Sherry and I were privileged to worship with Rev. Lyle Breeding and his team at Bluffton Sonlight Church on Sunday morning. Rev. Lane Sander, our District Youth President, is a key member of the staff and he led in the altar prayer time during the service. It was a joy to bring the message and then to meet with the LBA following the service.
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Pastor Lyle and his team have been hard at work implementing their Maximizing Impact prescriptions from last year and preparing for their StratOp planning consultation this fall. Sherry and I enjoyed hosting Pastor Breeding and his team for lunch.

Angela Spangler, Executive Director, and her team at Fairmount Camp hosted another successful Old Time Camp Meeting this past week. I was able to take in the Thursday morning Bible study session led by Rev. David Vardaman and the closing rally on Sunday evening. Rev. Alex Mandura did a great job leading the services.
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Pastor Ken Dykhoff brought his enthusiasm in leading the music, and Rev. Joe Kelly preached a helpful series on the faithfulness of God. Rev. Ashlyn Luttrell rounded out the team by leading the afternoon prayer studies. Mark your calendar for next year’s “Old Time Camp Meeting” (August 12-16, 2020) with Dr. Bud Bence as the camp evangelist.

It is always encouraging to be able to share reports of spiritual victories. Pastor Dale Munsell shared this photo of their first baptism celebration for this conference year at Albion Cornerstone Wesleyan Church. They are believing God for 15 baptisms this year!
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Dr. Craig Dunn and the Wesleyan Investment Foundation team generously provided an exceptional learning opportunity for our Wesleyan district superintendents last Tuesday and Wednesday at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. We heard from the executive leadership of the church, from an expert in counter-terrorism and church safety, and from Lee Domingue, the point leader for the Legacy Team at Highlands. Lee shared some key insights from the strategic funding at COTH. Their Legacy Team has 901 members (about 2% of their worship attendance of 50,000+) but contributed 25% of their financial resources. Lee talked about their intentionality in developing a sustainable culture of generosity. One of the principles he shared was that “the pastor determines the vision, the business leaders determine the speed.”
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Highlands owns approximately $300 million of facilities and property debt-free. Pastor Chris Hodges and Highlands Church helped to create ARC (The Association of Related Churches) and they have helped plant 900 churches in the past 18 years. Highlands is fueled by a culture of prayer with 1500 people gathering at 6:00 a.m. in the Birmingham location as part of their 21 Days of Prayer to launch into the fall season. They also generously provide their resources free of charge at this website: www.growleader.com

Summer is a great time for our churches to "get ready for company." Good stewardship includes not just maintaining the facilities with which we’ve been entrusted, but also improving them to create the most welcoming environment possible for our guests. Pastor Jeff Luedtke invited me to Fairmount Wesleyan Church last week to see the wonderful improvements they’ve made to the children’s ministry areas and the auditorium. They’ve done a great job preparing to welcome guests!
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Please continue to pray for Grace, the daughter of Pastor Jon and Katie Wiest (Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church), who has been diagnosed with leukemia. The family has created a webpage where you can lend them your support and prayerfully follow their journey: Caring Bridge link for Grace

Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte
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​Don’t miss the International Wesleyan Youth Conference (Dec. 28-31, 2019)

​Pastors and youth leaders can sign up now at www.followconference.org to get free resources and updates on all FOLLOW details.

Sherry and I will be attending a Wesleyan Investment Foundation training event in Birmingham, Alabama on Tuesday and Wednesday this week so we left a few days early to connect with Josiah, our 2nd oldest son, who leads worship at Crosspoint Church in Niceville, Florida. We enjoyed being with him yesterday as he led his team and the congregation in worship.
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Crosspoint Church is a strongly-evangelical, multi-site UMC congregation of about 4,000. This dynamic ministry is led by Pastor Rural Ausley, who serves with Dr. JoAnne Lyon on Asbury Seminary’s Board of Trustees.

Last Monday morning, Sherry and I were with Pastor Wes and Claudia Dupin at Daybreak Church in Michigan. Sherry has been the CFO at Daybreak for more than 10 years and I had the privilege of doing staff development with Pastor Wes and his team on the leadership concepts from “Lead Like Wesley.”
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Tuesday morning, I met with our Crossroads District staff for our weekly connection. I am thankful for Mrs. Roxene Lo, Rev. Seth Bye, and Rev. Chris Williams, Assistant DS. They serve our district team with diligence and grace. They love God and they love our pastors. I am grateful for the blessing it is to serve you with this team.

On Tuesday afternoon, I met with Dr. Jim Lo, Pastor Armiger (Chesterfield Parkview) and Pastor Steve Binns (Anderson Lone Oak). It was good to be with them as they entered into a conversation about ways that their congregations might collaborate to more effectively serve their respective communities.

On Tuesday evening, I met with Pastor Duane and Cindy Summitt over supper in Noblesville for Duane’s annual coaching conversation. Pastor Summitt (Lapel Fishersburg) is another one of our committed bi-vocational pastors who works more 40+ hours per week outside of his ministry calling.

I met with Pastor Brent Miller (Gas City Southside) on Wednesday morning for our annual coaching conversation. We also did a walk-through of their building and the kitchen remodeling project that is close to completion. It was good to stop and celebrate the progress they’ve made under Pastor Brent’s leadership. They are also praising the Lord for spiritual victories with 8 baptisms so far this conference year!
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Our Crossroads District StratOp facilitators met over lunch on Wednesday in planning for the coming year. I’m grateful for the leadership that Chris Williams gives to our team that also includes Rev. Matthew Trexler and Rev. Jason Tash. If your congregation is hoping to engage in this planning process, there are still a few weekends left but the schedule is filling up fast. Please contact Rev. Chris Williams to book your team.

Sherry and I have been hosting Rev. Bryon Scott, pastor of Engage Church in California, for the last few sessions of his M.Div program at Wesley Seminary. It was good to have supper with him and hear his testimony of God’s calling and faithfulness in his church planting journey.

