Sunday morning, January 19, I was blessed to worship with Rev. Dr. Oliver Dongell and the team at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. Pastor Dongell has served PWC since 2003. Last year, Plymouth Wesleyan averaged 620 in worship with 35 baptisms. They also have an active partnership with El Salvador that has resulted in 18 churches being planted.
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I enjoyed meeting with the LBA between the two morning services. After the second service, I enjoyed hosting Pastor and Mrs. Dongell for lunch. Several of our retired ministers are part of the Plymouth congregation including Rev. Charles Peacock, Rev. Steve and Wanda Cunnington, and Rev. Les & Kathy Kephart, my friends from our time serving together in Michigan. Wanda Cunnington has a serious health concern and welcomes our prayers as they continue tests.

Last week began with a Monday morning Region 1 Leadership Cohort meeting led by Assistant DS Matthew Trexler. I’m grateful for the leadership development opportunities that are underway in each of our regions. Monday evening, I was glad to meet with Pastor David Dignal and the LBA at Edgerton Wesleyan Church to lead the review of the extended call. Pastor Dignal’s ministry and extended call were enthusiastically affirmed.
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Tuesday morning, I joined the team at the River Church for their 6 a.m. prayer meeting, part of their 21 Days of Prayer to launch into the new year. Our district office staff meets on Tuesday mornings for planning and prayer. I am blessed to serve with Rev. Chris Williams, Mrs. Roxene Lo, and Rev. Seth Bye. Tuesday afternoon, I connected with Rev. Mike Cloud (via Zoom) in preparation for his upcoming pastoral vote. Tuesday evening, I met with Pastor Steve Binns and the LBA at Anderson Lone Oak. The LBA affirmed Steve’s leadership and voted to take some positive changes for the new year.

Wednesday morning, I was on the road to meet with Pastor Harold Henson at Colfax Wesleyan Church (just southeast of Lafayette). Pastor Henson is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors and doing a wonderful job leading here in his home church. Pastor Scott McDermid and I met at his office at Six Points Church (Sheridan) in preparation for his upcoming vote and then shared lunch together. These are exciting days at Six Point and Scott has transitioned well from his long-term staff role at Carmel UMC to becoming a senior pastor of a growing church.

Wednesday afternoon, I dropped in on the staff meeting at Daybreak Church in Lapel. Pastor Andy Cole is bringing inspiring, visionary leadership to the team and they’re exploring ways to accommodate the recent growth. Wednesday evening, I was blessed to hear Rev. Matthew LeRoy preaching the closing service at Summit, the spiritual emphasis week that begins each new semester at IWU. Dr. John and Patty Bray shared how God was powerfully working in these services. Please keep IWU and President Wright in your prayers.
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After teaching the morning class at IWU, Thursday was a quiet day working in my office.

Friday morning, Chris Williams and I connected for our weekly update meeting, and then I met long-time friend Erick Mowery for lunch in Fishers, Erick (and Julie, his wife) are leaders in the Back2Back missions organization. They recently returned from their assignment in Mexico and now attend Trinity Wesleyan Church when not traveling globally for their leadership training ministry. Friday night, Sherry and I were able to attend the inspiring MLK Memorial Community Concert at IWU. This year’s concert featured the Chicago Mass Choir for an incredible evening of gospel praise.
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Saturday, I was privileged to represent our Crossroads District family at the triumphant homegoing celebration for Rev. Ruth Anderson, mother of our Rev. Dave Anderson, held at LifeSpring Church (formerly Fountain City Wesleyan). Rev. Ruth Anderson (ordained at Fairmount Camp in 1961), along with her husband Bob, co-pastored Eastview Wesleyan Church in Gas City and Eastlawn Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis. They enjoyed long-term effective ministries in both of these congregations. Rev. Anderson was a gifted educator, musician, and mentor. She was also recognized for her leadership contributions to the Wesleyan Women auxiliary ministry at the local, district and denominational level. Remember David, Rebecca, and the Anderson family in prayer.
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The district-wide DBMD met in Marion on Saturday morning under the leadership of Dr. David Smith. I was unable to attend due to the funeral but heard encouraging reports from these interviews with exceptional candidates. We are anticipating more than a dozen candidates will be ordained at this year’s June 26th celebration.

