Sunday morning, June 28, I had the privilege of preaching at New Journey Community Church in Wabash. The church was planted by Tom & Sarah Cochrane and Brian Scramlin has effectively served the church since 2016. With Brian’s resignation this spring, the LBA has been in pastoral search mode. They were pleased to announce the results of their pastoral vote yesterday with 45-0 in favor of calling their next pastor. The candidate has until next Sunday to accept the call and I’m hoping we’ll be able to make that announcement next week.
​

Monday, I met with Pastor Craig Thurmon in Fishers. In addition to being a church planter, Craig does auditing work for the Department of Defense and agreed to be considered as our next district treasurer. We met with the accounting staff in the General Treasurer’s Office to familiarize Craig with the process flow and controls that are in place through HQ’s Shared Accounting Services agreement. I am grateful for Mr. Kevin Batman and his team who are generously serving districts and local churches.

Later in the afternoon, I joined the Hartford City Wesleyan Church staff for our weekly team meeting. John Bonham is doing a great job holding things together and mentoring this young team. They were prepping for their first young adult fellowship supper and were excited to welcome a total of 24 young adults for this first event. Tuesday morning, I worked on my annual report and then our Crossroads District staff met at Abbey Coffee in the afternoon.
​

Wednesday morning, Assistant DS Chris Williams and I traveled to Logansport for his cohort meeting with Region 3 pastors. Chris has been leading these monthly meetings for the past year and it was good to see the camaraderie that they’ve developed. Pastor Zach Szmara and his team at The Bridge generously hosted the meeting. Zach, Chris and I were joined by Logan Patriquin (Lafayette The Branch), Dan Fisher (Delphi Wesleyan), Matt Ohime (Davis Wesleyan), and Terry Vaughn (South Bend The Bridge) who connected via Zoom.

Thursday, the District Board of Administration met at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion with what would have been our District Conference agenda. Assistant DS Mike Colaw brought the devotional and challenged us to see the miracles beyond the mess. Our agenda included closing items from last conference year and significant items for the new conference year including approving ordination candidates and finalizing the ministerial appointment list. These documents will be complied and distributed as an annual report for the 2020 conference year. Credential cards will also be available and most will be distributed at the August 15 ordination service. If you need your card sooner (i.e. for chaplaincy or other employment), please contact Seth Bye.
​

The DBA did appoint Craig Thurmon as our new district treasurer. We expressed appreciation to Nancy Schoonmaker for her exceptional contribution in establishing the new district and facilitating the transition to the shared services agreement with the General Treasurer’s Office. Nancy resigned after 4 years on our leadership team to devote additional time to the doctoral program she’s pursuing with IWU.

We honored Mrs. Roxene Lo for her combined 22 years of service to the Indiana North and Crossroads District. Roxene’s dedication and faithfulness have impacted so many lives in her roles as missionary, pastor’s wife, district office manager, and Christian educator. Roxene taught classes at 4 different colleges, including Oklahoma Wesleyan and Indiana Wesleyan. We have been blessed by her ministry to our district and pray God’s best as she continues to serve in her local church.
​

The DBA approved moving Albion Wesleyan Church from developing to established church status, and approved appointing Rev. Jeff Brady as church planter for Commoners’ Church, a new house church network in Grant County. We also appointed Pastor Bernie Haddad as the church planter for Eden Unleashed, a church planting project within the walls of the New Castle prison system. While our overall attendance was down slightly last year, baptisms were up from the previous. Our eight newest churches (less than 3 years old) baptized 69 new believers and led 92 people to Christ.

The DBA discussed our current partnership with the Heartland Region and affirmed that collaboration. The DBA also voted to open the door for conversations with other districts who might want to considering joining us in the decentralized model we are creating. One way the Crossroads District model is unique is in the extent to which Assistant DS’s are empowered as regional ministry leaders. After the meeting, we enjoyed a delicious meal catered by The Branch (Fairmount) and honored Roxene for her years of service.

Thursday evening, I joined the LBA at Hartford City Wesleyan Church for their monthly meeting. The church is doing well handling the unexpected resignation of their pastor. Attendance is back over the 50% mark since reopening with continued online ministry serving those of the congregation who have not yet been able to worship in person.

Friday, I met with Dr. Ed Love, Executive Director of Church Multiplication for The Wesleyan Church. We met in Gaston near where he and his family reside. Ed and I first met when he was still a student at Asbury Seminary so it has been a joy to watch God bless Ed and Emily each time they have stepped out in faith to advance the Kingdom, whether through planting themselves or by equipping others. If you’d like to know more about church planting residencies and training, Dr. Love is the one to contact at HQ.
​

Saturday morning, I met with the LBA members at Lancaster Wesleyan Church as they continue working through their pastoral transition. Pastor Doug Sharrard has faithfully served the church for 17 years and will be relocating to Marion. The LBA interviewed some strong candidates over the past few weeks but the consensus of the board was that the church would be best served by having the DBA appoint an intentional interim pastor. They determined that this would be a best next step to help them address strategic concerns and build greater unity over the next few months.
​

Frankfort Connecting Point Church reported the first baptisms of this new conference year. Upon their profession of faith in Christ, Pastor Alan Downing had the joy of baptizing Cora Bachman and Jaden Bogard. Please share your baptism reports and photos so our district team can celebrate with your church.

Congratulations to Pastor Dale and Lori Munsell on the arrival of their grandson Nehemiah on June 22. Nehemiah’s parents are Corey and Emilie Munsell, missionaries with Global Partners. Nehemiah, or someone in the family, likes our Colts.
​

Many of you will be enjoying a few days away from the office this week as we celebrate July 4, our nation’s Independence Day. America is not perfect, but I can’t imagine anywhere else in the world that I would rather live. I’m grateful for the liberty that we enjoy here in the USA and indebted to those who paid the price for this freedom.
​
The preamble to our constitution reads: “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
​

​May we never stop working together toward a more perfect union with liberty and justice for all. More than ever before, we desperately need God to revive our nation and to grant us His peace.

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, June 20, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Jeff and Dr. Amy Luedtke at Fairmount Wesleyan Church. They have adjusted their schedule to offer two Sunday services (one at 9 and another at 11) allowing them to better accommodate social distancing and disinfecting guidelines. The music team led us in meaningful worship, I enjoyed the opportunity to preach the Word, and Pastor Jeff closed out each service with fun gifts for all the fathers.
​

Fairmount Wesleyan has been on the move in the past year with the continued development of their coffee shop The Branch, with their support for the Rising Hope church planting project in Muncie, and a beautiful job updating their worship facility. Best of all, they celebrated 9 professions of faith in the last conference year. I am grateful for Pastor Jeff’s leadership in his church, in the community and on our DBA.
​

The highlight of Monday was meeting with the Hartford City Wesleyan Church staff  and then sharing supper with them at John and Debra Bonham’s home. In addition to chairing the Upland Town Council, John is the administrative director for the church.

