Boshart reappointed for a third term as AMBS President
Published: June 25, 2026
By Annette Brill Bergstresser
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — The Board of Directors of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Elkhart, Indiana; the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA); and the Joint Council of Mennonite Church Canada (MC Canada) are pleased to announce the reappointment of David Boshart, PhD, as President of AMBS for a third four-year term, beginning July 1, 2027.
A Presidential Review Committee formed by the AMBS Board and chaired by board member Peter Goerzen, MDiv, of North Newton, Kansas, recommended Boshart’s reappointment after leading a comprehensive review of his work. The process included conducting Appreciative Inquiry interviews with each of Boshart’s direct reports and surveying AMBS employees, students and board members as well as external partners such as church leaders, alumni and donors.
The AMBS Board expressed gratitude for the committee’s work and unanimously approved the nomination to reappoint Boshart on April 24, 2026, during its spring meeting at AMBS. In May, the leadership groups of the seminary’s two supporting denominations — the MC USA Executive Board and MC Canada Joint Council — gave unanimous approval as well.
“David’s vision, leadership, innovation, character and executive skills continue to guide progress toward AMBS’s mission and vision,” said AMBS Board Chair James Gunden of Sellersville, Pennsylvania. “We’ve seen AMBS’s operational performance and metrics grow stronger each year, along with its organizational culture. David has led the seminary to deeper engagement with our multinational Anabaptist conferences, denominations and church agencies.”
On behalf of the Presidential Review Committee, Goerzen reported that the review process showed overwhelming affirmation for Boshart’s leadership qualities — among them integrity, wisdom, pastoral compassion, and depth of faith — and widespread support for his reappointment.
“David helps the institution shift from problem-oriented thinking that focuses on deficits to strategic-oriented thinking that focuses on opportunities for innovation,” he noted, quoting from the committee’s report to the board. “His leadership sparks the generation of new ideas, and he energetically pursues new initiatives to launch and sustain them.”
The committee also named Boshart’s highly relational and collaborative leadership style — both within and beyond the institution; his gifts in teaching; his skills in listening and communication; and his calm and steady presence.
MC Canada leaders affirmed Boshart’s commitment to collaboration across the binational church, fostering shared vision and mutual support. His emphasis on grounded, Christ-centered formation aligns closely with MC Canada’s priorities and key initiatives, noted Geraldine Balzer, PhD, Moderator, on behalf of the MC Canada Joint Council.
“In an era marked by significant challenges, his leadership has helped position AMBS as a vital partner in nurturing faithful, resilient and mission-oriented leaders for congregations across North America and beyond,” she said. “His attentiveness to the diverse realities of the church in Canada, including intercultural engagement and emerging leadership needs, has been both encouraging and essential.”
Doug Klassen, Executive Minister of MC Canada, added, “In his leadership at AMBS, David brings together a vision for rigorous academic work within the larger calling of the church — forming leaders and communities equipped to bear God’s vision of shalom in the world. He leads with a rare clarity and a compelling sense of hope.”
During Boshart’s first and second terms, AMBS expanded and strengthened its global partnerships and launched four new programs to meet needs across the church. These include the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership, a customized Korean-language version of the Master of Arts: Theology and Global Anabaptism (in partnership with the Nehemiah Institute for Christian Studies in Seoul), the Spanish-language Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies (in partnership with Hispanic Ministries of Mennonite Church USA), and the Practical Leadership Training modules of the seminary’s Church Leadership Center.
Additionally, the seminary has seen six consecutive years of growth in enrollment. In September 2025, AMBS’s enrollment reached heights not seen for nearly 20 years, with 200 students (162 in graduate-level programs and 38 in the undergraduate-level nondegree Journey Missional Leadership Development Program). The seminary has also ended the past five fiscal years (including 2025–26) with operating budget surpluses.
“Serving as President of AMBS is a true privilege, and I am deeply grateful for the continued trust of our board and supporting churches,” Boshart reflected. “Even as the church and theological education navigate a season of profound change, I see clear paths for us to innovate and grow together. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated team as we live into the next chapter of AMBS’s mission with genuine hope.”
Boshart joined AMBS on Jan. 1, 2020, serving as the fourth president since Goshen Biblical Seminary and Mennonite Biblical Seminary incorporated as Associated (now Anabaptist) Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 1994. He had been a pastor for more than 25 years in Mennonite congregations in Iowa and Virginia and had served for 10 years as Executive Conference Minister of Central Plains Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. He also had served on the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board — including as Moderator (2017–19) — and on the AMBS Board.
Boshart earned a PhD in Leadership Studies with an emphasis in Missional Theology from the Andrews University (AU) School of Education in Berrien Springs, Michigan. His doctoral dissertation was published as Becoming Missional: Denominations and New Church Development in Complex Social Contexts (Wipf and Stock, 2010). He also earned a Master of Arts in Religion with a major in New Testament Theology from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and Theology from Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), both in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He has served as Appointed Associate Professor at the AU School of Education and as an adjunct faculty member at AMBS and EMU.
In addition to Goerzen, the 2026 AMBS Presidential Review Committee included board members Paul Bergen, MDiv, of Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada; Myrna Miller Dyck, MDiv, of Baden, Ontario, Canada; Stanley Green of Lake Elsinore, California; and Sue Neeb of Goshen, Indiana; an AMBS Teaching Faculty representative, Rachel Miller Jacobs, DMin, Associate Professor of Congregational Formation; an AMBS student representative, Feven Shimeles Hailu of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Michael Danner, DMin, Associate Executive Director for Church Vitality for MC USA (ex officio). Triest Fisher, MA, Executive Assistant for the President and Vice President/Academic Dean, provided administrative support. Goerzen expressed gratitude for the many people connected with AMBS who responded to the survey.
Located in Elkhart, Indiana, on ancestral land of the Potawatomi and Miami peoples, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, offering theological education for learners both on campus and at a distance as well as a wide array of lifelong learning programs — all with the goal of educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God’s reconciling mission in the world. ambs.edu
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