It is always a joy to hear the stories and see the pictures from baptism celebrations across our district. One of our newest churches is The Bridge Urban Church in South Bend led by Pastor Terry and Lennaire Vaughn. I know several of our churches have been involved in financial partnership and many more have joined in prayer for this vital ministry to the inner city. Pastor Terry shared that one of these new believers had been a Muslim for the past 30 years. Continue to pray for Pastor Terry, Lennaire, and their team as they take the Gospel to the streets of South Bend.
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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

Sunday morning, January 12, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Ben Jones and Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church, just outside of North Liberty. I brought the message for the morning service. Then, after a brief meeting with the board of administration, Ben and I caught up over lunch. This is Ben’s first pastoral appointment and he’s enjoying the learning journey with a very supportive board and congregation.
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Pastor Ben and Kirsten are looking forward to their June wedding. He also shared the encouraging news that three new members have joined the church in the past few months. Ben is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors and time management is one of his prayer requests.

Last week’s calendar included a Memorial Sub-Committee of the General Board meeting on Monday. There are a number of interesting proposals making their way from several districts through the General Board and on to General Conference. You can read more about the GenCon 2020 at this website: https://www.wesleyan.org/unleashed

After teaching at IWU on Tuesday morning, the district office staff met in Marion for planning and prayer. I am blessed to work alongside Rev. Chris Williams, Mrs. Roxene Lo, and Rev. Seth Bye in serving our district pastors and churches. Tuesday afternoon, I was in Fishers to meet with Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent.

Wednesday, I was in Anderson to meet with Pastor Steve Binns (Anderson Lone Oak) and then with Pastor David Shafer (Anderson North Wesleyan Church). The last meeting on Wednesday was at Silver Lake Wesleyan Church with Pastor Duane Seitz and the leadership team as they prepare for the Maximizing Impact consultation.

Thursday morning, I met with Pastor Paul VanCise (Bryant Wesleyan Church) before heading back to Marion for a planning meeting with our Assistant District Superintendents, Rev. Mike Colaw, Rev. Chris Williams, and Rev. Matthew Trexler. My final meeting on Wednesday was with Pastor Barry Dixon (Calvary Family Church) in Indianapolis.

Sherry and I hosted the Region 1, South Zone 2 pastors and spouses in our home for supper and fellowship on Friday evening. We sang, laughed, and prayed together with these wonderful couples. Special thanks to Pastor Jeff Luedtke who chairs this zone.
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Saturday morning, I joined with Dr. Jim Lo and the Region 1 DBMD (District Board of Ministerial Development) at College Wesleyan Church to interview licensed ministers. We are blessed with dedicated team in each of our zones and regions who volunteer for this important ministry.

Saturday afternoon, I represented our Crossroads District team at the funeral of one of our ministerial colleagues, Rev. Paul Gafford. Rev. Gafford would have been 90 years old next month. He was a gracious pastor and beloved father who served district churches in Lafayette, Thorntown, and Winchester. Rev. Doug Hinton, son-in-law to Rev. Gafford, officiated the funeral service. Rev. Jim and Caroline (Gafford) Staley, worship pastors at Brooksville Wesleyan Church, led the music.
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It’s always inspiring to hear the stories of life change and baptisms from our churches. This week’s baptism photo was shared by Pastor Mark Atkinson from Eastview Wesleyan Church. If you’ve not yet scheduled a baptism service for the spring, please consider Palm Sunday or the Sunday after Easter. We’re looking forward to a wonderful team celebration at District Conference for a record-breaking year of baptisms.
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This coming week will include meetings with LBAs and the district-wide DBMD. Next Sunday I’ll be with Pastor Dongell and the team at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. This week will also be Summit Week at Indiana Wesleyan University. Please pray for Rev. Matthew LeRoy who will be the keynote speaker for these spiritual renewal services.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent
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There’s still time to register for the Heartland Gathering. We’re going to have a great time and would love for you to join us! https://gathering.heartlandregion.org/