Tuesday, I drove to Cincinnati for another enjoyable meeting with the district superintendents of the Heartland Region (Crossroads, Greater Ohio, Indiana South, and Kentucky-Tennessee). This is our third year of working together. The recent Heartland Region Gathering in Pigeon Forge was one result of this collaboration. Another win has been the leadership cohort that Rev. Ken Murphy, pastor at Cypress Church in Columbus, has provided for encouragement and equipping. We continue to prayerfully explore next steps for greater impact in our region.

Wednesday, I joined Assistant DS Matthew Trexler and area pastors for lunch with a leader who shared his vision for initiating a house church network in Marion. The recommendation of these pastors will be presented to the District Board of Administration this week.

After the lunch meeting, I made a road trip to some of our northern churches. I stopped in to connect with Assistant Pastor Martin Furrow at Rochester The Cross. They’re making rapid progress in completing their addition and updating their auditorium. The next stop was at Plymouth Wesleyan Church to connect with Assistant Pastors Taylor Hulse and Ed Friberg. Pastor Rich VanVuren (Shiloh Wesleyan) and I met briefly for an update and prayer. When I arrived in South Bend, Pastor Greg Holmes (Sonlight Fellowship) and I were also able to meet for an update on the ministry and prayer.
​

Pastor Terry Vaughn (The Bridge Urban Church) and I met for supper in downtown South Bend. After supper, I joined Pastor Terry for the online discipleship group that he leads on Wednesday evenings. Rev. Terry and Lennaire Vaughn are doing the difficult work of church planting in the inner city. I am grateful for each of our pastors and congregations who have partnered with them in this important ministry.

​After 22 years of dedicated ministry to our district office team, Mrs. Roxene Lo will be retiring at the end of this month. We will be recognizing her contribution at the DBA meeting on Thursday and honoring her at the Ordination Service on August 15. With our bookkeeping now handled by the General Treasurer’s office, Roxene’s retirement and the transition of Rev. Chris Williams back into full-time pastoral ministry at Lakeview (while also serving as Assistant DS for Region 3) will see us reworking our staffing model. Thursday, Seth Bye and I interviewed prospective staff members as we take a next step toward remote working arrangements.

Friday morning, I connected with our staff members and checked in on Pastor Mark Atkinson who is recovering from a heart-related surgical procedure. Join us in praying for Mark’s full recovery. My final appointment for the week was a lunch meeting with an experienced minister who is considering transferring into The Wesleyan Church.

In other transitions around the district, Parkview Wesleyan Church in Chesterfield added a new staff member. Anna Armiger, Pastor Jeremy Armiger’s wife, completed the requirements for licensed ministry and was welcomed to Parkview’s staff as an Assistant Pastor along with Dr. Jim Lo.
​

Congratulations to one of our retired district superintendents. Dr. Steve and Carol Emery celebrated their 50th Anniversary last week. We are grateful for their many years of effective pastoral ministry and their district leadership in The Wesleyan Church.
​

Congratulations to Josiah Gorveatte, worship director at McCordsville Harvest Church, on his engagement to Elizabeth Scotch of Destin, Florida. Josiah and Elizabeth are planning a wedding in the fall and we’re excited to welcome Elizabeth to our family.
​

​Sunday morning, we received the heartbreaking news from Pastor Rochelle and Travis Jenkins (planting Circle City Church). Their daughter Sydney Claire was born prematurely but was unable to survive. Some of you will know the long and difficult journey this has been for Pastor Rochelle and Travis. All of us can join in prayer for God’s comforting grace as they grieve this painful loss.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 (NIV)

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, June 14, I had the privilege of preaching at Hartford City Wesleyan Church. Their pastor unexpectedly resigned on June 5 and I’ve been assisting their leadership team in working through this challenging transition.
​

Hartford City Wesleyan was strengthened through the long-term ministry of Rev. Tom Parsons who left a solid foundation of Bible teaching. The congregation has a committed lay leadership team that will provide wise direction as the church moves forward. The church is also blessed to have John Bonham serving as administrator and their talented young staff includes four Taylor University students who are stepping up to the challenge. I know the team at Hartford City Wesleyan will welcome your prayers!
​

I’m pleased to announce that Rev. Bob McHenry has accepted the unanimous call of our Nelson Street Wesleyan Church to become their new pastor. Bob brings a wealth of pastoral leadership experience to their church and will be a great addition to our Crossroads District team. I also want to thank Rev. Don Glenn who graciously stepped out of retirement to effectively serve Nelson Street for the past few years since the untimely death of Pastor Steve Fletcher. Let’s welcome Bob & Cheryl back to the Crossroads District and join them in prayer for an exciting new chapter in leading Nelson Street to reach out to their changing community.
​

Last Monday, I connected with Pastor Mark Atkinson over lunch and then filmed a brief interview on his call to ministry. Monday afternoon, I dropped in for prayer with Rev. Shawnda Dykhoff, pastor at Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church in Marion. I met with the Hartford City Wesleyan Church staff for our first team meeting later on Monday afternoon. That evening, I had the chance to check in on Pastor Ben & Helen Parker (Back Creek Wesleyan Church) and pray with them as they made preparations to leave for a much-needed vacation.

Tuesday’s schedule included our weekly district staff meeting, a drop-in visit for prayer with Pastor Duane Seitz (Silver Lake Wesleyan Church) at his home, and a drop-in visit for prayer with Pastor Steve Colter (Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church) in his office. Tuesday evening, Seth and I hosted a Zoom meeting for district pastors. We passed along district ministry updates and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time in prayer with other pastors in the breakout rooms. Our next monthly ZOOM call will be July 7, at 7 p.m. and you will receive a Zoom link from Seth later this month.
​
Wednesday’s drop-in visits included Pastor Steve Arnett (New Castle Mount Zion), Pastor Steve Bray (Richmond LifeSpring Church), Pastor Theo Griffin (Greenfield Brown’s Chapel) and Pastor Brad LeRoy (McCordsville Harvest Church). It was fun to reconnect with Ben Wade who just joined Rev. Griffin’s staff at Brown’s Chapel. Ben and Katie, his wife, were students at Kingswood University when Sherry and I were serving there. We are pleased to welcome them as the newest members of our Crossroads District family.
​

Thursday, Dr. David Smith chaired a subcommittee of the District Board of Ministerial Development. We completed follow-up business including reviewing the submission of annual service reports and preparations for the August 15 ordination service. Just a gentle reminder here that all ordained ministers are expected to join us for this most important event in the life of our district, unless excused for health concerns. Ministers will gather at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion at 12:30 on August 15 for our group photo and further instructions for our participation. Thank you in advance.

The highlight of Friday was meeting with a prospective church planter who is feeling called to plant a network of house churches. Assistant DS Matthew Trexler has invited all Grant County pastors for a lunch meeting this Wednesday at The River Church to learn more about the vision for this new Kingdom community.
​

We continue to pray that God will send out workers into His harvest field. If you are sensing a call to church planting ministry, we invite you to take the first step by completing this online assessment:

https://crdwesleyan.churchplanterprofiles.com

​​Once you’ve received your results, let us connect with you to discuss the opportunities.

