Sunday morning, April 11, I had the privilege of connecting with Dr. Steve Bray and his team at LifeSpring Church first at the north campus in their 9:30 service and then with the south campus in the 11 a.m. service. Both campuses are coming back strong from the challenges of the past year. Dr. Bray was preaching at the north campus and Pastor Ryan VanMatre was preaching at the south campus. Both sites are focusing on the theme of “Breakthrough” and today’s message talked about getting into God’s Word so that God’s Word gets into you with its transformational impact.
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Sunday afternoon, I joined Pastor Claudia Silva and the team at Casa del Alfarero. This wonderful Hispanic congregation was planted through the generosity of the LifeSpring Church team and Sister Claudia is in her 13th year of ministry here. It was a blessing to bring the message from God’s Word with Rev. Silva translating.
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On my way from Richmond to Anderson, I stopped by to check in on Pastor Jerome Bell and the launch team at Pendleton Autumn Hills Church. They are meeting on Sunday nights for vision casting and team building. Jayne is one of their outstanding volunteers and it was fun to see some of the remodeling work she’s been helping with to welcome children. Pray with Pastor Bell and his team as they prepare to launch in the new school year.
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My last stop of the day was to chair a congregational meeting at Anderson Lone Oak Wesleyan Church. Pastor Steve Binns has announced his resignation so it was helpful for the LBA to hear from members of the congregation before launching into the pastoral search process. We had a helpful conversation about the current realities and future hopes of this congregation. Like many other churches, attendance is about 50% of their pre-pandemic average but there is a committed core of faithful, generous members.
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Many of us have been praying with the pastoral search team at Fishers Waterline Church through the past year. This morning, the search team presented their recommended candidate to become the next lead pastor. Rev. Scott Rhyno, who has served so well this year as their transitional pastor, has agreed to allow his name to be voted on at their annual local church conference on April 25.
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Scott served as the lead development officer for our Wesleyan denomination and before that as Vice President for Enrollment and Development at Kingswood University. He and Rev. Elizabeth Rhyno, his wife, also have previous pastoral experience on the team at Presque Isle Wesleyan Church in Maine. Please pray for Waterline and the Rhyno family as they prepare for the congregational vote on April 25.
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Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations on Wednesday with Rev. Johnnie Blair (Tipton Trinity), Rev. Logan Westrick (Tipton Ash Street), and Rev. Harold Henson (Colfax Wesleyan). Pastor Henson gets the prize for arriving on the best set of wheels that day with his beloved Harley Davidson motorcycle. You won’t be surprised to learn that Harold also finds his bike to be a great opener for witnessing conversations.
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Wednesday evening, Sherry and I had the delightful opportunity to share supper and hear the testimony of Amanda Banter, Global Partners missionary to the Czech Republic. Amanda has an incredible story of God’s grace and His calling to serve with Global Partners. She has been an active part of the ministry team at River Church for the past five years and is now in the support-raising phase of her appointment with GP. If you’ve not yet had the privilege of having Amanda share with your congregation, she still has some open Sundays before she heads overseas this fall. You can learn more about Amanda and how to join her support team through Global Partners: https://www.globalpartnersonline.org/missionary/wm04-0433/
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Wesley Seminary and Indiana Wesleyan University held their board meetings this past week. I have enjoyed serving with Dr. Colleen Derr and the board of Wesley Seminary for the past few years. These are good days for the seminary with global expansion through their Spanish-language degree programs. The IWU Board of Trustees met for committee assignments via Zoom on Thursday and then the full board convened online for a full-day agenda on Friday. These are challenging days for Christian higher education and President Wright welcomes our prayers as he diligently leads the IWU team to fulfill their mission.
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Nothing is more exciting than receiving reports from our churches of lives being transformed by the Gospel! I’ve enjoyed receiving texts and photos from our pastors as their congregations are celebrating baptisms. This weekend alone, I’ve received word of six baptisms at Fairmount Wesleyan (Pastor Jeff Luedtke), 4 baptisms at Cicero United (Pastor Allen Gross), 3 baptisms at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan (Pastor Mark Atkinson), and another amazing story of redemption from ReThink Church in Merrillville (Pastor Marc Ulrich). One of the highlights of this year’s district conference (June 26 at the IWU Chapel) will be the pictures of baptisms celebrated across our district since our last conference. If you have photos to share, please send them along to Woody: communications@crossroadsdistrict.org
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Assistant DS Pastor Mike Colaw and the team at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church will be hosting the inaugural Veritas Pastors’ Conference on May 22. Crossroads District is pleased to help sponsor this event that will equip pastors to better understand and address key cultural issues. Registration is free for Crossroads District pastoral staff members so register today:
https://encountertrinity.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/783945

Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom. What you do matters for eternity!
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​Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