Thursday, August 8, marked the 10th anniversary celebration for Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. President Colleen Derr and her team put together a wonderful day of memory and vision-casting. Dr. John Perkins, founder of the Christian Community Development Association, was the featured guest in both the morning service and the concluding evening event. Wesley Seminary announced a new partnership with the Perkins Family Foundation that will continue Dr. Perkin’s legacy of Christ-centered ministries of justice and compassion.
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The Global Leadership Summit, hosted by Pastor Craig Groeschel, was live on Thursday and Friday. Pastor Mark Atkinson and his team at Eastview Wesleyan Church in Gas City made it possible for me to join them for several sessions on Thursday and again on Friday. (Fountain City Wesleyan Church also hosted the GLS simulcast.) The sessions I took in were outstanding. One of the most challenging talks came from Todd Henry, author of Herding Tigers. He reminded us that we have to earn the right to lead every single day. He closed by asking: “How are you growing?” “How are you changing?”

Pastor Albert Tate helped to host the GLS and we’re excited to announce that he’ll be joining us for the Heartland Regional Gathering in Pigeon Forge, March 10-12, 2020.
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We’re always excited to pass along baptisms updates! Brookhaven Wesleyan Church celebrated the baptism of several teenagers last Sunday evening. Pastor David and Pastor Emily Hines led the service and passed along this great picture with their students.
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Lifeway Wesleyan Church celebrated baptisms this Sunday. In addition to two of their teenagers being baptized, Pastor Andy Jellison had the incredible joy of baptizing Kate, his daughter. We celebrate with Pastor Andy and Sarah as they mark this significant milestone in their daughter’s spiritual journey. Here’s the link to the video from this special occasion: Video link to Kate Jellison’s baptism

Please continue to pray for Grace, the daughter of Pastor Jon and Katie Wiest (Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church), who has been diagnosed with leukemia. The family has created a webpage where you can lend them your support and prayerfully follow their journey: Caring Bridge link for Grace

Fairmount Camp is hosting their “Old Time Camp Meeting” this week, August 14-18. There is a morning Bible study at 10:30 and the evening rallies begin at 6:30. For more details, you can follow Fairmount Camp’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FairmountCamp/

​Thank you for all you do to advance God’s Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sherry and I had the joy of worshiping with Pastor Kory and Becky Christensen at New Haven Impact Church. There was a full house this morning including some first-time guests. I was privileged to bring greetings from our district team and to share the morning message. After the service, Pastor Kory and I met with the LBA.
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We enjoyed lunch together with the Christensen family before heading north for a family gathering in Grand Rapids. We were able to surprise Jordan, our daughter, and Sam, her fiance at a Sunday evening dinner to congratulate them on their engagement. Sam is a graduate of Calvin College and his parents are church planters in San Jose, California. We are happy to welcome Sam An to our growing family and pray for God’s blessing as they make plans for a bright future.
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Pastor John Hannan and the team at CrossRoads Church in Union City had a busy weekend. They haven’t met yet for their first Sunday morning worship service but the launch team decided to enter a float in the community’s Heritage Days parade on Saturday. They gave away 600 bottles of water and 400 cups with their name and theme “CrossRoads Church: Where Everyone Matters.” Sunday afternoon, they welcomed 34 people for a vision casting fellowship and cookout in the park. Continue to pray with Pastor John and Beth as they build a team to launch this new church in the fall.
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Last Monday, I was pleased to join with Angela Spangler, Executive Director of Fairmount Camp, and the dedicated team who helped her lead this year’s youth camp. Angela is providing strong leadership to the camping ministries at Fairmount and it is always encouraging to sit in with a group of leaders who are committed to pouring into the next generation.

Tuesday morning, I met briefly with the Lakeview Wesleyan Church staff before connecting with the district office team. I was in Anderson on Tuesday afternoon for two more meetings. On Tuesday evening, I joined Dr. Norman Wilson, Rev. Neftali Lopez and Rev. Eliorgy Guerrero via Zoom to thank them for the leadership they are bringing to our growing team of Hispanic leaders and their congregations.

Wednesday morning, I joined Dr. Ed Love and a cohort of Wesley Seminary students for a class on Church Multiplication that he was teaching at Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis. I enjoyed the questions and interaction with the students.
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It was a special delight to hear from Pastor Bernie Hadad and learn more about the work she is doing multiplying disciples in our prison system. Pastor Hadad was excited to share about a breakthrough at the prison in New Castle where she’s been granted permission to plant a church among prisoners. Pray that God will send more laborers into His harvest field!
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​Wednesday afternoon, I met with Pastor John Miller in Speedway. We toured the rental facility that he’s been able to secure for the fall launch of Way City Church and spent time in prayer for God’s blessing on this new work.

On Thursday and Friday, I joined representatives from the four districts of the Heartland Region in a strategic planning retreat at Wesleyan HQ. Doug Slaybaugh, the former executive pastor with Rick Warren at Saddleback Church, led our two-day retreat to consider a range of possibilities for more intentional collaboration between our districts.
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It is an honor to serve alongside DS Les Crossfield (Greater Ohio), DS Mark Eckart (Indiana South) and DS Aaron Sherman (KY-TN). Our next step is a combined meeting of our four district boards of administration in November. This will also be in preparation for the Heartland Region Gathering, a retreat for pastors and their families, to be held in Pigeon Forge, March 10-12 2020. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us.

Baptism reports keep coming in! This week’s picture of people being #madenew comes from Pastor Lee Miller and the Muncie Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church. Pastor Miller also had the joy of dedicating two children in their morning service yesterday.
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Please pray for Grace, the daughter of Pastor Jon and Katie Wiest (Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church), who has been diagnosed with leukemia. The family has created a webpage where you can lend them your support and prayerfully follow their journey: Caring Bridge link for Grace

Prayer is also requested for Rev. Seth Bye’s grandfather, Amy’s dad and Pastor Tony Bye’s father-in-law, who was hospitalized last week in critical condition but has begun to show some signs of recovery.

Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this Thursday, August 8. Many of you will have already received announcements directly, but I want to remind you of the special opportunity to hear Dr. John Perkins on Thursday evening, 7:00, at College Wesleyan Church. Here’s the link for additional information:
Wesley Seminary’s 10th Anniversary

Sunday, July 28, was another great day in the Crossroads District! My morning began with a drop-in visit at Harvest Church in McCordsville. It was good to catch up with Pastor Brad LeRoy and his team. They are welcoming a new youth pastor this year, Jenn Munsell, and are in the searching process for a full-time worship leader.
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Mike Morgan, who also works full-time at Global Partners, has served with excellence in this role for the past 3 years in a part-time capacity. Pastor Brad and the congregation honored Mike and Joni for the servant-hearted leadership as part of the Harvest team. Dr. Joe Harmon was the guest speaker for the day and brought a challenging message about being on mission with God. Pastor LeRoy has some new health concerns and we want to continue to stand with him in prayer.

I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Ervin Webster and the wonderful folks at Saint Stephen Church in Warren Park for their 11:30 service. Pastor Ervin and Karen Webster serve so well in difficult circumstances with limited resources. The testimonies of life transformation through the power of the Gospel were inspiring. Addicts are being set free, prostitutes are being redeemed, and families are being restored. It is always a delight to preach to this responsive congregation and to affirm the good work that God is doing through this team. Rev. Webster is a self-employed bi-vocational pastor who is also a licensed plumber. He would welcome the opportunity to assist you or your referrals.
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Sunday evening, we had a wonderful turnout to officially install and welcome Rev. Joe and Jennifer Jackson to United Wesleyan Church and our Crossroads District team. Rev. Clifton Ashlock has retired after 20 years of effective ministry with this Anderson congregation. His gracious spirit and wisdom have helped make this a positive transition. Joe and Jennifer and their talented family are returning home to Indiana after serving as church planters in Florida. Members, friends and Jackson family members joined together for the service and the fellowship meal that followed. I am grateful to the strong showing of our Madison County pastors who came out to welcome the Jacksons.
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Fairmount Family Camp concluded last evening. I was blessed to join in on three of the evening services. Rev. Christy Lipscomb and Rev. Nathan Metz were anointed for this week of ministry. Josh Lavender is a gift to the church in his worship leading.  It was a personal joy to reconnect with Pastor Adam and Pastor Christy Lipscomb. They are two of my heroes. They planted City Life Church while we served together in Michigan and Pastor Christy blessed our team by becoming my Assistant District Superintendent. I was also able to connect with Josh Delph, the new chair of Fairmount Camp’s Board of Trustees. I am encouraged by the passion and wisdom that he is bringing to this key role.
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Last week’s appointments included a meeting with Pastor Duane Seitz for an update on Silver Lake’s revitalization journey, a meeting with the staff at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion, a meeting with our district staff, a meeting with Pastor Logan Patriquin in Lafayette to explore the possibility of hosting a new Hispanic ministry launch at the Branch, a site visit to the River Church campus in Chesterton with Pastor Matthew Trexler and campus leader Andy Hammonds, and a conference call with my 3 superintendent colleagues in the Heartland Region as we prepare for the upcoming planning retreat and our joint ministerial gathering in Pigeon Forge, TN, on March 10-12, 2020.
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Two of our district families were touched by grief in the last several days. The funeral for the mother of Rev. Duane Cragen, assistant pastor at Lancaster Wesleyan Church, was held on Thursday morning with Rev. Gary Bingham presiding. The funeral for Rev. Tim McClellan, senior pastor at Lakeview Wesleyan Church, was held on Saturday afternoon with Dr. Steve DeNeff preaching. I’m thankful for each of the Crossroads District ministers who joined me in showing our support for these families by attending these services. Please continue to remember these families in your prayers.

We continue to receive exciting reports from across our district as our churches celebrate baptisms, one tangible marker of lives made new and disciples making disciples. Baptism reports have come in from Dr. Steve Bray at Fountain City Wesleyan Church, from Pastor David Shafer and Pastor James Stamper at North Anderson Wesleyan Church and from Pastor Zack and Pastor Carla Working at Huntington Hope Rising Church. Our pastors have submitted faith goal cards for nearly 1100 baptisms in this new conference year. Goals like that sharpen our focus and strengthen our faith as we depend on God to empower us to partner with Him in Kingdom expansion.
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​Rev. Dr. Lenny Luchetti was introduced yesterday morning as the interim pastor for Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church. Dr. Luchetti will continue serving full-time on the faculty at Wesley Seminary but will be the primary preacher and point person for ministry leaders during this conference year. The members of the pastoral search team, including Bob Burchell as chair of the team, were announced yesterday at Lakeview.

Thank you for your prayers and partnership as we work together in the power of the Holy Spirit to advance God’s Kingdom here in the Crossroads District!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, July 21, I had the privilege of worshiping with Dan and Amanda Clark at Monon Wesleyan Church. It was my joy to bring greetings from our Crossroads District team and to officially install Dan as their new pastor. Pastor Dan preached on “Transitions” from the book of Ezra.
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After the service, I hosted them for lunch and was encouraged to hear of the impact that Eastview Wesleyan Church had on their lives when they were college students at IWU. Dr. Joe Harmon and Pastor Mark Atkinson played key roles in their spiritual growth and their call to pastoral ministry. Dan is on track to graduate with his MDiv from Anderson Seminary in May.