Thank you to the pastors who have already completed the Covid-19 response survey. Of those reporting to date, more than 80% of our churches will be meeting in person by the end of this month. Furthermore, of the churches reporting, most of them (more than 90%) have come through the first few months of restrictions with at least 1 month of financial reserves intact. If you’ve not yet completed the survey for your church, please do so ASAP. We want to make sure that your congregation is included in the report we present to the District Board of Administration on June 25. Here’s the link: Covid-19 Response Survey
​

Our first Next Level church fitness leadership cohort is launching in August. For the past 5 years, the churches of our district have had the opportunity to participate in a consultative process called “Maximizing Impact.” We are grateful for each church that took advantage of this resource and for the positive results they experienced. Realizing that one size doesn’t fit all, the district invested in training four of our own team members through Tony Morgan’s UnStuck group to facilitate StratOp consultations. StratOp, the strategic operations planning process developed by Tom Paterson, continues to provide a facilitated resource for churches of all sizes who want to move into the future with great intentionality and alignment. There are still a few weekends available in this new conference year if you’d like to book one of our facilitators, either for your church’s first StratOp or for updating your plan.

Next Level is a new monthly training and coaching experience the Crossroads District is offering for pastors and two key team leaders from his or her church.  The curriculum covers key growth engines for church fitness in a cohort model that allows for shared learning and accountability. After four intensive training sessions, the teams move into an implementation and coaching phase in the second semester. Each team will focus on optimizing the unique strengths of their church to seize the unique opportunities for Kingdom impact in their community.

This year’s Next Level Cohort is limited to 10 churches with 3 leaders from each of those congregations. Matching grants are available to assist churches with the registration fees. For more information or to enroll your church before the June 30 deadline, please contact Seth Bye or other members of our district staff.

Keep on making a difference until He comes or calls you home!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”  Ephesians 2:14-16 (NIV)

Sunday, June 7, I was with Pastor Harold Henson and the team at Colfax Wesleyan Church. Rev. Henson is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors who combines ministry in the pulpit with ministry in the marketplace. Last week was their first week worshiping back in the building after the pandemic restrictions.
​

I appreciated the opportunity to preach and then to lead the local church conference as Colfax Wesleyan voted to renew Pastor Henson’s call for four more years. We are grateful for the leadership that Pastor Harold and Angie have brought in returning to their home church.

The road to Colfax allowed me to drop in on Pastor Johnnie Blair and Pastor Amanda Blair as their team was rehearsing to lead worship for their online service. In addition to her local church leadership, I am grateful that Pastor Amanda also makes time to serve on our District Board of Administration.
​

Frankfort is the last stop before Colfax so I was able to check in on Pastor Alan Downing at Connecting Point Church. It was also good to get to see Dr. Ernest Batman, one of our retired district superintendents, who is an active member of this congregation. The team at Connecting Point has been hard at work remodeling the auditorium and they just put the finishing touches on their fellowship hall last week. Their next project is upgrading their kitchen to better serve their community.
​

After the morning service in Colfax, I was able to make it back to Noblesville in time to worship with Pastor Nicholas and Adriana Zarate at Gloria del Rey (King of Glory) Church. Nicholas and Adriana provide faithful leadership to this congregation and to the Spanish-language congregation that is part of United Wesleyan Church in Anderson. They have recently completed their ordination preparation journey with the DBMD and, pending DBA approval, are looking forward to being ordained in August.
​

Pastor Steve and Rosie Binns have also been hard at work updating Lone Oak Wesleyan Church in Anderson. I dropped in on them on Sunday afternoon to see the latest project that added a “Wow!” factor to their children’s space. Rosie’s artwork is designed to let children know that they are valued and that God has a wonderful plan for their lives.
​

Sunday evening, I met with Pastor Duane Summitt and the congregation at Fishersburg Wesleyan Church. Pastor Duane is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors and Fishersburg is one of our smaller congregations. They have a committed core of mostly retired folks who are devoted to each other and trying hard to keep the church alive. I shared a devotional and we had a crucial conversation about the future of the church. They will be reflecting on the questions we discussed and considering next steps.
​

Last week’s schedule included drop-in visits and prayer with Pastor John Hannan (Union City CrossRoads) and Pastor Randy Yaryan (Winchester Wesleyan) on Monday. I met with our staff on Tuesday, dropped in on Rev. & Mrs. Richard Deisler in Fairmount, and spent time with Pastor Barry Taylor (Hartford City).

Wednesday, Dr. Wayne Schmidt and I connect for a district update and prayer. The DS cohort met by Zoom again over lunch that day. Wednesday evening, I met with Pastor Barry Taylor and the Hartford City Wesleyan Church LBA. Thursday was another good day in the field connecting with Pastor Andy Cole (Lapel Daybreak), Pastor Jeremy Armiger (Chesterfield Parkview), and Pastor Joe Jackson (Anderson United Wesleyan). Pastor Joe and his team have been busy relocating their offices and remodeling their entry way to provide expanded capacity for welcoming guests.
​

On Friday and Saturday, Sherry and I were excited to welcome all of our children home for a family “staycation.” We enjoyed bonfires, playing games, laughing a lot, and we may have eaten a bit more than we needed. Best of all, we experienced the joy of shared faith and meaningful conversations with these wonderful young adults that we are blessed to call our children.

We are delighted to extend congratulations to Pastor Ben and Kirsten Jones on the happy occasion of their wedding this past weekend in Ohio. Ben pastors our Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church, just outside of South Bend. Kirsten is a PK (preacher’s kid) and she’s looking forward to joining Ben as they serve this loving congregation.
​

Thank you to each one of our Crossroads District leaders who has engaged in prayerful conversations and peaceful demonstrations this past week. Christian leaders can both abhor police violence and support our first responders. Christian leaders can both engage in peaceful protests and decry the rioters destroying minority-owned businesses. Christian leaders can mourn the heart-breaking deaths of both George Floyd and David Dorn. What Christian leaders cannot do is remain silent.
​

​Prayer requests this week include retired pastor Rev. Dr. Max Kingsolver (most recently at Mt. Hope Chapel) who is walking through cancer treatments. Pray for Pastor Brad LeRoy (McCordsville Harvest) as he works through a new health concern. We also want to be praying for Rev. Barry Taylor and the Hartford City Wesleyan Church. Pastor Taylor resigned over the weekend and is returning to West Virginia to resolve family concerns. Pray as the Hartford City LBA provides transitional leadership for this conference year.

REMINDER: All Crossroads District pastors are invited to join us this Tuesday evening, June 9 at 9 p.m., for our monthly ZOOM connection. We’ll share a couple of brief updates but the primary focus will be breaking out in small groups for connection and prayer. Pastors will have received a ZOOM link but you can reach out to Seth Bye in our office if you need assistance.

Pastors, if you’ve not yet completed the brief survey that Seth emailed to you last week, please do so ASAP and we’ll share those results in tomorrow evening’s meeting.