For most of our churches, this was the first opportunity to publicly celebrate Easter since 2019. I am grateful for every leader who prayed hard and worked hard to make this weekend a wonderful time of regathering. It was a blessing for me to worship with four of our Crossroads District churches today. My first stop was at the 8:45 service hosted by Pastor Matthew Trexler and The River Church in Marion.
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The highlight of the morning for Pastor Matthew was baptizing Lydia, his youngest daughter in the 10 a.m. service. The River was also glad to have access to 80+ spaces in their new parking lot. My second stop was at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church for their 10 a.m. worship service. Pastor Tony Bye and his team offered three times for worship and their services featured a choir from their student ministries.
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My third stop of the day was at Mississinewa High School to join Pastor Mark Atkinson and the team from Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church for their combined 11 a.m. worship gathering in the basketball gymnasium. They welcomed more than 400 in attendance with 12 people coming forward to publicly confess their faith in Christ.
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My last stop of the day was with Pastor Mike and Elizabeth Weller who are launching Restoration Church in downtown Anderson. This was their first public gathering and they had beautiful weather for this outdoor service. Pastor Mike shared a challenging message and several people responded to his invitation for prayer. Dr. Ed Love, Rev. Mike Hewitt, Rev. Steve Binns and I were there to represent the Crossroads District team. Restoration Church will be meeting in the park on the first Sunday evening of each month and meeting in their facility for supper church on the other Sundays of the month. Please keep Pastor Mike and his team in your prayers as they begin hosting these weekly services.
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Some of our churches hosted Maundy Thursday services and others gathered on Good Friday. Rev. Mark Schnell, Assistant Pastor for Preaching and Congregational Care, preached the Good Friday service at Hartford City Wesleyan Church. This was our first opportunity to sit under his preaching since he officially joined the pastoral staff on April 1. We are grateful to have Pastor Mark serving on the team at Hartford City and look forward to his ministry!
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Saturday afternoon, I was able to drop in on Pastor Lee and Jennifer Miller as Muncie Crossover Church (launching this fall) hosted an Easter outreach event at Camp Red Wing. Pastor Lee shared exciting stories of the connections that were made with unchurched families. Total headcount including volunteers was more than 180!
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Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations with Rev. Tim Becker (Elwood Main Street), Rev. Greg Holmes (South Bend Sonlight), Rev. Matthew Trexler (Marion River), Rev. Brian Williams (Swayzee Sims Wesleyan), and Rev. Matthew Stewart (Sweetser Wesleyan). A highlight of the week for me was our Maundy Thursday evening prayer gathering for pastors via Zoom. Thank you to every pastor who was able to join us in praying for God’s anointing on our Easter weekend services.
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Congratulations to Pastor Andy and Leanza Riemersma (planting One Church in Westfield in FY2022) on the arrival last week of their first child, Alijana Ruth. We are pleased to hear that mother and daughter are both doing well. Welcome Alijana as the newest member of our Crossroads District pastoral family!
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Let’s support each other in prayer this week with a special focus on the follow-up ministries that will be taking place across our district in the next few days, especially for those who made public professions of faith in Christ.
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​Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Rev. Marc and Heather Ulrich lead ReThink Church, the Merrillville church planting project that they launched in partnership with the Crossroads District back in 2016. Merrillville has not been an easy place to plant, with several other church plants closing around them in the past five years. But Marc and Heather have been persistent in chasing the vision of disciples making disciples, not just producing a Sunday morning event.
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Both Marc and Heather are deeply involved in community public schools and continue to see fruit from their prayers and consistent witness. They have been training leaders and are ready to launch three new neighborhood-based micro-churches. Sunday morning will continue to be the rallying points for these teams of neighborhood missionaries. Please keep Marc, Heather, (Shad and Carson) and the ReThink Church in your prayers!
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Sunday evening, I had the privilege of installing Trevor O’Dell as the new pastor at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. Trevor is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and recently completed his ministry residence with Pastor Michael Hewitt at Rising Hope Church in Muncie. It was a delight to have Rev. Steve O’Dell, Trevor’s father, and Rev. Mark Schnell, Trevor’s uncle, to join us for this special service. After the service, the leadership team hosted a time of fellowship with Trevor’s family in the community room. (One fun fact that I learned yesterday was that Rev. Marc Ulrich was Trevor’s youth pastor at Woodland Church in Battle Creek, Michigan.) We’re excited to see what God has in store for Trevor, Ally and Joseph, their son, as they join the wonderful folks at Lancaster Wesleyan in reaching their community for Christ.
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Last week included coaching conversations on Wednesday with Rev. Jarod Osborne (Warsaw Pathway) and Rev. Kory Christensen (New Haven Impact), and on Thursday with Pastor Scott McDermid (Sheridan Six Point Church). I chaired the LBA meeting at Hartford City Wesleyan Church on Thursday evening and participated in a specially-called session of the General Board’s Executive Committee on Monday afternoon. Please join in prayer as preparations are made for the in-person General Board meeting coming up on May 4-5.

​This past weekend, including Palm Sunday, was a time for community outreach, baby dedications, and baptisms for our congregations. Sheridan Six Points was one of those churches that was able to host an Easter egg hunt in the beautiful weather we had on Saturday. They had a great turnout on Saturday with a good number of the children back to participate on Palm Sunday.

Pastor John Hannan and the team at CrossRoads Church in Union City took over Main Street with a Palm Sunday reenactment. The processional concluded at their church building with 37 children participating in this creative outreach. I celebrate our pastors and leadership teams who are willing to try “anything short of sin” to connect with people and build bridges for sharing the Good News!
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Pastor Kory Christensen and the team at Impact Church in New Haven had a wonderful day of celebration with five families presenting six children for dedication and one for baptism. Praise the Lord for families who prioritize the faith development of their children.
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The most important job of parenting is discipling your children to follow Jesus. There is a special joy for pastors when they have the privilege of baptizing their children who are publicly confessing their faith in Christ. Pastor Zach and Pastor Carla Working (Huntington Hope Rising) had that privilege yesterday as Emma took this step of faithful obedience. They were also encouraged by worship attendance with 97 adults and 34 children present for Palm Sunday.
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Special Invitation: All local church pastors in the Crossroads District will be joining together this Thursday, April 1, 8:00 p.m. for our Easter weekend ZOOM prayer meeting. We have a few key announcements when we first connect at 8 and then we’ll be breaking out in prayer groups to intercede on behalf of our Easter weekend ministries. Pastors will be receiving the Zoom link via email.
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​Thank you for all you are doing to advance the Kingdom this Easter week!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, I had the unique opportunity of worshiping with two of our congregations in neighboring communities. Lapel and Fishersburg share everything including the gas station, the post office, and their public schools. I joined Rev. Duane Summitt and the folks at Fishersburg Wesleyan Church for their service. Pastor Duane gave me a warm welcome and put me to work leading the congregational singing. Rev. Summitt is another of our district's many committed bi-vocational pastors.

Following that first service, I drove across town to Lapel Daybreak Church in time to hear Pastor Andy Cole preach a challenging message. After the service, it was good to catch up with retired pastor Rev. Richard Cole and to tour the remodeling project that they are close to completing. Driving away from these two different experiences, I was reminded again that it will take all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people among the 3 million yet to be reached here in Indiana.
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Monday morning, I dropped in on the Region 1 Leadership Cohort that Pastor Matthew Trexler (Region 1 Assistant DS) is leading at The River in Marion. It is great to see these leaders encouraging and cheering one another on in ministry. Rev. Clifton Ashlock and I reconnected over lunch. Clifton is semi-retired but stays active in DBMD and supply preaching for our churches. My last meeting of the day was with Rev. Bob McHenry who is leading the turnaround project at Marion Nelson Street. I was glad to hear that he’s providing opportunities for IWU students to preach and complete practicum requirements under his mentoring.
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Tuesday began with a special visit to Rev. Matthew Stewart (soon to be Dr. Stewart) who both leads the Sweetser Wesleyan Church and also teaches as an adjunct for IWU. It was a delight to connect with Matthew and the students in his Wesleyan Church History class. After class, I jumped online to participate in the monthly board meeting for Wesleyan Village in Brooksville, Florida. Dr. Don Maness is the president of Wesleyan Village and I deeply respect his leadership in this challenging season of ministry.

