The Gathering USA

The Gathering USA is a ministry of evangelism, discipleship and mission opportunities for men. The Gathering was begun by Dr. John Tolson in 1978. Alarmed by the lack of spiritual direction men were providing for their families and the alarmingly low number of men attending church, John developed an appealing and effective way to reach men for Christ by mobilizing Christian men to invite their friends to a non-threatening outreach event in a secular setting. Typically 500 to 2000 men would attend, including business, professional and government leaders in the community.

The Gathering was officially formed in 1987 in Orlando, Florida, when Larry Kreider came on board as President. Laymen from a number of cities were trained to setup and run a Gathering of Men in their own city. The Gathering has worked closely with local churches and encouraged men to get involved in the church of their choice.

In 1989, a group of men met with John Tolson and Larry Kreider to consider developing an affiliate of The Gathering USA in Palm Beach County. They decided there was a need to develop a ministry to men and in the Fall 1989 the first event was held: an Outreach Breakfast with Pat Williams. The ministry continued to grow, but the Steering Committee believed more could be accomplished with a full time director. In 1998, Bob Schuemann who was part of the initial group of men, was selected for that role. In 2015, Bob Schuemann retired and passed the leadership of the ministry to Dennis DeMarois.

In 2017, Gathering Palm Beach County was formed and constituted as an independant and local 501 (C) non-denominational Christian ministry. Gathering Palm Beach County continues to be affiliated with The Gathering USA, headquartered in Orlando, FL. To learn more about The Gathering USA and it's other affiliated cities please checkout their website: The Gathering USA