Thank you for all that you are doing to advance the cause of Christ in your community.

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

PS: Save the Date! Crossroads District Ordination will be August 15, 1 p.m., at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. All ordained ministers are expected to attend and will gather at 12:30 for our group picture with our ordinands. We are delighted that Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent will be joining us again this year. Thank you for making this a priority.

Injustice. Death. Destruction.

The tragic events that unfolded this past week were sparked by the loss of George Floyd’s life under the knee of a person entrusted to serve and protect. There is no justification for failing to provide relief and medical aid to a man in handcuffs who cannot breathe. The subsequent protests and riots speak of deeper, historic pain and suffering but they are powerless to restore this one precious life.

The Book of Common Prayer offers this petition “For the Death of Someone Killed in The Neighborhood.”
​

Our words will be inadequate but silence is insufferable. We can change laws, but laws don’t change hearts. Political promises are as empty as they are plentiful. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully proclaimed and faithfully lived out offers any hope for justice, righteousness, and peace in our nation.

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression…” Isaiah 1:17 (ESV)
​

For many of us, it will not be our sins of commission that will cry out against us. It is far more likely that it will be our sins of omission, not doing what we could to become part of the solution. It does not matter whether we personally caused the injustice, the Bible makes it clear that we are called by God to stand with the oppressed and to seek justice. If we fail to act to correct the oppression, we become complicit in the evil. We must not allow silence to become consent.

None of us can change everything. All of us can do something.

Listen prayerfully. Speak truthfully. Stand courageously. Serve lovingly.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (ESV)
​

Pentecost Sunday morning, May 31, I joined Pastor Tony Bye and the team at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church for both of their morning services. They are still rejoicing over the answered prayers in the wonderful recovery of David Henry. It was a blessing to see David and his family worshiping together. I had the privilege of preaching at Brookhaven and it was the first time preaching with people in the auditorium in over three months. Pastor Tony and his team have done a great job leading through this transitional season in both their online ministry and preparing the facility to welcome back their congregation.
​

Sunday afternoon, Sherry and I participated in the farewell Commissioning Service for Pastor John and Danielle Freed at Waterline. Staff members, lay leaders and friends gathered for this special occasion in the parking lot outside the Wesleyan HQ building where Waterline meets. General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt prayed the commissioning prayer. The Freeds are leaving a wonderful legacy of changed lives here in Indiana. We are praying for God’s blessing as they accept the new challenge of leading multiplication in the Great Lakes Region District!
​

Last evening was to have been the opening session of General Conference 2020. Although the gathering in Saint Louis was postponed until 2021, the scheduled prayer gathering moved online. General Superintendent Dr. Schmidt and his team led us in a concert of prayer that included Wesleyans from around the globe. Thank you to the many Crossroads District leaders who participated and to Josh Lavender, worship pastor on staff at Indianapolis Trinity, who led us in the musical portion of our prayer time.
​

Most of us enjoyed a slightly shorter week with Memorial Day on Monday. Our district staff meeting was on Tuesday. Assistant DS Chris Williams has now fully transitioned into his role as Lead Pastor at Lakeview Wesleyan Church. We’re grateful for Chris being willing to serve as Assistant DS for Region 3 this year and he’ll continue with the coaching cohort he’s been leading for these pastors.

Tuesday evening I was in Richmond for a coaching conversation with Pastor Claudia and Victor Silva. Pastor Claudia is bi-vocational so the past few weeks have been difficult with her employer closing. Fortunately, Victor’s work was steady for the past few months and then the dental practice where Claudia works reopened last week. The church has held together well although some families were directly impacted by the pandemic.
​

Wednesday morning, I met with Pastor Logan Westrick at Ash Street Wesleyan Church in Tipton for our annual coaching conversation. I participated in the weekly Zoom call for district superintendents that Dr. Karl Eastlack hosts at noon on Wednesdays. Rev. Ervin Webster, pastor of Saint Stephen Wesleyan Church in Warren Park, and I met on Wednesday afternoon. It was good to catch up with Pastor Webster and to hear how their members have continued to serve through this crisis.

Thursday morning, I met with Pastor Tony Bye in Marion in preparation for Sunday at Brookhaven. Thursday afternoon I connected with Pastor Jim Weinmann at his HQ office for an update on the ministry at Evanston Avenue Wesleyan Church. My last stop for day was with Rev. Barry Dixon, pastor of Calvary Family Church and member of the DBA. I appreciated Pastor Barry’s time and wisdom in this difficult season.

Friday morning, I represented our district team at the home-going celebration for Mrs. Faith Watkins held at Circle of Hope Wesleyan Church in Noblesville. Dr. Earle Wilson, General Superintendent Emeritus, preached the funeral message and Dr. Rich Schenck and Rev. Carol Schenck shared in leading the service. Please pray for the Watkins family as they grieve their loss.

Friday afternoon, I was able to connect with Pastor Craig and Tiffany Thurmon, our church planters leading The Encounter Assembly on the east side of Indianapolis. Church planting is never easy but planting in the middle of a pandemic is especially challenging. Please keep the Thurmons in your prayers as they lead this new work.
​

Rev. Charles Moorer, pastor of our Divine Direction congregation in Indianapolis was my last appointment for the day. Pastor Chuck’s anointed music ministry has been expanding nationally but he still continues to provide exceptional leadership in this neighborhood church that offers community-impacting ministries including their food kitchen and discipleship program.

Saturday morning, Assistant DS Mike Colaw hosted a ZOOM meeting for our pastors in Region 2. Seth and I were able to join the group. Several of these congregations serve the greater Indianapolis community and that was a special focus of our prayer time.

Congratulations to Pastor Lyle and Pat Breeding on the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary. We appreciate Lyle and Pat and are grateful for the way they lead the ministry of Bluffton Sonlight Wesleyan Church.
​

Thank you all for leading with vision and faith in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, May 24, I had the privilege of dropping in on two of our congregations who were taking next steps in gathering. Pastor Barry Taylor and the team at Hartford City Wesleyan Church created space to welcome their congregation back to the building by adding a second service. They marked off alternating rows for the first service and then used the opposite seats for the second service to allow for social distancing.
​

Greeters wore masks for the safety of guests and helped direct people through separated entries and exits. Hartford City Wesleyan Church will continue to offer their worship online with new equipment purchased with help from the Connect with Tech grant from the Lilly Foundation.

My second stop of the morning was at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. Pastor Chris Williams and his team offered online worship again this weekend but also added a live event for leaders in the congregation. It was good to hear Pastor Chris preach in person and to visit with their staff after the service. This live gathering with limited attendance allowed them to test their systems for welcoming congregants in the safest way possible. Lakeview was also able to do a test run with the equipment they were able to purchase because of the Lilly grant.
​

Last week’s Zoom meetings included a General Board Exec Committee meeting on Monday and then a call with district superintendents on Wednesday.