My commitments precluded me from being part of the Region 2 leadership event hosted on Tuesday morning by Rev. Mike Colaw (Region 2 Assistant DS) at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church. Seth, Carla, and Woody were able to take in this event featuring worship led by the Trinity team and an excellent presentation from Dr. Dan Poff (professor at IWU).
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Thank you to the pastors and spouses who joined us on Tuesday afternoon to support Rev. Allen Laws (pastor of Warren Wesleyan Church) at the funeral for Cheryl, his beloved wife. The service was held at the Jonesboro campus of Eastview Wesleyan. Allen and Cheryl (Richards) Laws had been active at Gas City Eastview Church before entering pastoral ministry. Special thanks to the Eastview team members who rallied around the Laws and Richards family. Please continue to support Pastor Allen and his family in your prayers.

Wednesday included an opportunity to meet with Rev. Jason Tash, one of our district StratOp facilitators. Jason’s full-time work is with Destiny Rescue but he graciously continues to serve our district churches by facilitating these weekend planning retreats. I was also able to connect with the leadership team at the Avon Nehemiah Church via Zoom on Wednesday evening. Rev. Seth Bye has been a great help to the church serving as their supply pastor through this time of transition.

Thursday, I joined our team online for District Conference 2022 planning. Please mark your calendars for June 25-26, Friday-Saturday. We will be convening at the IWU Chapel for the Friday evening ordination service and the Saturday conference sessions. Dr. Steve Bray (LifeSpring Church) and I met in Richmond over lunch for our annual coaching conversation. These are good days at LifeSpring with wonderful stories of life transformation.
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Thursday afternoon, I joined with my DS colleagues in the Heartland Region as the planning moves forward for our next regional gathering in Pigeon Forge, TN on March 29-31, 2022. The response to our last regional gathering was overwhelmingly positive and we’re looking forward to another encouraging event with our neighboring districts. It is a joy to work with these colleagues!
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Thursday evening, the district nominating committee reconvened. We met last year just before the pandemic lockdown began. With the postponement of last year’s general and district conference, the committee had some additional work to complete. Thank you to Cindy Horn and the team at Gas City Eastview for hosting our meeting.

Friday included two helpful meetings in the morning but the highlight of the day definitely was hosting our Spanish-speaking pastors and their spouses for an evening of fellowship at our home in Upland. It was a blessing to host these 22 brothers and sisters who are serving so effectively across our district. Praise the Lord that He is raising up leaders and opening doors for more church planting among our Spanish-speaking neighbors!
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Many of you have been joining me in prayer for pastoral transitions. We know that few decisions in the life of a congregation are more significant than the calling of a new pastor. God has been answering those prayers as two of our churches have voted to call new pastors and have announced the acceptance of their call. Rev. Martin Furrow has accepted the call to move from being the assistant pastor to becoming the lead pastor at Rochester The Cross, following the upcoming retirement of Rev. Mike Cloud. Join us in praying for God’s blessing on Pastor Martin and Misty Furrow.
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Indianapolis Southview Wesleyan Church is delighted to announce that Rev. Nathan Richardson has accepted their call to become their next pastor, following the retirement of Rev. Rick Matthews. This past year, after seven years of effective ministry in Iowa, Nathan and Jennifer have been actively involved at Greentown Wesleyan Church, Jenny’s home church. We’re glad to welcome them back home to Indiana and pray for God’s blessing as they prepare to lead the team at Southview Wesleyan in a new chapter of Kingdom impact.

We are rejoicing this week with Pastor Matthew Stewart and the team at Sweetser Wesleyan Church as they celebrated a wonderful story of life transformation and a public profession of faith in baptism yesterday! I know many of our churches are planning baptism services in the next few weeks. Please do pass along stories and photos so we can celebrate with you!
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Just a gentle reminder that we are hosting an “All Pastors” prayer gathering on Thursday evening, April 1, at 8:00 p.m. to cover our Easter weekend services in a shared time of intercession. We’ll gather online first as an entire district team and then break out into smaller groups for specific points of prayer. Thank you in advance for making this a priority.
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​My devotional reading this morning included 1st Samuel 14:6 (NLT) with these encouraging words: “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few.” God moved on behalf of Jonathan and his armor bearer that day and they were victorious although outnumbered 10 to 1. Let’s move forward in faith this week to press the battle for the souls of the 3 million in our harvest field!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

One of the highlights of our district partnership with local churches is providing a pathway of preparation for those who are answering the call of God. The DBMD (District Board of Ministerial Development) receives candidates who are recommended by their local church as possessing the grace, gifts, and fruit of one called to the ministry of Word and sacrament. The journey of these called individuals includes ministry experiences, academic preparation, and careful examination each year by the DBMD. The process culminates in the DBMD’s recommendation for ordination. The General Superintendent, assisted by the Ordination Council, conducts the ordination service on behalf of the entire denominational family of The Wesleyan Church.
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Last evening, General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt led us in the ordination of Rev. Elizabeth Rhyno, assistant pastor at Fishers Waterline Church. General Superintendent Emerita Dr. JoAnne Lyon, one of Elizabeth’s valued mentors, offered the prayer of enduement. Rev. Rhyno completed her preparation and was originally approved for ordination last summer. At that time, Elizabeth was caring for her ailing mother in Canada and pandemic restrictions at the border precluded her participation. The ordination service hosted last evening by Waterline Church at Wesleyan Headquarters was a beautiful celebration of God’s calling women and men to leadership in the Church.