Fairmount Family Camp is on this week, July 21-28. The Fairmount Wesleyan Church moved their morning worship service to the campground to help the week get off to a great start. Pastor Jeff Luedtke brought the morning message and the band from FWC led in worship. Services continue each evening this week at 7 p.m. with Rev. Christy Lipscomb (City Life Church) and Rev. Nathan Metz (WGM-Uganda) as our guest speakers and with Josh Lavender (Indy Trinity) leading worship in song.
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Our Crossroads District team is praying for and joining with Cynthia, her family, and the Lakeview Wesleyan Church congregation in grieving the loss of Pastor Tim McClellan who passed from the land of the dying into the land of the forever living on Thursday, July 18, just 4 days after his 68th birthday. Pastor Tim endured an intense battle with cancer after first being diagnosed earlier this year. I was available to share one last time of prayer with Tim and Cynthia in their home on Tuesday afternoon. He was a beloved husband, father, friend, and servant of the Lord. Our team will gather at Lakeview Wesleyan Church this Saturday, July 27, at 4 p.m. for the memorial service. Link here for a full obituary: Chronicle-Tribune Obituary
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I began last week in Columbus, OH, at Cypress Wesleyan Church on Monday for the Greater Ohio District Conference with DS Les Crossfield. I concluded the week on Friday in Lexington, KY with DS Aaron Sherman at the Kentucky-Tennessee District Conference. It was encouraging to hear the exciting reports of progress in these districts, including a new church plant in Ohio and revitalization initiatives in KY-TN. Our Heartland Region is working together to provide our first cooperative four-district Pastor and Family Retreat in Pigeon Forge, TN on March 10-12, 2020. Here’s the link for our shared website: The Heartland Region of The Wesleyan Church

Tuesday included staff meetings in Marion, a site visit with Dr. Max Kingsolver at our Wesleyan church in Michigantown, and the day concluded in a meeting with Dr. Jeffrey Boyce and the LBA (Local Board of Administration) at Lakeview Wesleyan Church. Dr. Boyce and the LBA have carried a heavy load in this season of transition and I’m grateful for the prayerful way they’ve handled this process. On Wednesday evening, I was able to be part of the prayer service that they hosted for the Lakeview congregation. Please join them in prayer for wisdom as they lead the congregation through this time of grieving, into this interim season leadership, and as they begin the pastoral search.
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Baptism reports are coming in!

Pastor Eliorgy Guerrero and the team at Cielos Abiertos in Elkhart are rejoicing in six baptisms last month. Pastor Rich Van Vuren reported a baptism celebration this week at Shiloh Wesleyan Church and Pastor David Cox reported another baptism at Laketon Wesleyan Church on Sunday. There is still time to order additional #MADENEW T-shirts by contacting our office. We’re praying, believing, and working together toward a goal of 1000 new believers baptized across our churches this year. God is on the move!
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We are praising the Lord for answered prayer. Way City Church in Speedway will be launching their public worship services this September in the St. John’s Episcopal Church building (5625 W. 30th Street). Pastor John Miller is excited to be worshipping in a building that he grew up riding his bike past every day of the summer. We are thankful to the Indianapolis Episcopal Diocese for their willingness to lease this strategic space in which to launch a new Wesleyan church.
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Pastor Matt Ohime and the Davis Wesleyan Church (near Plymouth) welcomed lead consultant Paul James and a team for their Maximizing Impact consultation. Pastor Matt and Kendra have done a wonderful job of mobilizing the church in this first year. Maximizing Impact is an opportunity to build clarity, unity, and urgency as the church moves forward to multiplying disciples in their region. The congregation received the team’s report yesterday and now will be engaged in prayerful discernment over the next few weeks before they vote on whether to move forward with the team’s prescriptions.
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We are joining Rev. Randy and Carole Yaryan (Winchester Wesleyan) in praising the Lord this week. Janelle Hill, their daughter, survived a near-death experience while serving as a chaperone for their Bible Bowl team at Houghton College. Pastor Randy was on the spot to deliver CPR until the EMT arrived and rushed her to the hospital. Doctors were amazed to see her recovery but the family has no doubt that God intervened miraculously and spared her life. To read Janelle’s account of this miracle, click here.

​In other exciting news, Bernie Haddad, (a member of Trinity Wesleyan Church and founder of Mercy Unleashed) has received permission to plant a new Kingdom community among inmates inside the Level 1 Dorm at the New Castle Correctional Facility. Their first service is scheduled for August 9. Praise God for the door He has opened for Bernie and pray that God will continue to open hearts to the Gospel.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sherry and I had the joy of worshiping with Pastor Brian Scramlin and the good folks at New Journey Community Church in Wabash. This church has a wonderful heart for its community and partners in creative ways to make an impact for the Kingdom. They’ve also done a terrific job converting an old school building into a contemporary ministry center. I had the privilege of bringing the morning message and then the LBA (local board of administration) took time for a brief meeting with me after the service. Sherry and I enjoyed hosting Pastor Brian, Jessica, and their two daughters for lunch.

Last Monday, I was in Hartford City to meet with Pastor Barry Taylor for a welcome lunch and an opportunity to learn more about his passion for church planting. Monday afternoon, I met with Bob Burchell to review the progress his team at Lakeview Wesleyan Church has been making on the action initiatives from their StratOp. Monday evening, I met with the StratOp team and was encouraged by the progress they are making on redesigning their process for welcoming guests and multiplying disciples.
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Tuesday morning, I dropped by Fairmount Camp to check in on the staff at the Kids Camp before meeting with the pastoral staff at Lakeview Wesleyan Church. In our denomination, when a church is without a lead pastor, the DS provides more direct leadership until a supply or interim pastor is appointed (Discipline 1310:23) or a permanent pastor is secured. Our district office staff met before lunch and then I connected with another of our pastors over lunch.

Tuesday afternoon was my first chance to visit in Union City with Rev. John and Beth Hannan. John and Beth have sensed God’s call to launch a new ministry in their hometown after several years serving on loan with the United Methodist Church. We shared supper with their family and then John and I drove through the community. We closed the evening in prayer for the seeds they are planting and the vision-casting meeting they had planned for Friday.
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Wednesday morning, I met with Jared Webb at Lakeview on follow-up items from StratOp. My next appointment was in Logansport to meet with Dr. Norm Wilson and Rev. Eliorgy Guerrero. We had a great conversation over lunch about ways to better support our Hispanic pastors and lay leaders, especially as we ramp up our church planting efforts. Dr. Norm Wilson and I were in Frankfort later in the afternoon to meet with Rev. Calemerio Rodriguez and Rev. Omar Gonzales (not related) to hear more about their vision for opening a door for ministry to Hispanics in Lafayette.