I enjoyed connecting with pastors in person for prayers in person last week. Tuesday’s road trip allowed me to meet briefly and pray with Pastor Aldean Pablo (SEND Church), Pastor David & Carol Leitzel (Hamilton Wesleyan), Pastor Heath Croft (Level 13), Pastor Aaron Lee (Cultivate Church), Pastor Kory Christensen (Impact Church), Pastor Andy Jellison (Lifeway Church), Pastor Dave Dignal (Edgerton Wesleyan), Pastor Kyle Horton (Three Rivers), Pastor Lyle Breeding (Bluffton Sonlight), and Pastor Paul Van Cise (Bryant).

Wednesday morning, I met with Pastor Lee Miller (Memorial Drive Wesleyan) in Muncie for our annual coaching conversation. Pastor Michael and Kim Hewitt (Muncie Rising Hope) were home when I stopped by to check on them and have prayer. District Secretary Carol Schenck and I met at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers to sign legal documents for one of our churches. The Heartland Region district superintendents met via Zoom on Wednesday afternoon and then I finished out the day meeting with Rev. Barry Taylor in Hartford City for our annual coaching conversation. Thursday, I met with and had prayer with Pastor Matthew Stewart (Sweetser Wesleyan) and Rev. Jarod Osborne (Warsaw Pathway). My final meeting of the day was with the LBA at Wabash New Journey Community Church as they continue in their pastoral search process.

On Friday, Sherry and I were blessed to host the Region 2 North Zone pastors and spouses for supper and fellowship. Pastor Johnnie Blair chairs this zone and four couples were able to join us. We had a fun time sharing a meal and some competitive games of bean bag toss (watch out for Pastor Carol Schenck). We regretted having to cancel these fellowship gatherings for the past two months but look forward to welcoming more of our pastoral couples this summer.
​

This coming Sunday, May 31, we invite you and your congregation to join our General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt and Wesleyans from around the world for an online prayer event. “Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said Dr. Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation.” Pastors can find more information at: https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together
​

Church Multiplication and Discipleship (CMAD) has provided free resources for your use to participate on Church Multiplication Sunday (CMS) this coming Sunday, May 31st. Promotional materials, including sermon resources, video bumpers, kids and youth ministry curriculum, and Winfield Bevin’s FREE EBOOK “Multiplying Disciples” are available here:
www.wesleyan.org/cms
​

​We received word on Monday afternoon (May 25) that Mrs. Faith Watkins, wife of Rev. Joe Watkins and mother of Pastor Marc Watkins (Kokomo Trinity), had been hospitalized in critical condition. Family members have been called to her side. Please join us in prayer for Mrs. Watkins and her family.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent
​
P.S. HERE ARE HELPFUL RESOURCES AS YOU PREPARE FOR GATHERING AGAIN:

• Wesleyan Resource Hub for Covid-19​
• ReOpening Church: Leading After COVID-19 – Vanderbloemen
• 24 Questions Your Church Should Answer Before People Return – Ken Braddy
• AVOID THIS BIG MISTAKE: STEPPING BACK INTO THE PAST WHEN YOU STEP BACK INTO YOUR BUILDING – Carey Nieuwhof

Eastview Wesleyan Church in Gas City hosted a special service for graduates and their families on Sunday morning, May 17. Pastor Mark Atkinson and his team were diligent in providing masking, hand sanitizer, and social distancing. The doors were opened for us by a greeter with smiling eyes behind a mask. The chairs were arranged for households to sit together but with generous spacing from others. At the close of the service, people were released one row at a time to alleviate crowding in the foyer. I was glad to be part of this service and to see how Eastview took prudent steps to care for the health and safety of those who were able to gather. It is clear that all of us will be in learning mode as our churches carefully move toward reopening for gathered worship.
​

Before heading to Eastview, I dropped in on Assistant DS Matthew Trexler and the team at The River Church for their 8:45 service. They offered three live morning worship experiences with social distancing. During the 11:15 service they celebrated what may have been the first baptism in the Crossroads District for our new conference year (When you have baptism services, please pass along the good news and photos so we can celebrate with you.)!

Several of our churches held services in their buildings this week with many more planning to be open for Pentecost Sunday, May 31. Others took the opportunity to use their parking lots for drive-in services. Not every church has a parking lot that is conducive for this but, for those who do, it does provide a next step to regathering as a church family. United Wesleyan in Anderson and Six Points Church in Sheridan were two of our congregations meeting outdoors yesterday.
​

Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations with Pastor Zach Szmara (Logansport Bridge) and Pastor Greg Holmes (South Bend Sonlight). On Tuesday afternoon, about 50 of our district pastors gathered online for some brief announcements and then moved into breakout rooms for sharing and prayer. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent and member of our district, was able to join us for this Zoom call. I was blessed to connect with Rev. Theo Griffin (Greenfield Brown’s Chapel), Rev. Dave Leitzel (Hamilton Wesleyan), and Rev. Mark Atkinson (Gas City Eastview) in our breakout room. I am always encouraged to hear of God’s faithfulness in the lives and ministries of our district team.
​

Seth Bye and I had the opportunity to visit with Pastor Alan Downing and Brett Todd, Pastor Alan’s partner, on Friday to see the amazing remodeling project that is almost complete at Connecting Point Church in Frankfort. They’ve completely redone the auditorium and created two new classroom spaces near the entry to the building. The final project they’ve been working on is remodeling their kitchen and fellowship hall to expand capacity to serve needy families in their neighborhood.
​

The elderly congregation at Michigantown Mt. Hope Chapel voted last week and made the difficult decision to bring their gathered ministry to a close. Seth and I met with three of the 7 remaining members on Friday to walk through next steps. The building and parsonage will be sold with the proceeds to be reinvested in church planting that perpetuates the legacy of this faithful congregation. Dr. Max Kingsolver has been diligently serving this church in his retirement years until recent health complications made it impossible for him to continue. This is a difficult decision for any congregation, but the good news is that the members with whom we met are planning to connect with area Wesleyan churches. We had a time of prayer together with thanksgiving for these leaders and for all the people who have come to Christ through the ministry of this church over the many year. Their labor in the Lord has not been in vain!

Two of our pastors graduated from seminary in the past few weeks. Pastor Dan Clark serves our Monon Wesleyan Church and graduated with the Master of Divinity degree from Anderson University’s School of Theology. Rev. Ryan VanMatre pastors the south campus of LifeSpring Church in Richmond. Ryan graduated from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University with the Master of Divinity degree. Congratulations to both of these pastors (and their families) who completed this academic journey while also faithfully serving their congregations!
​

We are praising the Lord for answered prayer. On Tuesday, Pastor Calimerio Rodriguez shared the wonderful news that both he and Sister Maria are both testing negative after 6 weeks battling the coronavirus. Rev. Carol Schenck continues to provide positive updates on the slow but steady recovery of her brother, Ron. David and Michele Henry shared pictures of the Henry family worshiping together at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning. We join these families in praising God for answered prayer!
​

Things are slowly moving back toward normal in Indiana, at least a new normal, with the governor allowing stores and restaurants to reopen. For the first time since February, Sherry and I will be welcoming pastors and spouses back to Thornapple for a Friday evening fellowship. Our guests this week will be the pastors and spouses of the Region 2 North Central Zone led by Pastor Johnnie Blair. We are grateful for the opportunity to invite our lead pastors and their spouses to join us each year for one of these evenings of fellowship, food, laughter, and prayer. We hope to see you soon!