Sunday, January 5, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Thomas Beck and the growing congregation of Larwill Wesleyan Church. Rev. Beck is another of our district’s bi-vocational pastors. He and Julie have faithfully served the Larwill church family since 2000. This is a loving congregation with a heart for their small rural community, located midway between Warsaw and Columbia City. This conference year has been an exciting season of ministry with eleven baptisms and a recent high attendance of 45.
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After the worship service in Larwill and lunch with the Beck’s, I headed north to Elkhart to worship with Pastor Eliorgy Guerrero and the growing congregation at Cielos Abiertos Iglesia Wesleyana in their 3 p.m. service. I am grateful for Rev. Guerrero who now serves on our Crossroads District Hispanic Ministry leadership team along with Dr. Norman Wilson and Rev. Neftali Lopez. It was a delight to hear the message from Jose Cardenas, a lay pastor who is also working alongside Rev. Jarod Osborne to develop Hispanic ministry at Pathway Church in Warsaw.
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Follow 2019 Youth Conference was incredible. Zach Coffin and this team, including several of our Crossroads District pastors (Aldean Pablo, Christian Kelley, Jennifer Ellison, and others) did a terrific job of designing and delivering an amazing spiritual encounter for approximately 5000 Wesleyan students. I appreciated their leadership and the sense of God’s presence in each of the services I attended. Special thanks to all the parents, pastors, and volunteers who made it possible for so many of our Crossroads District students to participate in this life-impacting event.
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Many of our congregations are focusing prayer on our service men and women stationed in conflict zones. One of our youth pastors is currently deployed as a chaplain in the Middle East and sent me an encouraging report from his first three weeks on the ground.  “11 Salvations and 3 baptisms so far overseas. God is on the move.” Pray that the Lord will continue to provide protection and blessing on the ministry of our chaplains.

Pastor Matthew Stewart and the congregation at Sweetser Wesleyan Church are entering into a season of shared ministry with Sweetser United Methodist Church through July 12. Both congregations voted affirmatively to take this exploratory step that may result in a more formal merger in the coming year. Worship will be hosted in the UMC sanctuary and will be led by the Wesleyan team. The pastors will alternate sharing the pulpit. Pray that God will grant wisdom and unity in this initiative to more effectively reach their rural community with the Gospel.
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On a personal note, Sherry and I enjoyed time with our extended family over the Christmas break. We worshiped with three of our children in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the Sunday before Christmas and then joined Pastor Mark Atkinson and the team at Eastview Wesleyan Church for their Christmas Eve service. We were also blessed to have Josiah Gorveatte, our son, move closer to home from Florida last month to join Pastor Brad LeRoy’s team at Harvest Church in McCordsville.
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​I’m looking forward to this new year of ministry. This week includes a new round of coaching conversations, hosting the Region 1 South Zone (Jeff & Amy Luedtke’s zone) on Friday evening, and my first experience teaching Wesleyan Church History and Discipline at IWU. Next Sunday morning, I’m looking forward to being with Pastor Ben Jones at Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church.

Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, December 15, I had the privilege of worshiping with the wonderful folks at Wabash North Wesleyan Church. Rodger Smith serves as the supply pastor for this committed core of believers. I enjoyed the Adult Sunday School class, played organ in the worship service, and brought the morning message. Following the service, the congregation shared a meal in the fellowship hall. I celebrate this small church that has a big heart for world missions and for prayer.
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Last Monday, I participated in my first meeting (via Zoom technology) as a member of the Wesleyan Village Board of Directors (Brooksville). Dr. Don Maness, Executive Director, is bringing exceptional leadership to this growing ministry that serves so many of our Crossroads District retirees.

After our office staff meeting in Marion on Tuesday morning, I met with Dr. Mark Rennaker (Kokomo Southdowns Wesleyan) for our annual coaching conversation. Dr. Rennaker is another of our faithful co-vocational pastors who provides academic leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University in addition to his pastoral responsibilities at Southdowns Wesleyan Church.

Pastor Joe Park (Evergreen Wesleyan Wesleyan Church) met in Lafayette for our annual coaching conversation on Wednesday. Pastor Park had some wonderful testimonies to share of how God is moving in their congregation.
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The Crossroads District Board of Administration met at Wesleyan Headquarters in Fishers on Thursday afternoon. In addition to handling our routine business items and reports, we were blessed to welcome Marcus DePeal and Andy Riermersma, two of our ministerial students and recent IWU grads. Together, they lead Awaken, a ministry to students on campus at Ball State University, University of Indianapolis, and Indiana Wesleyan University, in partnership with Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis. It was encouraging to hear how God is opening doors to additional state universities and raising up next generation leaders.