Sunday afternoon, I met with Pastor Joe Jackson and the LBA at Anderson United Wesleyan Church as they prepare for their vote on the renewal of call. Pastor Jackson and his team were still celebrating that morning’s service in which they welcomed 16 new members!
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Sunday morning, I enjoyed being part of the team at Hartford City Wesleyan Church where I’m serving in a limited capacity as their interim pastor. In addition to hosting the service and leading in the Lord’s Supper, they also let me sit in with the worship team band. We were delighted to welcome Rev. Mark Schnell as our guest speaker yesterday in our “Through the Bible in a Year” series. We are also pleased to announce the Rev. Schnell has agreed to join the Hartford City team beginning in April as our Pastor of Preaching and Congregational Care. Mark and Sharie Schnell are both gifted leaders and will make a significant impact on this ministry. Mark will continue to teach ministry classes for Indiana Wesleyan University.
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While I am always excited to get back on the road working with our team here in the Crossroads District, it was great to take a week of vacation with Sherry as we celebrated our 37th anniversary in Florida. We shared supper with Pastor David and Suzanne Cox (Laketon Wesleyan) who were also vacationing at Brooksville, spent time with my father and his wife, reconnected with Dr. John and Patty Bray at their new home in Parrish, FL and worshiped at The Church Experience with Rev. Brandon and Jennifer (Dongell) Bruce. Jennifer is Dr. Oliver Dongell’s daughter (Ollie pastors Plymouth Wesleyan). Sandy beaches and sunny skies are a great way to unwind.
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​Our pastors are running hard but it is also important for all of us to take time to recharge our batteries. There are still a few matching grants available for our pastors to participate in our Rest Well Initiative: ​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/restwellinitiative.html

Praise the Lord for more reports of lives being #madenew! Pastor Mark and the team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan are celebrating stories of redemption with two more baptisms on Sunday, March 14.
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Pastor Oliver Dongell and the team at Plymouth Wesleyan Church are celebrating the redemption stories of six men who were baptized last Sunday, March 7. Pictured below are five of those new brothers in Christ!
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There is still time for your team to plan a baptism service at your church for people who come to Christ in this Easter season. Please share those stories and pictures so we can pass them along to the team.

Our sympathies and prayers are extended to Rev. Allen Laws and his family on the passing of his wife, Mrs. Cheryl Laws. Funeral arrangements were shared with our pastors over the weekend. We will gather on Tuesday, March 16, 1 p.m., at the Jonesboro campus of Eastview Wesleyan Church to celebrate Cheryl’s life and to share our resurrection hope. Visitation with the family will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the church.
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Our congratulations to Rev. David and Rev. Emily Hines on the arrival last week of the newest member of our Crossroads District pastoral family, Petra Anastasia Hines. Emily serves on the District Board of Administration and she and David are both members of the staff team at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church.
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​Thank you for all you are doing to advance the Kingdom of God!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, February 28, I had the privilege of worshiping at Columbia City New Hope Church with Pastor Shane and Jill Wilson. There was a wonderful spirit of worship in both the 9 and 10:30 gatherings and I enjoyed preaching to this responsive congregation. Their “in person” Sunday services are rebounding with 60 percent or more of their pre-pandemic attendance. Pastor Shane has done a remarkable job of leading the congregation, first through the leadership transition from Jason Tash and now through the pandemic. New Hope Church has a vibrant and community-impacting ministry.
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Elkhart Cielos Abiertos Iglesia Wesleyana had a beautiful service of commissioning on Sunday afternoon as Pastor Eliorgy and Zoriada Guerrero passed the mantle of leadership to Jose and Angiee Cardenas. I was blessed to be part of this commissioning service and to bring a message from God’s Word. Rev. and Mrs. Guerrero will be moving to Tennessee and are in contact with DS Aaron Sherman about planting a church in Chattanooga. The Guerrero’s planted this church in Elkhart three years ago and then commissioned Pastor Ruben and Susana Santos to plant a new church in South Bend just this past year before answering God’s call to Tennessee. They have another couple in the Elkhart congregation that is answering the call to church planting and prayerfully seeking God’s direction for open doors. This service was a beautiful demonstration of an Acts 13 moment in a multiplying church!
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Sunday evening, I enjoyed meeting with Rev. Don Bayne and the LBA at New Carlisle Wesleyan Church, on the west side of South Bend. Pastor Bayne has served effectively at New Carlisle for 26 years. He is both loved and respected by his leadership team. Their next baptism service is planned for this coming Sunday!
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Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations on Tuesday and Wednesday with Rev. Tony Bye (Marion Brookhaven Church), Rev. Steve Colter (Marion Chapel Pike), and Rev. Brad LeRoy (McCordsville Harvest Church). While I was at Brookhaven, I had a chance to speak with Rev. Michelle Henry who was celebrating 77 children present on Sunday morning, more than they were averaging pre-pandemic. Churches that regather well will be making youth and children’s ministry a high priority.

Monday morning, I joined Rev. Luis Martinez and the team at Impacto for an online staff retreat. It would certainly have been more enjoyable to spend time with them in Guatemala, but I was glad to be able to share a seminar with them from Galatians 6:9 on faithfulness in ministry. Adam and Stacy Griner, also from our Crossroads District, led music for worship.
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Monday evening, I was glad to meet with Rev. Jarod Osborne and the LBA at Warsaw Pathway Community Church. Pastor Jarod leads a strong team with a great heart for the community. I am grateful for the many outstanding lay leaders who invest in the life and ministry of our churches.
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I drove out to St. Louis on Wednesday evening for a series of sessions with district superintendent colleagues on Thursday and Friday. These are challenging days in our culture and the church is not immune to the conflict and controversies around us. We were blessed to have General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt join us for most of our Friday morning session. We concluded our time together with prayer for Dr. Schmidt and by participating in Holy Communion.

I came away encouraged by the unwavering commitment to our Articles of Religion and the other doctrinal statements of our church. There is no question that our resolve will be tested in the years ahead, but we stand on solid Biblical theology and orthodox moral principles. We are bound together in the vision of making disciples and multiplying gatherings to spread hope and holiness that transforms lives, churches, and communities.
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The memorial passed by our DBA last month was evidence of our desire to be proactive rather than reactive. There is no legislation proposed anywhere in the church to change our doctrinal positions. Our goal is simply to create maximum incentive for our beloved denomination to stay faithful in the face of enormous societal pressure to compromise in the future. Let’s work and pray to that end!
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In other news across the district family, Pastor Dan Clark received and accepted a four-year renewal of call from the unanimous vote of the members at Monon Wesleyan Church. We are grateful for Dan’s willingness to faithfully preach the Word and serve well even while undergoing cancer treatment.