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S.  – May 31, Pentecost Sunday, is the Sunday that The Wesleyan Church sets aside to focus on congregations multiplying to reach new communities and people groups. Dr. Ed Love has provided a great resource website to help your congregation prepare for this emphasis. The challenge is to raise awareness and financial support for the power of local church multiplication. Here’s the link: Church Multiplication Sunday
​

​​On Sunday evening, May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Wesleyans around the world are gathering online to worship and pray for the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This hour-long event begins at 7 p.m. (EST). “Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation.” Pastors can find more information at:
​https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together

Mother’s Day 2020 was certainly different than most of us would have expected. Self-quarantining and social distancing guidelines meant that many families were not able to be together as they normally would. So families improvise. Some gathered outside the windows of nursing homes. Others connected online.

Churches also had to improvise. I had the joy of seeing three of our congregations innovate to provide opportunities to share the Gospel and serve people. My first stop of the morning was at Parkview Wesleyan Church in Chesterfield. Parkview’s team, led by Pastor Jeremy Armiger and Assistant Pastor Dr. Jim Lo, made a careful plan and yesterday morning moved back into worshiping in their facility.
​

To provide for social distancing, they offered two services (9 and 10:30) with every other row taped off. They disinfected thoroughly before each service. They provided hand sanitizer. They did not pass out items and provided a basket for people to drop in their offerings. No one shook hands but there were plenty of smiles and warm words of greeting. Dr. Jim Lo brought an encouraging message from Hannah’s faith journey in motherhood (1 Samuel 1-2).
​

Noblesville Circle of Hope Wesleyan Church is led by Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck. I joined them for the drive-in service they offered for this Mother’s Day. The service also included greetings and prayer in Spanish with Pastor Nicolas Zarate who leads the Gloria del Rey congregation. In addition to sharing the service through their sound system, Circle of Hope also provided a low-power FM transmission that allowed you to listen in your car. Pastor Carol brought the message from 1st Peter 2:1-10 and challenged us to be living stones that reflect Jesus. Several people responded to Pastor Carol’s invitation at the close of the service and stood beside their car for the closing prayer.

My last stop of the day was at Daybreak Community Church in Lapel. Pastor Andy Cole and his team were going to host a drive-in service but the forecast prompted them to keep their worship service online. Instead, after the online service, they honored mothers with a special gift and prayer time by driving through their parking lot.
​

Reopening may be one of the most challenging leadership experiences in your ministry. As you are planning, praying, and dialoguing with your leaders, may I recommend these two guiding principles:

1) Don’t hurry. Plan.

You may have already heard me say that I’d rather you open two weeks later than one week too soon. Do everything you can to get this right. Trust your community leaders. Consult with your congregation’s healthcare workers. No one ever has all the information. No human effort is ever 100 percent. You’ll never be able to keep every person perfectly safe from others, or from themselves. But you can plan your work and work your plan. Do the very best you can, in your context, with your resources. And don’t hesitate to ask for help. (Proverbs 20:18, Proverbs 21:5)

2) Don’t judge. Pray.

I am trusting that every Crossroads District church leader will make the best decision and lead the best process they can, in their context, with their resources. We will learn from each other, but please don’t judge others. Please don’t judge or criticize the pastor in your community or our district who goes slower than you do in reopening. Please don’t judge or criticize the pastor in your community or our district who goes faster than you think is wise. (Luke 6:37 and Romans 14:12-13). Your prayers will make a bigger difference than your criticisms.

Congratulations to Greentown Wesleyan Church as they celebrate 100 years since their conception in a 1920 revival meeting led by Rev. Jesse Whitecotten, assisted by Anna Linville (who became their first pastor). The revival services were held in a borrowed church building in May and lasted four weeks. Sinners were converted. Backsliders were reclaimed. Believers were sanctified holy and a church was organized on August 6, 1920. As part of the conception celebration yesterday, Pastor Eric Roemer and the team hosted a drive-in service in their parking lot that also featured a baby dedication!
​

The highlight of last week’s schedule was the two days I spent with our District Board of Ministerial Development (DBMD) conducting the final interviews for ordination candidates. Dr. David Smith chairs this team with grace and wisdom. We are working with Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent, toward an ordination service later this summer (tentatively on Saturday, August 15, 1 p.m.).

The journey to ordination in The Wesleyan Church is intense and begins with a local church discerning the calling of a woman or man and recommending them to the DBMD. Educational coursework and supervised experiences are evaluated each year, first by zone DBMD committees and then regional teams. Finally candidates come before the district board for one more conversation about theology, ministry philosophy, character, and calling. What a joy it was to see how God has been at work in forming them for life and ministry. The future of The Wesleyan Church is in good hands!
​

Just a gentle reminder of this week’s deadlines. Final grant requests from the district Covid-19 pandemic response for the 2020 conference year must be submitted before 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 12. The DBA will be monitoring ongoing developments but the initial round of grants was only funded in the last conference year.

May 15 is the deadline for Center for Congregation technology grants applications. Several of our churches have already received notification of their grant approvals.

Annual Service Reports (ASR) and Local Church Statistical Reports (LCSR) are also due, along with your annual ministerial staff requests. For those who are reporting online attendance, General Secretary Janelle Vernon provided the following clarification: When using the Premiere feature (Facebook and YouTube), a Peak Live/Concurrent Viewer statistic for the initial play period of the video is provided and that number may be treated as the equivalent of the same on a “Live” video for reporting on line 8 [Local Church Statistical Report]. This information provides churches an industry standard metric that will ensure consistency within TWC statistics.
​

​On Sunday evening, May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Wesleyans around the world are gathering online to worship and pray for the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This hour-long event begins at 7 p.m. (EST). “Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation.” Pastors can find more information at:
​https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together

Keep on making a difference for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, May 3, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Duane Seitz and the congregation of Silver Lake Wesleyan Church as they gathered for their fourth drive-in service. They’ve been blessed with clear weather for each outdoor service and today the parking lot was nearly full. It was good to see the neighbors who came out on their porches and yards to hear Pastor Seitz preach a wonderful message on peace.
​

Pastor Seitz was encouraged to report three individuals who professed faith in Christ, one who testified to being entirely sanctified and three new believers who were baptized in this past conference year. He shared that they have eight people who are looking forward to being baptized this summer and six individuals who are preparing for membership.

Sunday afternoon, I joined in with Pastor Matthew Trexler and a team of leaders at The River Church in Marion for a planning session led by Mark Meyer of the UnStuck Group. This was the first UnStuck consultation that we’ve done by Zoom.
​

Jason Tash, Chris Williams, Matthew Trexler and I are certified StratOp facilitators trained by the UnStuck Group to serve our district. We do have a limited number of weekends available in the new conference year. Let us know as early as possible if your leadership team would value hosting a StratOp planning conversation for your church.

