of our prayers to the legacy of our families.

Over the decades, we have grown to a multi-generational community of a few hundred men, women, children, and grandchildren across the country. Together, we pursue what it means to honor God and bless our neighbors. We seek to preserve the best of what's come before while humbly searching for improvement and innovation. We benefit from the tradition of wisdom being passed along through generations of authentic, vulnerable people knitted together over a sustained period of time. To that mix, we add the new faces and fresh voices who join us each year.

The novelist Wendell Berry wrote:

“Community, I am beginning to understand, is made through a skill I have never learned or valued: the ability to pass time with people you do not and will not know well, talking about nothing in particular, with no end in mind, just to build trust, just to be sure of each other, just to be neighborly. A community is not something that you have, like a camcorder or a breakfast nook. No, it is something you do. And you have to do it all the time.”

To be worthy of honor is to accept the responsibility of teaching and living in a way that matters. It has not been a sudden revelation. It has been absorbed from grandparents, parents, and children listening to each other’s lives. As you might guess, we are in this for the long haul. We hope you resonate with this vision, and perhaps consider joining us in the future?

Screenshot from conference testimonial video - couple sharing about their experience at The Gathering conference

Words from Conference Attendees

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What is The Gathering?

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Our Team

Josh Kwan

Josh Kwan

President

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Josh Kwan

Josh Kwan

President

Christine Lee Buchholz

Christine Lee Buchholz

Vice President

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Christine Lee Buchholz

Christine Lee Buchholz

Vice President

Maggie Lechner

Maggie Lechner

Events Director

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Maggie Lechner

Maggie Lechner

Events Director

Melanie Langemeier

Melanie Langemeier

GenNext Director

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Melanie Langemeier

Melanie Langemeier

GenNext Director

Fred Smith

Fred Smith

Founder

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Fred Smith

Fred Smith

Founder

Elizabeth Hill

Elizabeth Hill

GenNext Associate

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Elizabeth Hill

Elizabeth Hill

GenNext Associate

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Our Board

Marc and Suzanne Daniel

Marc and Suzanne Daniel

Marc and Suzanne Daniel

Marc and Suzanne Daniel

Sarah and Bob Caldwell

Sarah and Bob Caldwell

Sarah and Bob Caldwell

Sarah and Bob Caldwell

Karen and Todd Hendricks

Karen and Todd Hendricks

Karen and Todd Hendricks

Karen and Todd Hendricks

Vinh and Leisle Chung

Vinh and Leisle Chung

Vinh and Leisle Chung

Vinh and Leisle Chung

Susan and Todd Peterson

Susan and Todd Peterson

Susan and Todd Peterson

Susan and Todd Peterson

Ray and Joan Conn

Ray and Joan Conn

Ray and Joan Conn

Ray and Joan Conn

Sam and Salime Weatherford

Sam and Salime Weatherford

Sam and Salime Weatherford

Sam and Salime Weatherford

Gather

Invitations to our annual conference and Peer Groups.

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Watch

Featuring conference highlights and our Gathering hosted webcasts.

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Read

Essays on the Christian life, philanthropy, and stewardship.

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