Rev. Josh Bowlin was selected as the next senior pastor for Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church upon the retirement of Rev. Steve Colter at the end of the church conference year in 2022. This is part of a succession plan developed by Rev. Colter and the LBA last fall. Rev. Bowlin came to Christ through the ministry of Chapel Pike, was mentored by Rev. Colter, served with Global Partners, and currently serves on staff at East City Wesleyan Church in Auckland, New Zealand. Rev. Bowlin and his family will come on staff at Chapel Pike in January and then he will be installed as Senior Pastor on April 24, 2022. We are excited to welcome the Bowlins back home to the Crossroads District and congratulate Chapel Pike on this important step in the succession process.
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We’re rejoicing this week with Pastor Dan Fisher and the team at Delphi Wesleyan Church as they celebrated four baptisms on Sunday morning. Praise God for lives being #madenew!

We are also rejoicing with Richmond LifeSpring Church as they celebrated 11 baptisms last weekend. Six of those were at the South Campus and five were at the North Campus. I’m glad that Covid-19 cannot stop the forward progress of God’s Kingdom!
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Congratulations to Rev. Calimerio and Maria Rodriguez (Frankfort Templo de Poder) on the arrival of their first granddaughter, Linora, born to Mikayla and Ezequiel (their son) Rodriguez this weekend!
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Congratulations to Rev. Shawnda Dykhoff Bilbee (pastor of Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church) on her wedding this past Saturday to Mr. Kyle Bilbee with Rev. Mark Atkinson (Eastview Wesleyan) officiating. Shawnda is also the daughter of another Crossroads District pastor, Rev. Ken Dykhoff (on staff with Mark at Eastview Wesleyan).
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​Please continue to pray for Pastor Allen Laws as he cares for Cheryl, his wife, at home. Her medical condition is not improving and we are joining them seeking God for His grace and strength.

Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, February 21, I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Barry and Joyce Dixon and the wonderful congregation at Indianapolis Calvary Family Church. Pastor Barry has served the church for more than a decade and also serves on our District Board of Administration. The church has been challenged this year with the loss of senior members to Covid-19.
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After their 9 a.m. worship service, Pastor Dixon and I met with the Local Board of Administration. Pastor Dixon’s gifted children, Barry Jr. and Dee, join him in the inspiring worship ministry of the church. We look forward to having them lead us in worship at our 2021 District Conference, June 26.

The early service at Calvary Family Church made it possible for me to arrive at Fishers Waterline Church in time to hear Assistant Pastor Elizabeth Rhyno preach the lead-off sermon in their new series on the Apostles’ Creed and to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent, will lead the special ordination service for Elizabeth Rhyno on Sunday evening, March 14, 6 p.m., at Waterline Church. We look forward to having as many of our district pastors as possible join us for this sacred occasion.
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Sunday afternoon, I chaired the Local Church Conference for Muncie Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church. This is an important time of transition for Memorial as they send out several members to be part of the new Crossover Community Church planting team and also begin their pastoral search process.

Sunday evening, I was able to drop in on two of our newest churches. Rev. Mike Weller and his team are launching Restoration Church on Meridian Street in downtown Anderson. They are using a dinner church model, meeting around tables to share a meal and conversations before the message.
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My last stop of the day was to check in with Rev. Jerome Bell and members of his launch team who are gathering on Sunday evenings to pray and plan for the launching of Autumn Hills Church in Pendleton. It was a joy to pray with them and hear some of the stories of how God is at work through their team.
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Last week’s schedule included LBA meetings with Greenfield Browns Chapel Wesleyan on Monday, Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan on Wednesday, and Hartford City Wesleyan on Thursday. I come away from these meetings with a deep appreciation for our many lay leaders who generously invest their time, talents and treasure in the ministry of our churches. These valued volunteers are so often the unsung heroes of our ministry. I also enjoyed my coaching conversations last week with Rev. Duane Seitz (Silver Lake Wesleyan) and Rev. Dan Clark (Monon Wesleyan).

Our District Board of Administration met in Pendleton on Thursday. We had a broad ranging discussion on matters from the strong participation in our “Rest Well Initiative” to a new memorial for General Conference that would allow churches a path to withdraw from the denomination if changes were made to affirm homosexual relations or to approve same-sex marriage. The DBA also reviewed the 360 degree DS evaluation. I am grateful for this feedback and appreciate the willingness of so many of our pastors to participate in this year’s anonymous feedback survey.
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The highlight of our DBA meeting was the opportunity to hear from Pastor Andy and Leanza Riemersma who are answering the call to plant a new church in Westfield. Rev. Mike Colaw, Assistant DS for Region 2, presented the couple and the project proposal. The DBA unanimously approved “One Church” as the new project and appointed Pastor Riemersma to lead this new ministry as a launch from Trinity Wesleyan Church. Pastors will receive additional information from the DBA meeting including an exciting opportunity for us to be part of the GROW conference at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, July 27-29.

Friday evening, Sherry and I had the pleasure of hosting pastors and spouses for the Fort Wayne Zone fellowship supper. We shared delightful conversations and a delicious meal at Ziano’s. The highlight of our time together is hearing how God is at work in our families and ministries. We were also blessed to be able to pray for one another. Special thanks to Pastor Andy Jellison for making our arrangements!
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Special thanks to Jessica Folz, Crossroads District Youth President, and her team for hosting this year’s FUEL event at Lakeview Wesleyan Church on Saturday. It was good to stop by and see the cross section of youth and children’s ministry leaders who gathered from across our district family.
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We’re rejoicing with Lapel Daybreak Church as they celebrated three baptisms this morning! This is Lead Pastor Andy Cole with Amber, a young lady that he led to the Lord last month. Praise God for lives being #madenew! There is still time for your church to plan a baptism service as we move into the Easter season.
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Dr. Wilbur Williams, beloved professor and mentor, passed away on Tuesday, February 16, after serving the IWU community for more than 50 years, teaching over 17,000 students and completing almost 200 tours of Israel. Our sympathy and prayers are extended to Mrs. Ardelia Williams, her family and their many friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced.
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We also extend our prayers and sympathies to Mrs. Eula May (Metz) Carr and the family of Rev. Richard Carr, retired pastor and educator. Rev. Carr passed away on February 16. Rev. Carr pastored Wesleyan churches in Michigan, Florida and Indiana. He also taught public school for 44 years. Visitation will be Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Wesleyan Church, 2406 Delaware St., Anderson with the funeral service at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Jerry Alexander officiating.

​Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, February 14, I joined interim pastor Rev. Jeff Brady and the team at Level 13 for worship. After the service, I led a brief congregational meeting to review progress and affirm new members for their leadership team. The church is regaining strength after an unexpected pastoral transition and the shared challenges of Covid-19.
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Rev. Brady has been very helpful in providing preaching for Sundays and a shepherds heart for the team. Jeff has been leading them in the annual membership renewal affirmation with 31 people already joining or reaffirming membership. Pray with the leadership team at Level 13 as they move forward in their pastoral search process.

Sunday afternoon, I met with Dr. Oliver Dongell and the LBA at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. It was good to connect with this team and hear about recent praise points with new families becoming part of the congregation. Pastor Ollie has served the church effectively for the past 18 years and is embracing the challenge of relaunching the church this summer. Pastor Dongell set the stage for a productive conversation with the board on the importance of succession planning. The board voted unanimously to recommend a two-year call and to initiate a succession planning process.
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Fishers Waterline Church celebrated their 10th anniversary on Sunday with founding pastors John and Danielle Freed returning as special guests. Interim pastor Rev. Scott Rhyno and the Waterline team put together a well-attended and very creative celebration of Waterline’s ministry for the past 10 years. Among the highlights reported were more than 40 people called to ministry, more than 400 decisions for Christ, and 173 baptisms in these first 10 years. John and Danielle are off to a great start in their new assignment of leading the church planting efforts for the Great Lakes District. The Freeds did an outstanding job at Waterline and we miss having them as part of our district team. Pray for Waterline as they continue the search for their next lead pastor.

Last week began with an annual check-up with my cardiologist on Monday morning. I’m thankful for another positive report and one less medication to take. Dr. Craig Dunn (CEO of Wesleyan Investment Foundation and Wesleyan Pension Fund) and I enjoyed catching up over lunch. He has a unique vantage point on the church in North America in his work with leading churches. I’m grateful for his deep commitment to the work of The Wesleyan Church and for his wise counsel.

Tuesday morning, I met with Pastor Mark Atkinson for an update on Ronda’s recovery and his ministry at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan. Rev. Matthew Trexler, Assistant DS, and I met in his office at The River Church to review the feedback from DBA members and lead pastors across the district as part of my annual DS evaluation. The full DBA will receive the report at this week’s meeting. Thank you to each one who took time to provide their input. Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
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Tuesday evening, I met with Rev. Matthew Stewart and the LBA at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. Matthew is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors. In addition to farming and teaching as an adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, Pastor Matthew is also completing his PhD in organizational leadership. It was good to catch up with the Sweetser team and hear how God has been working even in the craziness of the past 12 months. The’ve added a new children’s ministry director (part-time) and are celebrating two decisions for Christ in this new year.

Wednesday, I was on the road to meet with Rev. Don Bayne (New Carlisle Wesleyan Church) for our annual coaching conversation. The church is making good progress including an innovative Christmas school break VBS serving up to 25 children and they have a baptism service scheduled for March 7. Dr. Oliver Dongell and I met on Wednesday afternoon at his office in Plymouth in preparation for the LBA meeting referenced earlier.

My last meeting on Wednesday was with Pastor Ben Jones and the LBA at Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church. This historic congregation is located near Potato Creek State Park, just east of North Liberty. Pastor Ben is completing his initial two-year call and the LBA was enthusiastic in their support for his upcoming four-year call. I’m grateful for Pastor Ben’s effective bi-vocational ministry!
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Thursday morning, Rev. Aldean Pablo (Fort Wayne/Roanoke SEND Church) and I met via ZOOM for our annual coaching conversation. While a pandemic might not be the optimal time for church planting, Aldean has seen God open doors in unusual ways. An existing campus of a larger Fort Wayne church was given the opportunity to become part of the new church plant. With the blessing of the main campus, this campus voted 52-1 to join in as part of SEND Church. They are still working out the details but the plan is coming together for relaunching in a permanent facility at the beginning of the new school year. Pray for wisdom and unity!

Pastor Steve Arnett (New Castle Mount Zion) and I met in Muncie for our annual coaching conversation. Pastor Steve has experienced God’s touch and recovered from significant health challenges in the past year. He is excited about the progress at the church, including a major remodel of their children’s ministry area. Pastor Steve has one of the most effective membership affirmation plans in our district so don’t hesitate to connect with him if you have questions.

My last meeting of the day was with Rev. Matthew Trexler (Region 1 – Fort Wayne and surrounding areas), Rev. Michael Colaw (Region 2 – Indy and surrounding areas), and Rev. Chris Williams (Region 3 – Lafayette and surrounding areas), who each serve as assistant district superintendents. We met in Kokomo for an encouraging time of collaboration. In addition to providing wise counsel for our team, each of these leaders intentionally invests in other leaders in their region. Another key contribution is the way they champion church planters and the new projects launching in their regions. We are better together!

We held our Crossroads District staff meeting in Marion on Friday morning at Abbey Coffee. After that helpful time with Seth, Carla and Woody, I drove down to Anderson to meet with a prospective pastoral recruit over lunch. Before the afternoon was over, I was also able to connect with Pastor Steve Binns (Anderson Lone Oak Wesleyan) for a ministry update. My last appointment of the day was a call with another pastoral prospect. God is raising up laborers for His harvest!

Saturday was a welcomed day of sabbath rest at our house.
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82 pastors have already completed initial applications for Rest Well! Don’t miss out on your opportunity for intentional renewal. The Crossroads District is providing up to 100 grants of $475 for a pastor and their spouse to invest in a retreat of two nights or more. Just complete the learning resources and planning tools we’ve provided to make this time as profitable as possible. When you complete your retreat, the Thrive Initiative has an additional $500 matching grant available with a second set of learning resources. ​If your church also agrees to participate in this initiative (i.e. paying down ministerial student loans, topping up retirement, fitness equipment), additional matching funds up to $500 are available. For more details, please follow this link:
​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/restwellinitiative.html

We’re celebrating baptisms again with week! Pastor David Cox shared the good news of two more baptisms at Laketon Wesleyan Church this past Sunday. What a privilege to witness the joy of lives being #madenew by the gospel of Jesus Christ!
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​Please continue to pray for Pastor Dan Clark (Monon Wesleyan Church) and Mrs. Cheryl Laws (wife of Rev. Allen Laws, pastor of Warren Wesleyan) both of whom are fighting courageous battles with cancer. Cheryl was moved home from the hospital over the weekend and is now receiving hospice care.