Last week’s ministry calendar included coaching conversation with Pastor Allen Laws (Warren Wesleyan) and Pastor Ben Thomas (Avon Nehemiah Church). We hosted a Zoom connection event for 50 district pastors on Tuesday afternoon. Our Crossroads District Board of Administration met via Zoom on Thursday morning with a full agenda, including approving a conservative budget (reduced 25%). Dr. Jim Lo joined us to share an update on the prayer initiative he leads. Twelve of our retired pastors have accepted the responsibility to become prayer partners for our active pastors.

The DBA voted to approve “real-time tithing” as full participation in the FY2021 United Stewardship Fund. The goal is for churches to have financial flexibility in this emergency season while fully participating in the denominational support plan that we have adopted. Annual assessment for FY2021 USF apportionment will still be based on 10% of the previous year’s income (with exemptions or cap limitations). Each local church will receive a report of the annual and monthly USF apportionment based on that calculation.
​

The change approved by the DBA is that the local church may pay either the monthly portion of the USF assessment or may contribute 10% of the actual tithes, offerings, and unrestricted gifts received by the church each month. (Since there can be significant variation in monthly receipts, it will be prudent for the church to select one method for the year, rather than switching back and forth.) At the end of the year, every church that has paid 100% of their USF assessment or 100% of a real-time tithe of their receipts will be recognized as having fully participated in the United Stewardship Fund.

*** Pastors and church treasurers will be receiving direct communication about this opportunity and the steps for implementation.

On Saturday, I joined in with Assistant DS Mike Colaw’s Region 2 online connection for pastors and then dropped in on Dr. Rich Schenck and the Region 2 DBMD as they interviewed ministerial candidates.

Many of you have been praying for David Henry, Pastor Michele Henry’s husband, and joined us in celebrating last week as he returned from Fort Wayne to continue rehabilitation in Marion. We’re also encouraged by the recovery progress of Rev. Calimerio and Sister Maria Rodriguez (Frankfort) and Rev. Carol Schenck’s brother Ron. Another exciting praise note last week came from Pastor David Cox (Laketon Wesleyan) who shared that their grandson just celebrated 100 days free from leukemia.

Two of our pastors shared reports of people coming to their offices this week in tears desiring to get their lives right with God. Isn’t it wonderful to see how God is moving and lives are being changed for eternity!

Rev. John and Danielle Freed, founding pastors of Waterline Church, publicly announced that they have accepted a call to become multiplication leaders in the Great Lakes Region District beginning next month. We are deeply indebted to John and Danielle for the way they have led by example in personal evangelism and multiplication efforts here in Indiana. I was honored to have Pastor John Freed serve as my first Assistant DS when I moved to Indiana in 2015. We know they will be a blessing in this new role. Pray for the Freed family and for Waterline Church in this challenging season of transition. You can hear their full announcement here: Freed announcement to Waterline
​

​In other developments last week, Governor Holcomb released a reopening plan for Indiana that includes Guidance for Churches. Permission to reopen is not the same as having a plan to reopen. In addition to following all necessary protocols for disinfecting and protecting individuals, churches will need to be prepared to communicate with everyone who may be exposed to the virus during one of your gatherings so that they can self-quarantine (contact tracing). Leaders will want to ensure that their team is prepared to conscientiously follow the cleaning and physical distancing guidelines of the CDC:

CDC Reopening Guidelines

As your team considers a timeline for reopening, you may want to hold some “pre-launch” or practice services before your launch or reopening Sunday. Training your team, preparing your facility, communicating with your congregation (and prospects), and praying fervently are key ingredients to preparing for re-launch. It might be possible for some of our congregations to gather in limited numbers on May 31, Pentecost Sunday, but even that timeline could be too aggressive for many of our churches.

Please allow me to repeat this again, it is far better to open two weeks later (and get it right) than to open one week too soon and not be prepared to provide excellent care for your congregation (especially for the children).

Leaders, your mission is not to see how quickly you can get people back into your building. Your mission is to make disciples who make disciples and multiply Kingdom communities to reach millions of lost people. We are relearning that we can stay on mission without a building. Regrettably, we know that it’s possible to gather people in a building without multiplying disciple-makers. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing.

HERE ARE HELPFUL RESOURCES AS YOU PREPARE FOR RE-OPENING:

• ​ReOpening Church: Leading After COVID-19 - Vanderbloemen
• 24 Questions Your Church Should Answer Before People Return - Ken Braddy
• AVOID THIS BIG MISTAKE: STEPPING BACK INTO THE PAST WHEN YOU STEP BACK INTO YOUR BUILDING - Carey Nieuwhof
  ​
  

May 31, Pentecost Sunday, is also the Sunday that The Wesleyan Church sets aside to focus on congregations multiplying to reach new communities and people groups. Dr. Ed Love has provided a great resource website to help your congregation prepare for this emphasis. The challenge is to raise awareness and financial support for the power of local church multiplication. Here’s the link: Church Multiplication Sunday
​

​On May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Wesleyans around the world are gathering online to worship and pray for the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This hour-long event begins at 7 p.m. EST. “Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation.” Pastors can find more information at: ​https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

*** REMINDER: We’ll be hosting another of our bi-weekly connections for Crossroads District pastors this Tuesday, April 28, at 2 p.m. We’ve had about 50 leaders join us for the previous connections on Zoom. We’ll have information updates, opportunity for Q & A, and then move into breakout rooms for prayer and praise.

This has been a conference year we won’t soon forget. April 30 marks the end of our 2020 conference year so our annual statistical reports are coming due. You will note that the directions for measuring average worship attendance only covers the months of April through February. Also note that there is a column for reporting average of online attendance (through February), using the “Peak Live Viewers” or “Concurrent Viewers” number. (Other livestream platforms may use slightly different language, but this will be the preferred way of calculating online attendance for our denominational reports and you’ll want to track this in our new conference year.)
​

​For your convenience, here are the links for the conference year-end reports:

• https://www.wesleyan.org/asr-and-lcsr-instructions  
• Instruction Sheet for Statistical Reports 2020
• Local Church Statistical Report worksheet (pdf)

​As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Seth Bye (seth@crossroadsdistrict.org) or Roxene Lo (roxene@crossroadsdistrict.org).
​
Local Church Conference (LCC)
The Crossroads District Board of Administration has authorized local church boards (LBA) to postpone the annual local church conference (LCC) until April 2021 unless the local church determines to do so sometime sooner, after the gathering restrictions are lifted. The local board may either continue to operate with the current financial plan or approve an interim FY21 financial plan which can, if required in church bylaws, be approved at the next meeting of the LCC. All officers would also remain in place until their successors are elected. Vacancies may be filled, in the interim of the LCC, by vote of the LBA.

