Sunday morning, May 9, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Logan Patriquin and the team at The Branch Wesleyan Church in Lafayette. Pastor Logan and Shaina have been blessed to help lead the turnaround. It was encouraging to see the younger families who’ve become part of the congregation with 20 or more in children’s ministry each Sunday.
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Following the morning service, I met with the LBA and then was able to connect with the Patriquin family. It was also good to see Allan and Pam Conley who have played a key role as lay leaders at The Branch. In addition to leading children’s ministry, Pam is also a member of our District Board of Ministerial Development.

Last week’s schedule included a Monday evening Executive Committee meeting followed by a full day with the General Board of The Wesleyan Church on Tuesday. In addition to receiving the normal departmental reports, it was encouraging to hear from our own Zach Szmara who shared about the progress of Immigrant Connection. Pastor Zach reported that this ministry, in its seven years of operation, has directly served over 10,000 individuals and families from over 125 countries of origin.
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Perhaps the most significant outcome of the General Board meeting was the following shared statement:

​​A Statement of the General Board of the North American General Conference of The Wesleyan Church
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We affirm our deep commitment to our core mission of evangelizing the lost, discipling believers, equipping the Church, and ministering to society. This mission is foundational as we seek to be agents of the hope and holiness of Jesus Christ.

Unprecedented times is a term often used to accurately describe our current reality. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many things we have taken for granted for decades. Coupled with the ever-shifting sands of our culture on the social and political issues of our time, uneasiness, and a sense of angst hover in the air.

Changes thrust on us have raised questions and perhaps even fears and apprehension as we attempt to navigate the shifting landscape. More than once we have asked, “What next?”

Our General Superintendent, General Board, and the presidents and board chairs of our college and universities, have prayed, discussed, and reasoned together on these matters and unanimously approved the following statement of affirmation:

“We hereby declare that we remain deeply committed to proclaim, defend, and hold each other accountable for the historic and orthodox doctrinal positions of The Wesleyan Church as presented in our Articles of Religion, and

We hereby affirm our full and ongoing support for the official Position Papers on the social issues of our time including our commitments:

1) To affirm that persons of all races are created equal in the image of God and are entitled to equal justice under the law.

2) To affirm the sanctity of life and that all life is sacred from conception to death.

3) To affirm that God’s only design for marriage is between one man and one woman.

4) To affirm that religious freedom is a liberty essential for our pluralistic democracy.”

Loyalty has not changed. Love still thrives. Commitment remains strong. The core is solid.

While commitment to our understanding of Biblical truth is unwavering, we do understand that there are other points of view on a range of social issues. There is room for courteous dialog on these issues within the boundaries of Biblical truth.
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As our leaders, we commit ourselves to pray earnestly for the power of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to rest on the ministry of The Wesleyan Church. Our deep passion is to be agents of both grace and truth in this time and place in history.“
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I stand in agreement with them and I am grateful for these leaders who are united in championing our historic, orthodox doctrines and the statements of collective conscience that have been approved by our General Conference.