After the DBA meeting, board members’ spouses joined us for supper along with special guests Dr. Wayne and Jan Schmidt. We always enjoy hearing from our General Superintendent and are glad that Dr. Schmidt is part of our Crossroads District team.
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Friday evening, Sherry and I were delighted to welcome Pastor Mark & Ronda Atkinson and pastoral couples from Region 1 South Zone 2. This was the last gathering of the calendar year. We always look forward to these evenings of fellowship and encouragement. With several former choir members in this group, we enjoyed singing a cappella Christmas carols. We closed our time together sharing in prayer for our families and churches in this busy season of pastoral ministry.
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Saturday afternoon, I drove north to Chesterton to join Pastor Matthew Trexler, Chesterton Campus Pastor Andy Hammond, and their wonderful volunteer team for the “Big Give.” Between the Chesterton and Marion campuses, The River Church will bless more than 1000 families with Christmas meals and a special presentation of the Gospel. Please join me in praying that God will bless all of our churches who are reaching out in creative ways to share God’s love with their communities in this Advent season.
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​Our prayers and sympathies are extended to two more of our ministry families who have had loved ones promoted to glory in the last few days.

The family of Mrs. Alberta Metz gathered at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church on Monday, December 9, to honor her memory and celebrate her life. Mrs. Metz left a legacy of teaching, writing and faith that extends to three generations in The Wesleyan Church. She served in pastorates for 25 years with her late husband, Floyd Metz. She also served as editorial assistant for the Wesleyan Advocate for twenty years, edited Sunday school curriculum for 11 years for Wesley Press, wrote 12 books, and served as a volunteer missionary in Czech Republic for three years.

Alberta’s daughter, Lydia Hines, and her husband, Rev. Thomas Hines, have been career missionaries with Global Partners. Her son, Rev. Daniel Metz, is currently pastoring in Pennsylvania.  Her grandson, Rev. Matthew Hines, is assistant pastor at Indianapolis Trinity; her grandson, Rev. David Hines, and his wife Rev. Emily Hines, are assistant pastors at Marion Brookhaven; and her grandson, Nathan Metz, is a missionary with WGM. Mrs. Metz requested that any memorials be directed to missionary work through Wesleyan Global Partners.

Rev. Albert H. Fletcher, 94, of Fort Wayne, formerly of Brooksville, Fl, passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, at his home. He spent his formative years in Emily. After high school he served in the United States Navy during World War II. Following his service in the Navy he graduated from Miltonville Wesleyan College with a degree in ministry. He then received a secondary education degree from Marion College and a degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida.

Rev, Fletcher was married to Lucille Leisy in Gordon, NE, on August 25, 1949. The couple then lived in Nebraska and Iowa where he pastored several churches, before settling in Florida. He was a Wesleyan Minister for over 30 years. Albert is survived by his wife of 70 years, Lucille Fletcher; two sons, Rev. Rick (Debbie) Fletcher (Pastor of Lifeway Wesleyan Church in Fort Wayne) and Phil (Cindy) Fletcher; a daughter, Linda Halt, four sisters, Lola Hermann, Carol Baas, Esther Vermillion and Rebecca Engle; ten grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a son, Rev. Steve Fletcher; a brother, Rolland Fletcher; a sister, Ruth Baty.

Visitation will be from 9:30 until 10 followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m., will be held in Fort Wayne at Lifeway Wesleyan Church on Tuesday, December 17.

This will be the last Crossroads District Team Update until the new year. Sherry and I will be spending Christmas Sunday with three of our children in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After Christmas, we will be joining with several thousand Wesleyan students in Cincinnati, Ohio for the FOLLOW19 International Youth Convention.

From our hearts to yours, Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, December 8, I was able to worship with Pastor Heath Croft and the team at Level 13 Church in Fort Wayne. Level 13 Church began as a dream with Pastor Rob and Melinda Tippey welcoming people in their home back in 2005 and continues to be a congregation committed to meeting needs in the community under the leadership of Pastor Croft. Before the worship service, I had the opportunity to briefly connect with members of their leadership team. Remember Pastor Heath, Hayley and their family as they lead this ministry.
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Last week’s schedule included annual coaching conversations with Pastor Ryan Budde (Jonesboro Westview), Pastor Dan Heylmann (Shirley Grant City), Pastor Jeff Luedtke (Fairmount Wesleyan), Pastor Shane Wilson (Columbia City New Hope), Pastor Doug Sharrard (Lancaster), and Co-Pastors Carla and Zach Working (Huntington Hope Rising).
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Our three Assistant District Superintendents hosted Christmas events for pastors and spouses in their respective zones this week. Rev. Chris and Marietta Williams hosted the Region 3 team on Friday evening at the Whistlestop in Monon. Rev. Matthew and Nicole Trexler hosted the Region 1 team on Tuesday evening at the Roseberg in Marion on Tuesday evening. Rev. Mike and Leslie Colaw hosted the Region 2 team at Trinity Wesleyan in Indianapolis on Friday evening.
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More than 250 pastors and their spouses joined us for these meaningful times of fellowship and encouragement. We enjoyed delicious meals and delightful entertainment. At each of the locations, there was a drawing for door prizes which included some free registrations to the Heartland Gathering in Pigeon Forge coming up in March 2020. Thank you to each one of you who prioritized your participation even though Christmas is such a very busy time of the year. Special thanks also to Chris, Matthew, Mike, and their teams for a terrific job in organizing and hosting these events!
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The highlight of this week’s calendar for me will be our District Board of Administration meeting on Thursday at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers. I am grateful for each of these lay leaders and ministers who generously invest their time in providing oversight and governance to our collaborative ministries. We welcome your prayers for this meeting.