Wednesday evening, I was able to participate in the worship service at Frankfort Family Camp. Rev. David Duncan was the speaker of the evening and it was a blessing to reconnect with friends and team members. Many of the key volunteers come from our Crossroads District churches. Phil and Rhonda Foley are doing a wonderful job developing this effective, self-supporting ministry.
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Thursday morning, I was back at Fairmount Camp to connect with Josh Delph, chair of the Board of Directors. I appreciate the way that Josh is stepping into this key leadership role. Josh and his team are working diligently to see the camp achieve its full potential. I was also able to drop in to hear Pastor Andy Cole (Lapel Daybreak Church) leading worship for Kids Camp. He and his team did a great job serving this week. Few things can compare with the pure, passionate worship of children!
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I met with the creative team from Lakeview Wesleyan over lunch and then headed back to Upland to work from my home office. Friday morning, I met with Chris Williams for district planning and then Pastor Matthew Trexler joined us for lunch and follow-up from the StratOp projects that are moving forward.

Friday evening, I was delighted to hear from Pastor John Hannan. He and Beth knew that they had four families, who had expressed interested in the church planting vision, would be out of town. They were encouraged with more than a dozen who came out to learn more about launching a new Kingdom community in Union City.
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Pastor John was invited to partner with Rev. Claudia Silva, our pastor in Richmond, who has been helping an independent Hispanic congregation in Union City. They baptized two new believers at the park and shared a fellowship lunch beside the lake. They are having conversations to explore other possibilities for working together to reach this community for Christ. If you’d like to follow along to hear more about the story that God is writing, you can catch their FaceBook page: CrossRoads Church in Union City
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We love hearing the transformation stories from across the district team. Here’s a picture from Pastor Scott McDermid and the baptism service they celebrated last week at Six Points Church in Sheridan. Please pass along photos from your celebrations as we pray, believe and work together to see 1000 new believers baptized this conference year!
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Churches like yours in the Crossroads District have a deep commitment to global missions. I want to encourage you to take 3 minutes and 24 seconds to watch this video for an exciting challenge from Steve Mathews, one of our district directors for Global Partners. Here’s the link: Steve Mathews – Crossroads GP Partnerships

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Sunday morning, July 7, Dr. Norman Wilson, Rev. Eliorgy Guerrero and I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Franz & Yudlia Gonzalez and the wonderful congregation at Vida y Esperanza (Life and Hope) in Goshen. It was a joy to preach the Word and to join with Dr. Wilson in welcoming this new congregation to our team.
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Pastor Gonzalez and his team first connected with Rev. Guerrero and the Cielos Abiertos Church in Elkhart. Several of the folks in the congregation are here with official refugee status from the tragedy in Venezuela. This congregation has a vision for multiplication in Indiana and Mexico. Please pray for Pastor Gonzalez as he leads this movement!
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Sunday afternoon, Sherry joined me in Anderson to bring greetings from the Crossroads District team as United Wesleyan Church celebrated Rev. Clifton and Arletta’s 45th years of marriage and ministry, with the last 20 years loving and serving this congregation. There was a great turnout for the event with fun memories and laughter. The church surprised the Ashlock’s with a travel voucher that will enable them to visit their friends in Brazil where the Ashlock family had a powerful ministry.

They won’t be slowing down much with Cliff continuing to teach for IWU and serving on the District Board of Ministerial Development but it does sound like they’ll have more time to enjoy their grandchildren. Thank you, Clifton and Arletta for your inspiring example in ministry and marriage!
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Last week afforded a change of pace for many of us with the July 4th holiday falling on Thursday. In addition to enjoying some time off, I was with Pastors Zack and Carla Working to sign loan documents for Hope Rising Church as they continue the revitalization project. On Tuesday evening, I met with the Lakeview Wesleyan Church LBA as they take the first steps on their pastoral search process. Friday morning, I met with Dr. Jeff Boyce, LBA vice-chair, to review options for interim ministry at Lakeview.

Last week may have been a holiday week, but the Kingdom is on the move and lives are being made new! The first baptism picture this week comes from Pastor Mark and Sharie Schnell who serve together at Albion Wesleyan Church. This past week, Pastor Mark had the joy of baptizing C.J., their son, at a family gathering. Praise the Lord!
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The second transformation story comes from The Branch Wesleyan Church in Lafayette. Earlier this spring, Pastor Logan and Shaina Patriquin were out walking in their neighborhood. They met a young girl named Kassie and Shaina invited her to be their guest at their new youth group led by Amber Bass. After one of the group meetings, Kassie prayed to receive Christ. Yesterday, she brought her unchurched family to church with her to witness her baptism. Praise the Lord for lives #madenew!
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Congratulations to Pastor Ben Jones! He shared the announcement this week of his engagement to Miss Kirsten Harmon. Ben recently accepted the call to pastor our Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church (near the town of North Liberty and Potato Creek State Park).
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A warm Crossroads District team welcome to Rev. Barry and Vickie Taylor who officially began their ministry yesterday, July 7, at Hartford City Wesleyan Church where Barry is the new senior pastor. They are settling in and have found their way to Ivanhoe’s.
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Congratulations to the Monon Wesleyan Church on their call to Dan Clark to become their next pastor. Dan has been serving at Middletown Community Church before accepting this call to Monon. I’m looking forward to being with Monon Wesleyan on July 21 as the congregation welcomes Dan and Amanda to this new appointment.

This week, the Fairmount Kids Camp is in full swing under the direction of Rev. Michele Henry. Pray that this will be a wonderful, faith forming experience for these children. Pray for grace and strength for the counselors and staff!

Frankfort Family Camp began yesterday and runs through next Sunday with Rev. Noel Bates and Rev. David Duncan as the camp evangelists. Phil and Ronda Foley do a great job hosting this camp and they’d love to welcome you to their services.

Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent
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Sunday morning, June 30, I joined Rev. Dr. Morris & Anita Jones for worship at Lebanon Wesleyan Church. Dr. Jones pastors bi-vocationally, serving as an academic advisor for a university in Indianapolis, and he has led the Lebanon Wesleyan Church since 1995.
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Attendance in this aging congregation now averages fewer than 30 but they are faithful in supporting global missions. Rev. Matthew & Caryl Aukerman, our Global Partners missionaries in Albania, shared an update from their field yesterday and thanked the Lebanon church for more than 10 years of faithful prayer and financial support.