​Most church leaders’ are asking “When will we be allowed to gather again and what will we need to do to wisely prepare for re-opening our facility?”
​

Governor Holcomb was asked about Indiana’s reopening timeline by the Indiana Business Journal (April 24, 2020) and he replied: “Here in the state of Indiana, we’re focused on May 1, and all the changes we need to make and put in place through May 1, and we’ll continue to look at that road ahead in those kind of two-week, 10-day, three-week increments.”

Phase One of the federal government’s instructions includes the following requirements:

“All individuals, WHEN IN PUBLIC (e.g., parks, outdoor recreation areas, shopping areas), should maximize physical distance from others. Social settings of more than 10 people, where appropriate distancing may not be practical, should be avoided unless precautionary measures are observed.

“Avoid SOCIALIZING in groups of more than 10 people in circumstances that do not readily allow for appropriate physical distancing (e.g., receptions, trade shows)

“LARGE VENUES (e.g., sit-down dining, movie theaters, sporting venues, places of worship) can operate under strict physical distancing protocols.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/#phase-one

Whether we will be able to gather as 10 or 50, it is clear that your ability to provide for “physical distancing” will be essential. Perhaps “watch parties” gathering a few relatives or friends in the homes of your congregation will be a first step. For some of our smaller congregations, it may be that your auditorium is spacious enough for people to be able to maintain the minimum required 6-feet of physical distancing (about 10 square feet of seating of space would facilitate that separation.) You might consider only using every other pew or setting chairs up with two empty spaces between them.

Leaders, it will be wiser to open two Sundays later than you might have rather than to open one Sunday before you should have. 
​
HERE ARE HELPFUL RESOURCES AS YOU PREPARE FOR RE-OPENING:

• ​ReOpening Church: Leading After COVID-19 Vanderbloemen
• Post Coronavirus Facility Reopening Checklist Smart Church Solutions
• 24 Questions Your Church Should Answer Before People Return – Ken Braddy
• The COVID-19 Ministry Resource Guide for Churches – Outreach Magazine
• AVOID THIS BIG MISTAKE: STEPPING BACK INTO THE PAST WHEN YOU STEP BACK INTO YOUR BUILDING Carey Nieuwhof

​

Last week’s calendar for me included a General Board Executive Committee Zoom Call and a pastoral search team coaching session on Monday. On Tuesday, I taught my final class with IWU students in Wesleyan Church History and Discipline and then met with our CD office staff via Zoom. The General Board had a Q & A Zoom meeting on Tuesday afternoon and voted to approve moving forward to hold the General Conference in St. Louis in 2021 along with approving real-time tithe as an alternative for celebrating 100% contribution to the United Stewardship Fund (USF). Pastor Rich Van Vuren (Shiloh Wesleyan) and Pastor Terry Vaughn (The Bridge Urban Church) joined me for coaching conversations on Tuesday afternoon.

Wednesday morning, I was in Fishers to connect with Rev. Scott Rhyno before jumping in on the DS Zoom Huddle that Dr. Karl Eastlack has been hosting each week. Rev. John Freed (Waterline Church) and I connected on Wednesday afternoon for our annual coaching conversation. My last meeting of the day was with Nancy Schoonmaker, our Crossroads District Treasurer to revise our FY2021 with a 25% reduction in expenses.

Thursday, I met with Pastor Matthew Trexler (The River Church) and Pastor Brian Williams (Sims Wesleyan Church) for annual coaching conversations. Assistant DS Chris Williams and I also connected online for our weekly meeting.

Friday morning, I joined Dr. Don Maness and the board of directors at Wesleyan Village Board (Brooksville, FL) via Zoom for our monthly meeting. The ministry of our Wesleyan retirement community continued to make excellent progress under the gifted leadership of Dr. Maness. Dr. Keith Drury, Rob Benson and Martha Blackburn also serve on this board so the Crossroads District is well represented.
​

Dr. David Drury (pastor of One MultiChurch Network) met on Friday afternoon for our annual coaching conversation. It was encouraging to hear more about the remarkable growth of micro churches across The Wesleyan Church. I am grateful for the significant role that David and Kathy Drury are playing in supporting the leaders of these Kingdom communities. Friday evening, I joined Pastor Trexler and the River Church prayer group to offer a devotional from Romans 15:13.

I want to say “thank you” again to our pastors and their key leaders who are going the second and third mile during this pandemic to care for their congregations and to serve in their communities. God is at work for good even in this difficult season.

Thank you for praying! We’ve been praying for Pastor Calimerio and Maria Rodriquez at Frankfort Templo de Poder. Pastor Rodriguez has fully recovered from Covid-19 but Maria needs our continued prayers. Please, never doubt the power of your prayers. Pastor Michele Henry continues to post encouraging progress reports for David, her husband. Yesterday, Pastor Michele shared on Facebook that David’s doctor said “…no one that sick survives. It’s really quite miraculous.” Please, don’t stop praying!

​I love hearing stories of how God is on the move during this pandemic. For example, Indianapolis Trinity Church set a goal of $15,000 for an offering to help needy families. They received over $22,000. Pastor Randy Yaryan decided to try a drop-in family worship at Winchester Wesleyan in addition to his online message. Nine different families (a total of 31 people) took advantage of this opportunity to meet with their pastor for prayer in the 20-minute time slots he provided from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. on Sunday.

One more praise report from Elwood: Pastor Ben Capshaw shared the story of an agnostic who had recently started attending with his wife. Yesterday’s online sermon challenged everyone to spend at least 10 minutes reading their Bible each day. He reached out to Pastor Ben via email for a recommendation on an easy to understand version. His wife sent Pastor Ben a text message expressing her surprise and delight that her agnostic husband spent 30 minutes reading his Bible before bed last evening. God is on the move!

Thank you for all you are doing to spread the salt and shine the Light!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“To exist as something without a white-hot commitment to the mission of God in the world is to exist as something other than the church.” ~ Brian Sanders in “Microchurches” (p.57)
​

​TOGETHER: an online Pentecost event

​On May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Wesleyans are gathering online to worship and pray for the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This hour-long event begins at 7 p.m. EST.

“Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation. In the book of Acts, remember the early believers were together in unity and praying. They were anticipating that God was going to move in powerful ways.”

TOGETHER, hosted by Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, will be streaming live from Marion, Indiana on Sunday, May 31, at 7 p.m. EST. The 60-minute online service will feature focused prayer delivered by Wesleyans from around the world with times of worship led by Josh Lavender. Pastors can find more information at:
​https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together

​The Center for Congregations has just announced a one-time “Connect Through Tech” grant for all Indiana congregations. This is a unique opportunity for congregations in Indiana to purchase new technology resources to help connect virtually during the pandemic and beyond. This includes streaming hardware, computers, audio/visual equipment, software, video conferencing subscriptions, licensing fees, and more!

• Applications are being accepted now through May 15, 2020
• Grant Amount: maximum award is $5,000
  ​(10% congregational contribution / 90% grant)
• The grant does not reimburse for expenses already incurred
• Available to Indiana congregations only

​​For more information and to submit your grant application, click here:
Center for Congregations Grant Form