The 2020 Crossroads District All-Nighter is fast approaching! The main rally for this event is returning to Pathway Community Church (11910 Shearwater Run., Fort Wayne) at 8pm on February 21st (Doors open at 6:30pm and Pre-Rally starts at 7:45pm).
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The night will kick-off with giveaways, worship, message, and pizza. At the conclusion of the rally we will be enjoying time at Skyzone, Ultrazone/Laser X, Crazy Pinz, and the YMCA. If you love laser tag, trampolines, bowling, putt-putt golf, swimming, pizza, open gym, and rock walls, this event is for you! We hope that you will join us, along with several hundred other students and adults from the 100+ churches that make up our Crossroads District. Here’s the link to register your team:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/district-all-nighter-2020-registration-85348304075

And there’s still time to register for the Heartland Gathering.  We’re going to have a great time and would love for you to join us! https://gathering.heartlandregion.org/

Several have asked how the recovery process is coming since my heart attack back in October. I’m feeling stronger each day and continue taking part in cardiac rehabilitation therapy three times each week. The district team has been great in helping me adjust my schedule and I’m back to about 80% workload with plans to return to full speed by January. God has been so wonderfully faithful through this experience. I also appreciate your thoughts, your notes, and your prayers!

Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom in this Advent season!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, December 1, I was blessed to worship with Pastor Doug Sharrard and the team at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. Rev. Duane Cragen serves alongside Rev. Sharrard as they lead the church in reaching out to their rural community. They lit the candle for the first Sunday of Advent and we shared the first carols of the season.
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Two of our pastoral families were impacted by the passing of beloved family members. Rev. Carla Working’s grandmother passed away on Sunday morning. Earlier last week, Rev. Noah and Christie Farmer received the heartbreaking news that Annalysa McMillan, their 19-year-old daughter, died in a tragic accident. The obituary and funeral notice was distributed directly to our district team and your prayers are requested for their family.

Rev. Kyle Horton and the Three Rivers Wesleyan Church hosted Rev. Aldean Pablo this morning to bring the morning message and to share the vision for disciple-making and church planting in Fort Wayne. I’m grateful for each of our pastors and the churches in Region 1 that have stepped up to become partners in the SEND Church project.
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Pastor Brad LeRoy and Harvest Church in McCordsville announced today that they’ve completed their extensive search process and have called Josiah Gorveatte as their new worship pastor. He’ll begin his ministry with the Harvest Church team on January 5. Josiah has previously served at Crosspoint UMC in Florida and 12Stone Church in Atlanta. Josiah’s parents (Sherry and Mark) are also excited to welcome him to the Crossroads District.
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Congratulations to Pastor Dave Cox and the Laketon Wesleyan Church who welcomed seven new members into their church family on Sunday morning, Dec. 1! Just a gentle reminder that January is an opportune time to complete annual membership affirmations as your congregation launches into the new year. There are several helpful resources available from The Wesleyan Church to assist with this process:
https://resources.wesleyan.org/wesleyan-church-affirmation-membership

Pastor Rick Fletcher and Associate Pastor Andy Jellison celebrated 5 more baptisms at Fort Wayne Lifeway Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning bringing their total for this conference year to 18! Pastor Rick also shared the exciting news that he met with a couple on Saturday night who both prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
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I trust that you had a great Thanksgiving Day gathering with loved ones. Our district office was closed on Thursday and Friday for our staff to spend time with family. Sherry and I were blessed to have all of our children home for the Thanksgiving break. We started a family tradition in 2015 when most of us ran our first 5k Turkey Trot together on Thanksgiving morning. We were able to do our 5k again this Thanksgiving. This year, the younger Gorveatte’s did their run through Upland while I was limited by doctor’s orders to doing mine on the treadmill. We have so much for which to be thankful!
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I’ll be back on the road this week with coaching conversations and can’t wait to see many of you at the regional Christmas gatherings hosted on Tuesday and Friday evening by our Assistant District Superintendents. Next Sunday I’ll be with Pastor Heath Croft and the team at Level 13 Church in Fort Wayne. Then, on December 12, our District Board of Administration will have our quarterly meeting and share a Christmas meal together at Wesleyan HQ. Thank you for your prayers as my rehab and recovery continue.