Sunday evening, I met with the Sweetser Wesleyan Church’s StratOp team for a progress update on their first “Action Initiative.” They’ve been working diligently to create an effective process for welcoming and engaging first-time guests. I had the privilege of staying for their first quarterly gathering on a Sunday night when they celebrate wins, appreciate their volunteers and cast vision. Pastor Matthew and Jennifer Stewart are leading a wonderful team committed to reaching younger, unchurched families in Sweetser. (I was glad to see the “#madenew” baptism T-shirts that they had placed in their sanctuary as a reminder of their faith goal.)
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Last Monday, I had a delightful conversation with one of our younger leaders who is prayerfully considering becoming a bi-vocational church planter. Keep praying that God will send workers in His harvest field. That afternoon, I joined the simulcast of the Wesleyan event at AMPLIFY from Wheaton College with Dr. Ed Stetzer and a series of other presentations on discipleship. Thank you to Anita Eastlack and the team at CMAD for making this available for all of us.

Tuesday morning, I met with Dr. Jeff Boyce and the ministry staff at Lakeview Wesleyan Church before heading to Indianapolis for the Region 2 Leadership Connection. Rev. Mike Colaw, our Assistant DS for Region 2, hosted the event which included worship led by Josh Lavender and an impactful presentation from Dr. Kerry Kind.
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The next two sessions for Region 2 are:

• Tuesday, August 20, Guest Speaker: Steve Becker – “How to have Crucial Conversations”
• Tuesday, September 24, Guest Speaker: Dr. Bob Whitesel – “How to Lead Change in your Church Without Getting Fired”

​If you’re not in Region 2 but would like to attend, just reach out to Barbara Richter:
office@encountertrinity.com

Tuesday evening, Sherry and I were guests for Pastor Mark & Ronda Atkinson as Eastview Wesleyan Church co-sponsored a free concert at Gas City Park featuring the Sidewalk Prophets. Pastor Mark opened the event and Ronda led children in singing the Star-Spangled Banner for this well-attended community gathering.

Wednesday was a catch-up day (phone calls, emails). Thursday, Chris Williams and I met for conference debrief and planning. Seth Bye and I participated with Dr. Larry Lindsey and a team from the Ron Blue Institute on a Thrive initiative opportunity. Dr. Jim Lo and I met over lunch on some ministry possibilities for the coming year. Then, Dr. Bud Bence and I met in McConn Coffee to hear more about his passion for Sierra Leone. We also explored how we might offer a “Wesleyan Church History and Discipline” course experience for transferring ministers and others who need this credit for ordination. The last hours of my afternoon were spent in the Jackson Library doing some research on a book concept. The IWU library is a beautiful space to read and reflect. I’m grateful for the gracious way IWU hosts our district pastors who value this resource.
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Friday morning, I met with Dr. Lenny and Amy Luchetti. We’re blessed to have them both serving on our district team. Lenny is providing pulpit supply at Lakeview Wesleyan Church this summer and Amy serves on our DBA (District Board of Administration). Friday afternoon, I was in Fishers to meet with Paige Johnson, a church planting intern who is serving at Waterline Church with Pastor John & Danielle Freed.

Sherry joined me on Friday evening to drop in on Pastor Chuck & Chrystal Moorer and the team at Divine Direction Church, our congregation on 46th Street in Indianapolis. They were holding the grand opening of their new monthly discipleship food bank. Divine Direction is having a wonderful impact on their community and this new ministry is taking it to another level. They will continue providing food but will also be offering focused counseling and intentional discipleship opportunities to those in need.
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The Southview Wesleyan Church family hosted a wonderful 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration for Rev. Rick and Mary Matthews on Saturday afternoon. The Matthews have been pastoring at Southview (on the south side of Indianapolis) since 1983. Their family and the church have grown together over these decades of ministry. It was a joy to be able to be present to congratulate them on behalf of our Crossroads District team.
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​Phil and Rhonda Foley and the team at Frankfort Camp Ministries invite us to their 2019 Family Camp (July 7-14) featuring Rev. David Duncan and Rev. Noel Bates. For more information, visit their website: http://www.frankfortcampministries.com/

Fairmount Family Camp is coming soon, July 21-28! We’re looking forward to the teaching ministry of Rev. Christy Hontz Lipscomb and Rev. Nathan Metz, along with Josh Lavender, worship leader. Here’s the link for more information: Fairmount Family Camp

Just a reminder for all pastors and local church treasurers that our new post office box for financial mail is: P.O. Box 7186, Fishers, IN 46038. If you were not able to attend district conference to learn about our new “Shared Accounting Services” partnership with General Treasurer Kevin Batman’s office at HQ, please reach out to Roxene Lo (roxene@crossroadsdistrict.org) for more information.

Here’s the best news of the week: “More baptisms!” Pastor Zack Working was the first one to check in yesterday with news that they baptized four more people at Hope Rising Wesleyan Church in Huntington. The fourth person…was Zack’s mother. What an exciting day for their family and for the Kingdom!

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. Congratulations and “well done, faithful servants” to the following leaders who were recognized for these significant ministry milestones at our district conference:

30 years – Robert Burchell III, James Dunn, Marc Watkins

35 years – David Anderson, Kevin Bragg, Kenneth Dykhoff, Paul Ramsey, Douglas Sharrard

40 years – Oliver Dongell, Richard Schenck, Wayne Schmidt 

45 years – Clifton Ashlock, Thomas Hines, Matthew Miller, Joseph Park, Jr., James Watkins, Norman Wilson 

50 years – Rick Matthews, Logan Westrick

​55 years – James P. Vermilya

The Crossroads District team gathered at Indiana Wesleyan University this past weekend (June 21-22) to celebrate ordination on Friday night and for our annual conference on Saturday. We were grateful that Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent was able to be with us for both days. Dr. Schmidt preached a powerful message from Joshua.
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Dr. Schmidt and the District Board of Ministerial Development led us in the ritual of ordination for our new ministers: Reverend Nicholas Armes, Reverend Nowell Hardin, Reverend Steven Howlett, and Reverend David Kelly. Special thanks to our wonderful team of ordained ministers who showed up in force to stand with these ordinands and to be reminded of the sacredness of our own calling.
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We are grateful to President Dr. David Wright and his IWU conference team for the way that they graciously hosted our gatherings in the Philippe Performing Arts Center. Our conference opened on Saturday morning with a wonderful spirit of unity in our opening communion service led by Dr. Schmidt. We concluded the day with a keen sense of God’s presence in the commissioning prayer led by Dr. Jim Lo.