Our sympathies and prayers are extended to Rev. Bob Burchell, (DBMD member and Director of Chaplain Ministries for IWU Global and National) on the passing of his mother, Mrs. Gloria Anderson on February 9. The family was able to gather for the memorial service that was conducted in Wisconsin on Saturday, February 13.

Our sympathies and prayers are also extended to retired General Superintendent Dr. Thomas Armiger, Jr. and to our own Rev. Jeremy Armiger (pastor of Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan Church) on the news that Mr. Thomas Armiger, Sr., Jeremy’s grandfather, died on Sunday, March 7. Dr. Armiger lived nearby his father in Kissimmee, Florida. Funeral arrangements will be made in the next few months with hopes that more family members will soon be able to gather in person.

We are also requesting prayer for Rev. Kaleb Wakeman, Pastor of Worship Arts at The River Church. Kaleb was hospitalized in Marion over the weekend and then was transferred ​to Indianapolis where he will be in surgery today.

Thank you for making a difference in the only cause that counts for all of eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Eric and Amanda Roemer at Greentown Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning, February 7. I brought greetings from our district team and then we enjoyed lunch with Eric, Amanda, and their 3 beautiful children. One of the highlights of their service was the testimony time with people sharing reports of God’s healing grace and the positive impact of the Men’s Conference that they hosted on Saturday.
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Sunday evening, I dropped in on the youth group at Hartford City Wesleyan Church as they hosted their annual “Souper Bowl” Party. They had a good turnout of teenagers with parents and youth sponsors serving a delicious array of soups and chili.
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Pastor Mike Hewitt and the Muncie Rising Hope team held their annual planning retreat on Friday evening and all day Saturday at our home in Upland. The StratOp retreat was facilitated by Rev. Jason Tash. Rising Hope has done an amazing job of finding creative ways to minister through the pandemic. I am deeply grateful for Pastor Michael and Kim Hewitt and their family who moved to Muncie just three years ago to plant what is now a thriving, community-impacting ministry.
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I worked from my Upland office on Monday and Tuesday, before hitting the road on Wednesday to meet with Pastor Dan Fisher and the LBA at Delphi Wesleyan Church. We connected for a review of Rev. Fisher’s extended call review and the LBA unanimously affirmed his continued service. While I was with them, I learned about a pizza fund raiser that they were conducting for a needy family in their community. The Delphi Wesleyan team worked hard on Saturday morning and assembled more than 300 pizzas with more than $1500 raised to bless this family.
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On Thursday, I was in Muncie and New Castle for annual coaching conversations with Rev. Michael Hewitt (Rising Hope) and Rev. Paul Walden (West 8th Street). My final meeting of the day was with the leadership team at Marion Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church. They are praying for God’s direction about decisions for their future ministry.

Our district office staff met in Marion on Friday. In addition to preparing for the February 18 meeting of our District Board of Administration, we’re already looking forward with anticipation to our 2021 District Conference. The ordination service will take place on Friday evening, June 25, and the regular business session will convene on Saturday, June 26, both on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.

We are excited to welcome Pastor Sia M’Bayo as the new Pastor for Community Outreach at Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church. She will be serving on staff with Rev. Chris Williams while she continues to work full-time as a program representative for Indiana Wesleyan University. Lakeview Church hosted a reception following the worship service on February 7 to introduce her to their church family.
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We were saddened to receive word that Mr. Rod Benson, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, had passed away this past week in Florida. Rod was an exemplary layman who actively served on boards and committees of The Wesleyan Church, including many years as district treasurer of the Indiana Central District and part of the team that navigated the creation of the Crossroads District. We extend our sympathies and prayers to Mrs. Kathie Benson, Rod’s wife, their family and Rod’s many friends across our district. The family is planning a celebration of life service in Brooksville on Friday.
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The Rest Well initiative is now officially opened to all ordained or licensed ministers, lead pastors and staff pastors, appointed to local church service in the Crossroads District. Over 40 lead pastors have taken steps to participate in this opportunity. We are excited about this practical way to bless our pastors. You are running hard in ministry but, to sustain long-term effectiveness, you also need to rest well.
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Attention all Crossroads District youth and children’s ministry leaders! Our District Youth President, Jessica Folz, is inviting you to join her for FUEL, the annual Wesleyan training event for these key ministry leaders. This year’s event will be hosted at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. This is a FREE event being held on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9am-12:30. Invite your volunteers, team members and children’s ministry people! For more information or to register, please follow the link below so they can know how many to expect:
https://www.lakeviewwesleyan.org/fuel

​Please continue to pray for Pastor Dan Clark (Monon Wesleyan Church) and Mrs. Cheryl Laws (wife of Rev. Allen Laws, pastor of Warren Wesleyan) both of whom are fighting courageous battles with cancer. We are grateful for answered prayers on behalf of members of our pastoral families who have recently recovered from Covid-19. We are encouraged that vaccinations are becoming more readily available.

Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

The meteorologist nailed this weather forecast! Many of our communities received their largest snowfall of the year overnight on Saturday. Chicagoland recorded their heaviest snowfall in 5 years. Following the example of John Wesley, who once walked his horse through a snow storm to keep his next preaching appointment, our local church leaders responded quickly to keep the message moving forward.

My appointment with Pastor Aldean Pablo at our SEND Church in Fort Wayne was rescheduled so I was able to join Pastor Tony Bye and the team at Brookhaven Wesleyan for worship in the earliest of the three services they offer.
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Most of our churches have already added an online worship option through the pandemic so they easily managed a simple snow day. Pastor Kyle Horton’s team at Fort Wayne Three Rivers Church planned to video their worship service before the snowfall and then creatively decided to welcome everyone to an “in person” experience on Saturday evening. Pastor Terry Vaughn, planting The Bridge Urban Church in South Bend, was able to report three new decisions for Christ in the Zoom breakout room following their online service.