Just a reminder that you are invited to sign up for a monthly e-mail newsletter from Wesleyan HQ that will profile proposed legislation, prayer promptings, and information that help you prepare for this important gathering whether you will be on site or watching online. Please click here to subscribe: https://www.wesleyan.org/unleashed

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

Your servant in Christ,
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Mark Gorveatte
Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday, November 24, was a wonderful day of celebration at Lifeway Church in Fort Wayne. Senior Pastor Rick Fletcher and Associate Pastor Andy Jellison led the congregation in worship and praise for the faithfulness of God. Lifeway completed a beautiful Family Life Center (gymnasium, classrooms, and kitchen) in December 2015 and made their final payment on the mortgage this month, raising more than $1.35 million dollars over the past 5 years.
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The service included powerful testimonies of God’s provision in the faith journey of individuals and families who learned new levels of trust and generosity. God is honoring this step of faith to reach their community with 14 professions of faith and next week’s baptism will bring their total to 17 so far this conference year. Lifeway has a special place in our family as the last full-time ministry of my father, Dr. Ken Gorveatte, before he retired. It was a joy for me to be able to participate in the mortgage burning and to bring greetings from our district team on this happy occasion.
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The General Board of The Wesleyan Church was in session last week, Monday through Wednesday, under the leadership of General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt. The year before General Conference guarantees a full agenda. Two major proposals (memorials) being prepared for the GC2020 will be a new model for the United Stewardship Fund (to direct more giving toward church planting) and a new model for credentialing ministers (which empowers the local church for a more significant role). Please add General Conference 2020 to your prayer list.
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The denomination has created an email list for those who are interested in receiving GC20-specific news. These emails will include in-depth information about the May 31–June 3 event in St. Louis. This will help you be better informed about scheduled events, memorials and livestreaming. Unleashed emails will hit inboxes monthly beginning in January. Click here to subscribe: https://www.wesleyan.org/unleashed

Several leaders from the four districts comprising the Heartland Region met at Trinity Wesleyan Church on Thursday for a day of learning and conversation about our continued collaboration. We were delighted to have Dr. Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church, with us to provide leadership development in our morning sessions.
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After lunch, Dr. Wayne Schmidt joined us to share an update on his initiatives to “unleash” apostolic multipliers. This included a conversation about regional partnerships and district mergers. He encouraged the steps we’ve taken to find ways to work together to make disciples and multiply congregations across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Dr. Schimidt will be one of our keynote speakers at The Heartland Gathering in Pigeon Forge, March 10-12. There’s still time to register! https://gathering.heartlandregion.org/

Thursday evening, Rev. Johanna Rugh hosted a gathering of Hispanic leaders from our Crossroads District. Johanna is leading the FLAMA Spanish-language ministerial education program for the General Department of Education and Clergy Development. Dr. Wayne Schmidt. Dr. Anita Eastlack (Executive Director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship) and Dr. David Smith (Chair of our DBMD) were also on hand to bring greetings to this wonderful group of pastors and ministerial students.
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Friday was a good to catch up with e-mails and telephone calls. I was also able to meet Rev. Victor and Rev. Claudia Silva in Fishers, and then with Rev. Clifton Ashlock in Anderson. Rev. Ashlock has retired from full-time pastoring but is staying open to pulpit supply opportunities.

I am always encouraged to receive and pass along updates of new disciples professing faith and being baptized in our churches. Pastor Mark Atkinson reported that Eastview Wesleyan’s Jonesboro campus recorded another profession of faith and celebrated 2 more baptisms last Sunday, November 17. Praise the Lord for lives being #madenew!
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​Rev. Dan Fisher (Delphi Wesleyan Church) leads a prayer for his zone pastors via a group text every Sunday morning. I love reading the replies. This morning’s responses included: “We had another person pray to receive Christ today. God is good!!!” and “”Praise God. We had 1 get saved Friday at men’s Bible study.” It’s great to be part of a team that encourages one another as we work together in God’s harvest field!