Elections were completed efficiently with Michael Wood (Woody) and Rev. Don Bayne continuing to find ways to improve the process. Thank you!
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The following were elected as DBA members-at-large:

LAITY: Mrs. Sharon Cady (Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan), Mrs. Kathy Drury (Fishers One Multi-church Network), Dr. Nathan Hoover (River Church – Chesterton campus), Mrs. Kara Kensinger (Fort Wayne Level 13), and Mrs. Amy Luchetti (College Wesleyan).

ORDAINED: Rev. Amanda Blair (Tipton Trinity), Dr. Steve Bray (Fountain City), Rev. Barry Dixon (Indianapolis Calvary Family), Rev. Emily Hines (Brookhaven) and Rev. Jeff Luedtke (Fairmount).

The conference took action to elect all DBA members-at-large as General Conference delegates and the elected the following additional delegates:

LAITY: Mrs. Ana Armiger (Chesterfield Parkview), Mr. Ken Ehman (Tipton Trinity), Mrs. Lisa Knepp (Plymouth Shiloh), Mrs. Sharie Schnell (Albion Wesleyan), Mrs. Lyndy Szmara (Logansport The Bridge) and Mr. David Tippey (Brookhaven).

ORDAINED: Rev. Mike Colaw (Indianapolis Trinity), Dr. Steve DeNeff (College Wesleyan), Dr. Jim Lo (Chesterfield Parkview), Rev. Chris Williams (College Wesleyan), and Rev. Matthew Trexler (The River Church).

One memorial will be forwarded from our district conference to the 2020 General Conference Special Committee on Memorials. There was a good debate and one amendment was successfully approved that proposes to change Discipline 3108 to read as follows:

“Any minister who enters into a marriage relation contrary to the Scriptures, and to those expositions of Scripture as set forth in the Membership Commitments (265:5-6; cf 410:5-6) or is divorced for reasons other than the sexual infidelity of their spouse (Matthew 19:8-9) or abandonment by their spouse (1 Corinthians 7:10-16), after having been ordained, commissioned or licensed, shall be dismissed from ministerial standing, provided that guilt has been established in accord with the judicial processes set forth in The Discipline (5206-5212).”

The memorial, as amended, passed by a 77% majority, with 260 in favor and 76 opposed.
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Our theme word for the team this year is “Multiply” and our theme verse if John 15:8 “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples.” The challenge we’re engaging is to move beyond addition to multiplying disciples who make disciples and multiplying new Kingdom communities to reach new zip codes and new people groups.

Our district benchmarks for accountability are at least 10 new Kingdom communities, 100 new disciple-making leaders, and 1000 new believers baptized. Last year we added 7 new Kingdom communities, at least 98 new disciple-making leaders, and baptized 603 new believers. We’re making progress but have lots of room for improvement!

Every leadership team was challenged to set a faith goal for baptisms and to develop a 5-year multiplication plan for their congregation to present at the 2020 district conference. We prepared 1000 T-shirts for the pastors to claim as vision reminders when they turned in their commitment cards. We ran out of these T-shirts on Saturday but have promised to order more so just let us know how many your church needs!

If you weren’t able to be with us for the closing session (or if you’d just like to recapture), please take a few minutes to watch this video of Dr. Lo praying over our delegates:
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Congratulations to Pastor Dan Fisher (Delphi Wesleyan Church) who sent in the first #MadeNew baptism photo for our 2020 District Conference video with six new believers publicly professing their faith yesterday. Pastor Dan and Delphi Wesleyan have set a faith goal of 20 baptisms!
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Pastor Carla Working and Pastor Zach Working at Hope Rising Church reported the first two new disciple-making leaders answering God’s call in this new conference year. They send along this photo of their congregation gathered around the two women who are answering God’s call to ministry. We encourage every pastor to preach on God’s calling and to share their own journey to ministry at least once each year.
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Sunday morning, June 23, I was with the staff and congregation of Lakeview Wesleyan Church to share an update from Pastor Tim McClellan. Pastor Tim continues his battle with cancer. He has decided that he will not return to his role as senior pastor at Lakeview and has encouraged the LBA to begin the search for a new senior pastor. He shared his decision with Dr. Jeff Boyce (LBA vicechair) and me early last week.

​Saturday evening, the LBA and I met via Zoom to view the video that Pastor Tim prepared to communicate his decision to the congregation. We discussed transition details and will be meeting again next week to begin work on the search process. The staff and I met early on Sunday to pray and prepare for the morning service.
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We were blessed to have Dr. Lenny Luchetti preach a powerful sermon on “Holy Love.” Pastor Lenny will be preaching at Lakeview again this coming Sunday and will be with the congregation for at least four more Sundays this summer.