Other churches were able to mobilize their snow removal teams and have the doors open on Sunday morning as scheduled. It is a blessing when, like Gas City Southside Wesleyan’s Rev. Brent Miller, our pastor has the biggest truck and a new snowplow.
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On Tuesday, I met with Rev. Theo Griffin, senior pastor at Greenfield Brown’s Chapel, as they prepare for the pastor call renewal. It was encouraging to hear how God has been at work this past year even with all of the challenges their church has faced. It was also good to reconnect with Assistant Pastor Ben Wade who was a student at Kingswood University while I served there.
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After joining the staff meeting at Hartford City Wesleyan on Tuesday afternoon, I joined Rev. Jason Tash at Level 13 in Fort Wayne. Jason is working with the leadership team for follow-up on their StratOp planning retreat. I am also grateful for Rev. Jeff Brady who is providing helpful interim ministry for Level 13 as they prepare for their pastoral search. Please join them in praying for God’s direction!
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Wednesday morning, I met with Rev. Dan VanCise, pastor of Marion’s 8th Street Wesleyan Church, for our annual coaching conversation. We met at the 9th Street Diner to catch up on their ministry and celebrate the two people who have recently come to faith. Pastor Dan is another of our faithful bi-vocational ministers.

Later in the morning, I met with Rev. Michael Colaw, Rev. Matthew Trexler, and Rev. Chris Williams, our three assistant district superintendents, for our monthly ZOOM check-in. We are blessed that these effective pastors serve our three regions by generously investing their time in leadership development and church multiplication.

Wednesday afternoon, Angela Spangler, Executive Director of Fairmount Camp, and I met for coffee and an interview as part of her final requirements for her Master of Divinity degree at Wesley Seminary. Angela has done a terrific job leading Fairmount through a challenging year. She also wanted to let our pastors know that she is available for pulpit supply. Following my meeting with Angela, I was also glad to connect with Rev. Bill Barlow, one of our district’s retired ministers. We’d not had a chance to sit down together since the funeral for Melody, his beloved wide. It was good to catch up and share in prayer.

Thursday morning, I met with Dr. Bob Hallett who has been serving as our interim pastor at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. Dr. Bob has a great heart to serve churches and will be available to assist other churches with capital campaigns or interim ministry. Lancaster Wesleyan has called Trevor O’Dell to be their new pastor. Trevor and Allison will begin their ministry in March after serving as residents with Rev. Mike Hewitt and the Rising Hope Church team in Muncie. Pray for the O’Dell’s as they begin their first lead pastor appointment. We’re excited to see what God has in store for Lancaster Wesleyan Church.
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Thursday morning, I met with Dr. Morris Jones, pastor of Lebanon Wesleyan Church, in his office for our annual coaching conversation. Morris faithfully serves as a bi-vocational pastor for Lebanon Wesleyan while working full-time with IUPUI.

Thursday evening, I met with Rev. Jeremy Armiger and the leadership team at Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan Church in preparation for their upcoming pastoral vote. It was good to see Mrs. Roxene Lo again, this time in her new capacity as Local Church Secretary on the LBA.
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Our district office staff meeting has moved to Fridays and it was good to catch up with Seth Bye, Carla Working and Michael (Woody) Wood. I’m blessed with a great team!

Saturday morning, I dropped in on the final gathering for the combined “21 Days of Prayer” led by Brookhaven’s Pastor Tony Bye, Lakeview Wesleyan’s Pastor Chris Williams, and The River Church’s Pastor Matthew Trexler. This was the first time that three of our churches have linked arms for this special prayer emphasis. What a great way to launch into the new year!
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The Rest Well initiative is now officially opened to all ordained or licensed ministers, lead pastors and staff pastors, appointed to local church service in the Crossroads District. Over 40 lead pastors have taken steps to participate in this opportunity. We are excited about this practical way to bless our pastors. You are running hard in ministry but, to sustain long-term effectiveness, you also need to rest well.

We are making available a $475 grant towards a retreat of two nights or more. Learning resources and planning tools are provided to make this time as profitable as possible. When you complete your retreat, the Thrive Initiative has a $500 matching grant available with a second set of learning resources.
​

​If your church also elects to participate in this initiative (i.e. paying down ministerial student loans, topping up retirement, fitness equipment), additional matching funds up to $500 are available. For the first month, this opportunity is only available to the first 100 solo or senior pastors that sign up. This opportunity will be made available to assistant pastors starting February 2, 2021.

For more details, please follow this link:
​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/restwellinitiative.html
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​Attention all Crossroads District youth and children’s ministry leaders! Our District Youth President, Jessica Folz, is inviting you to join her for FUEL, the annual Wesleyan training event for these key ministry leaders. This year’s event will be hosted at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. This is a FREE event being held on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9:00a-12:30p. Invite your volunteers, team members and children’s ministry people! For more information or to register, please follow the link below so they can know how many to expect.

​https://www.lakeviewwesleyan.org/fuel

Free resources: ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) Tax Guides: These books, originally prepared by Dan Busby (former General Treasurer of The Wesleyan Church), are now available as a free download. ECFA also provides helpful videos for the topics covered in these downloads. (You will be asked to register for a free account.)

Nonprofit and Church link: https://www.ecfa.org/TaxBooks/ChurchNPGuide.aspx

Minister Tax Guide: https://www.ecfa.org/TaxBooks/MinistersGuide.aspx

Video Page: https://www.ecfa.org/TaxBooks/Videos.aspx

Our prayers and sympathies are extended to Mrs. Lenita Bell, wife of church planter Jerome Bell (Pendleton Autumn Hills Church), and to her extended family upon the death of her father, Mr. Robert E. Wolfe who passed away on January 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Pastor Jerome Bell assisted in the funeral on Friday in Logan, Ohio.

Our prayers and sympathies are extended to Mrs. Joyce Dixon, who serves on staff with her husband, Rev. Barry Dixon, at Indianapolis Calvary Family Church, and to her extended family upon the death of her mother, Mrs. Myrtle Woolridge who passed away last week. Rev. Barry Dixon will assist in her funeral this weekend in Chicago.

Let’s keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,
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Mark Gorveatte
Crossroads District Superintendent