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, November 17, I had the privilege of worshiping with Dr. Max Kingsolver and the congregation of Mt. Hope Wesleyan Church in Michigantown. This small congregation has been a faithful ministry supporting Global Partner missionaries and participating in Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Boxes. After preaching, I had an opportunity to visit with Pastor Kingsolver and members of the congregation after the service for a discussion of future ministry partnership possibilities. Dr. Kingsolver has a surgical procedure scheduled next week and would welcome your prayers.
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Sunday evening, I was encouraged by the presentation that Rev. Timothy Gallant shared at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church. Tim and Tiffany serve with Global Partners in Cambodia and Tim was recently appointed as GP’s Asia Area Director. They have developed a discipleship and leadership development strategy uniquely for the oral learning tradition in their cultural context. They will be on home ministry raising partner support until January and would be happy to share their story over a cup of coffee. You can reach out to Tim via direct message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TntGallant
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Last week, I joined a team of leaders from our Crossroads District to participate in learning cohorts sponsored by The Wesleyan Church in partnership with the Exponential Conference. These learning cohorts included multi-ethnic ministry leaders, pastors of larger churches, and district superintendents. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent, joined the DS cohort for the first of the three events focused on leading discipleship and church multiplication movements. Five of us flew together from Indianapolis on Tuesday and arrived home from San Diego early on Saturday morning.

This first event was hosted at Skyline Wesleyan Church. Dr. Bobby Harrington and Ralph Moore were keynote speakers and Bob Cochanaur served as the facilitator for our cohort. The next session is scheduled for January at the underground church in Tampa, Florida. There were so many helpful insights and challenging conversations. Ralph Moore said, “What you measure improves and what you celebrate gets repeated.” Myron Pierce, pastor of Mission Church in Omaha, challenged us that “You can’t delegate what Jesus told you to prioritize. The pastor must be the CDM (Chief Disciple-Maker) in his or her church.” Bobby Harrington reminded us that “there is no disciple-making movement anywhere in the world that was not birthed in fasting and prayer.”
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I am always thrilled to hear stories from our pastors of lives being transformed. Co-Pastors Zack and Carla Working are celebrating another life changed by the Gospel at Hope Rising Church in Huntington. This was the 23rd baptism so far this conference year, compared to 2 baptisms last year. Praise God for the way He’s working!
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This week, please join me in prayer for important meetings as the General Board of The Wesleyan Church convenes at HQ in Fishers on Monday-Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, the Heartland Region will host a roundtable with Dr. Dan Reiland as we continue to explore ways to collaborate for greater effectiveness in serving our churches and reaching our mission field in the 4 states of our region.

Thank you for all that you do to advance the Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

District Superintendent

P.S. There still time to register for The Heartland Gathering, March 10-12. In addition to an open forum on the pros and cons of a potential merger, we’ll have a sneak preview of some of the key issues that will be debated at General Conference 2020 in Saint Louis. I hope you’ll plan to join us!

https://gathering.heartlandregion.org/

Sunday, November 10, Sherry and I were privileged to worship with Rev. Don Glenn and the congregation of Marion Nelson Street Wesleyan Church as they celebrated their 110th Anniversary. Pastor Glenn and his team prepared a wonderful celebration event that honored God’s faithfulness in the past and pointed to the future.
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The church has a remarkable history. Nelson Street began as a church plant (mission) meeting first in homes in 1909, God blessed their evangelistic outreach and holiness emphasis. The ministry grew and they relocated twice in temporary locations before building their own facility in 1911. By 1948, the church averaged 335 in Sunday School attendance. The legacy of the church includes many individuals called to ministry and missionary work. I preached the message in the morning service and Rev. Glenn brought a challenging message in the afternoon service calling the church to the unfinished task.
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As many of you will know, I had a heart attack on Tuesday morning, October 22, en route to a gathering with our pastors in Indianapolis. God intervened that day in so many beautiful ways and I’d be glad to tell you more about it when you have the time. The good news is I was cleared to begin cardiac rehabilitation and to work toward resuming a full load over the next 8 to 12 weeks. Our district staff team has been a tremendous blessing. Assistant DS Chris Williams stepped up to cover the last two Team Updates and Seth Bye jumped into action rescheduling appointments. Thank you to all those who have been so cooperative as we’ve been making needed adjustments.
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​The week after returning home, I resumed coaching calls via ZOOM. Then, on Friday, November 1, I was delighted to join our retired pastors and spouses for our fall luncheon and fellowship hosted at College Wesleyan Church. Pastor Bob VanCise brought an encouraging message and we shared a delicious meal provided by Velvet Haisley and her staff at Fairmount Wesleyan Church’s coffee shop, “The Branch.”