At the close of the service, the congregation watched Pastor Tim’s announcement together and Rev. Bob Burchell closed the service with a time of prayer. Many members of the congregation, including children, took time to write personal notes of care and concern to Pastor Tim and Cynthia. Sherry and I visited with the McClellan’s in the afternoon and passed along those encouraging cards. Please continue to pray for the McClellan’s and Lakeview Church as they lean on the Lord for strength and direction.
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Last week also included our staff meeting, connecting with prospective pastors, a conference call with the Heartland Region district superintendents, and working with our terrific team in preparing for our conference. I was blessed to drop in on week #2 of NTS Camp at IWU and the Senior High Camp at Fairmount. Rev. Amanda Blair and Pastor Johnnie Blair were the camp evangelists at Fairmount and did a great job of bringing truth that connected with these teens. I’m grateful for all our staff members who served in the five camps in the Crossroads District over the last three weeks. Our best estimate is that our outstanding youth leaders ministered to nearly 800 students combined in these life-changing camps.
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​July 8-12 Kids Camp at Fairmount with the theme “Fortress Royale.” Rev. Michele Henry and her team always do a great job ministering to children. For more information or to register, visit their website: Fairmount Kids Camp

Phil and Rhonda Foley and the team at Frankfort Camp Ministries invite us to their 2019 Family Camp (July 7-14) featuring Rev. David Duncan and Rev. Noel Bates. For more information, visit their website: http://www.frankfortcampministries.com/

Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom in your church, your neighborhood, and your zip code. Let’s keep on making disciples and multiplying Kingdom communities until Jesus comes or calls us home!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Sunday morning, June 16, I worshiped with Pastor Dale Munsell and the team at Cornerstone Wesleyan Church as they honored fathers. Cornerstone is another of our country churches, located 8 miles south of Albion and 10 miles north of Columbia City.
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Pastor Dale and Lori are originally from our district and after serving for many years in Illinois, Rev. Munsell came back home to pastor Cornerstone in 2017. In addition to the active ministries of the church, they also have a Christian school. Last year they averaged 55 in worship with 6 baptisms and 27 professions of faith. Cailtyn Alvord assists Pastor Dale with worship and youth ministry. After the service, I held a brief meeting with the LBA and affirmed the progress they’re making on the Maximizing Impact plan.
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Youth camps were in full swing across our district last week. We had over 300 students (combined total) meeting in three locations, at Hanging Rock Camp near Lafayette, Never the Same Camp at IWU, and the Junior High Camp at Fairmount. Monday, I dropped in at Fairmount for the first day of a busy week. Rev. Levi Lehman (Assistant Pastor at Shiloh Wesleyan) looked like he had everything under control when I caught up with him on the athletic field.
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This year’s theme at Fairmount is “FearLess” and Rev. Jeff Brady reported that counselors recorded 46 decisions for professions of faith or rededications for this week of junior high camp.

Monday afternoon, I met with Rev. Matthew Trexler, pastor at The River Church in Marion, for our annual coaching conversation. I’m grateful for Pastor Matthew’s leadership in his local congregation and for the way he invests in other leaders as our Assistant DS for Region 1.

Tuesday morning, I met with our district staff in Marion, before heading to Fort Wayne to connect with Pastor Heath Croft (Level 13 Church) for our annual coaching conversation. My final stop on Tuesday was an evening meeting with Pastor Lee Miller and the LBA team at Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church in Muncie as they consider Maximizing Impact and future ministry opportunities. I learned from Pastor Lee that two people came to Christ the Sunday that Assistant DS Chris Williams was there to preach and they’ll be among the 9 people being baptized at MDWC in the next month.

*** If your church would like to know more about Maximizing Impact, check out this article from Pastor Steve Arnett about Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church’s experience:

https://www.wesleyan.org/maximizing-impact-transforms-mt-zion-wesleyan

Wednesday morning, I met with a potential church planter in Marion before heading north to meet with Pastor Rich Van Vuren (Plymouth Shiloh Wesleyan) for our annual coaching conversation. Rich shared an encouraging update including the story of a man that he recently led to Christ and about the 5 people they have preparing for baptism.

Wednesday evening, I was in Indianapolis for the well-attended Wednesday evening prayer service at Central Wesleyan Church. Rev. Darrel Herring and his wife used to travel as song evangelists and accompanied the singing for the prayer service. Hearing them play together stirred fond memories of my father and mother doing the same.
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After the prayer service, I met with Central’s leadership team in the fellowship hall. Like many urban congregations, Central Wesleyan is facing some critical decisions about its ministry future as the community around it changes rapidly.

Thursday morning, I joined Rev. Chris Williams and the District Conference planning team as they confirmed some final details for our gathering this weekend. Then, Assistant DS Trexler and I met with Rev. Aldean Pablo over lunch for an update on his strategic action plan to make disciples and build a team for planting a new congregation called “SEND Church” on the southwest side of Fort Wayne. Later on Thursday afternoon, I met with Pastor Nicholas Zarate in Anderson for a church multiplication conversation.

My last meeting of the day was with Rev. David Shafer (pastor of North Anderson Wesleyan Church) for our annual coaching conversation. He and his team are working together to implement their Maximizing Impact plan. A highlight of our conversation was celebrating with Pastor David over the eight teenagers who’ve given their lives to Christ at NAWC since November 2018.

Friday morning, Chris and I met for our weekly check-in and then we were joined for lunch by Michael Colaw (Assistant DS for Region 2), and Matthew Trexler (Assistant DS for Region 1) for a vision alignment conversation. Chris, Mike, and Matthew have all developed unique approaches to leadership development and multiplication mapping in their respective regions. It was good for us to compare notes on last year’s progress and to build alignment toward our district goal of seeing at least 10 new Kingdom communities launched each year while raising up 100 new disciple-making leaders.
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My last stop on Friday was at the closing rally for the first week of Never The Same camp at IWU. Charlie Alcock was the main rally speaker for the week and I always appreciate hearing his heart for mobilizing the next generation. Rev. Jeff Eckart and his team are building momentum for a nationwide prayer gathering for students in Kansas City next summer, July 4th weekend, called Claim Your Campus 2020. To learn more, visit their website: CLAIM YOUR CAMPUS 2020

District Conference week is one of the highlights of our Crossroads District calendar. We will gather in Marion on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University at the Philippe Performing Arts Center on Friday evening, June 21, for the Ordination Service led by General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt. All ordained ministers gather at 6:30 p.m. for our annual group photo (formal attire) and then to line up for the procession. All guests should be in their seats before 7 p.m.
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​Doors open for District Conference on Saturday at 8 a.m. in the Philippe Performing Arts Center again with the first session commencing at 9. We are pleased to have Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our GS and a member of our district conference, to be present with us for these sessions. We would all be grateful if you would take time this week and join us in praying for God to have His way in our deliberations and elections.

Your servant in Christ,
Mark Gorveatte