That evening, we hosted the pastors and spouses from our Fort Wayne Zone. I appreciate these opportunities for fellowship and encouragement with our frontline leaders. Pastor Rick Fletcher leads this zone and it was a special delight to welcome Rev. Aldean and Jesse Pablo as the newest members of the group.

The doctor cleared me for flying as long as I wasn’t the pilot and agreed to not lift more than 20 pounds. That allowed me to fulfill a commitment that I had made to Dr. Keith Loy, pastor at Celebrate Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I traveled out on Saturday, worshiped with their team on Sunday morning and then taught from “Lead Like Wesley” in the evening to 300+ ministry team leaders.

Pastor Keith and Kay Loy joined our staff at New Hope Church in Williston back in 1998. It has been a joy to stay in touch and to watch God work in their lives and ministry over the last 20 years. Terry and Barb Rosendahl are also special friends who first worked with us at New Hope and now Barb is a key staff member with Dr. Loy at Celebrate.
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Celebrate’s small group ministry has grown from 80 groups 3 years ago to more than 300. They have 104 people who have answered the call to prepare for vocational ministry, with most focused on church planting. They have already launched 14 church planting teams. I have invited Pastor Keith to consider sending a team to the Heartland Region and he has opened the door for students from Crossroads to participate in church planting internships and residencies at Celebrate.

I began cardiac rehab on Thursday afternoon (the first of 24 one-hour sessions over the next 8 weeks) and then met with two of our Indianapolis pastors for coaching conversations. Rev. George Martin leads The Sanctuary Church, an affiliated congregation that worships in the former Eastlawn Wesleyan Church property on Post Road. Rev. Barry Dixon pastors Calvary Family Church and is a member of our District Board of Administration. Pastor Barry is another of our faithful bi-vocational ministers who serve sacrificially as a labor of love. He and Joyce, his wife, are in the stage of life where caring for both your parents and your grandchildren makes life challenging.

Friday morning, I sat in on the College Day hosted by the team at Wesleyan Headquarters. Students were present from all five Wesleyan higher educational institutions for this denominational orientation event. Dr. Lenny Luchetti shared insights from his ministry experiences including this lesson: “Pastors, if you don’t find a healthy hobby, an unhealthy hobby will find you.”
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After his session, Dr. Luchetti and I met for an update on his interim ministry at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. I was encouraged by this progress report and by his sincere passion for the church.

Friday afternoon, I traveled to Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis for the visitation with the family and friends of Mrs. Betty Davis, beloved wife of Rev. Art Davis. Her funeral was held on Saturday with Pastor Mike Colaw and Rev. Randy Davis officiating.

Saturday morning, Dr. Jim Lo and the Crossroads District intercession team led a prayer gathering at Fairmount Camp. Thank you to each one who participated and to the team for the way in which they prepared for and led this event. Special thanks to Fairmount Camp’s Director Angela Spangler and her team for graciously hosting this special time.
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This week, a team of our leaders will be traveling to San Diego together to participate in a Wesleyan Church training event in partnership with Exponential that will be focused on church multiplication. We welcome your prayers for our travel and learning.

Registration is still open for the Heartland Region Gathering, March 10-12, 2020. I’m looking forward to our speakers and a great time of inspiration together as we meet in Pigeon Forge, TN. If you’ve not yet registered, today would be a great day to get that done! Here’s the link: ​https://gathering.heartlandregion.org/
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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

Pastor Dave Cox from Laketon Wesleyan Church reports that the church, over the last few years, has grown from 20 to nearly 60. On a recent friend day, they had 66 people in attendance. More importantly, this Sunday they baptized Amy and Susan (pictured below). We are celebrating how God is at work making people new!
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Wesleyan Church History & Discipline Course

The Crossroads District was pleased to host its first Wesleyan Church History & Discipline course this past weekend at College Wesleyan Church in Marion. Nine students were apart of this inaugural course taught by Dr. Bud Bence. We hope to make this an annual offering to help ministers transferring from other denominations and ministerial students whose educational programs did not include this course.