Wednesday, I was back on the road for lunch with a prospective church planter from Indianapolis. Then I connected with one of our churches that is taking steps to launch a ministry training center. I finished the day meeting with the Local Advisory Council for Albion Cornerstone Wesleyan Church.
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Thursday morning, I was in Kokomo to meet with one of our ministers for a pastoral counseling conversation. Rev. Steve Binns and I met over lunch in Anderson for an exit interview as he concludes his ministry tenure at Lone Oak Wesleyan. My last appointment of the day was with Rev. Mike Weller who is planting Restoration Church in downtown Anderson. We met for our annual coaching conversation and a positive report on this newest Wesleyan church launch in Madison County.
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Friday and Saturday were invested in final interviews with this year’s group of ordination candidates. Rev. Chris Williams, interim chair, and Rev. Carla Working, vice-chair, led our District Board of Ministerial Development through two days of intensive interviews with a dozen individuals and their spouses who are nearing completion of their journey toward ordination. I am grateful for the prayerful and deliberate way in which our DBMD members undertake this process. I am thankful for the dedicated candidates who are answering God’s call to the equipping ministry of Word and sacrament. Please make plans to join us in Marion on Friday evening, June 25, 7 p.m., for the ordination service to be led by our General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt.
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Our prayers and sympathies continue to be extended to the family and friends of Dr. Wilbur and Professor Ardelia Williams who passed away earlier this spring. Indiana Wesleyan University and College Wesleyan Church shared a beautiful celebration of their lives on Monday afternoon, May 3. Together, Wilbur and Ardelia made a profound impact on thousands of students, Indiana Wesleyan University, and our denomination. For those who may not know of their legacy, here is a video that was produced by IWU back in 2011.
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Pastors, thank you in advance for your timely completion of both your Annual Service Report (ASR) and annual Local Church Statistical Report (LCSR). District reporting opened on May 1, 2021. Each credentialed person should have been notified and given direction by email for completing your reports. Please contact us if you did not receive that email. Wesleyan HQ has also provided helpful video resources to assist you in completing these required reports. These step-by-step videos can be found at:
https://www.wesleyan.org/communication/2021-twchub-ministerial-community-help-site
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Today would be a good day to register for Veritas! Rev. Mike Colaw and the team at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church are hosting the inaugural Veritas Pastors’ Conference on May 22. Crossroads District is pleased to co-sponsor this event that will equip pastors to better understand and address key cultural issues from an orthodox Christian perspective. Registration is free for Crossroads District pastoral staff members but you need to register so that they can make arrangements to welcome you:
​​https://encountertrinity.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/783945
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​Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, May 2, I had the privilege of bringing greetings and worshiping with Pastor Aldean and Jessie Pablo at SEND Church in Roanoke, Indiana. It has been a remarkable journey for the Pablos as they were commissioned from Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church over a year ago. Last fall, they moved from home groups into worshiping with the Roanoke campus of Sonrise UMC. This spring, the main campus allowed the Roanoke campus to vote on becoming part of the SEND Church project. The vote carried 52-1 and they’re growing with attendance of 112 for Palm Sunday. Pastor Aldean preached a powerful message yesterday on living a holy life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Following the service, I had the opportunity to share information with the combined leadership team over lunch. Continue to pray with Pastor Aldean and Jessie Pablo as they lead SEND Church to reach Roanoke and southwest Fort Wayne.
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Sunday evening, I enjoyed working with Assistant Pastor Mark Schnell and the leaders at Hartford City Wesleyan Church as we conducted our annual Local Church Conference. Officers were elected, memberships were reaffirmed, and encouraging ministry updates were shared. There were 53 voting members present with several guests attending who joined together for the ice-cream social following the meeting. Hartford City Wesleyan celebrated 4 baptisms last conference year and 4 more yesterday morning, including a 75-year-old gentleman who recently came to Christ.
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Last Monday evening, I met with the LBA at Lone Oak Wesleyan Church in Anderson to assist them in their pastoral search process. Tuesday morning, I met with Rev. Allen Laws in Warren for our annual coaching conversation. Later that morning, I joined a Zoom call hosted by General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt with DS colleagues. Following that Zoom call, our district staff met on the campus of IWU on Tuesday afternoon and did a walk-through of the chapel with IWU staff in preparation for our June 26 district conference.
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Wednesday morning, Rev. Charles Moorer (Indianapolis Divine Direction Church) and I met in his office for our annual coaching conversation. Rev. Moorer, in the past year, released his second album and completed his Juris Doctor degree while running his own insurance adjustment company and serving as pastor for this vibrant inner city congregation. His single, Think About Your Soul from the album Keeper of My Soul, was added to the rotation on Sirius/XM’s Watercolors channel.
https://charlesmoorerpraise.com/

Wednesday afternoon, Dr. David Smith, Rev. Carla Working and I met online with the team from the Education and Clergy Development office as they continue to roll out the new ordination and licensing process for our ministerial students. Our district will be continuing in the traditional/legacy process for the coming year until the 2022 General Conference approval process.

Our District Board of Administration met in Pendleton at Autumn Hills Church on Thursday. The final meeting in this conference year provided an opportunity for reflection on God’s faithfulness in this past year of ministry and a look forward as we heard from Pastor Andy Riemersma (Westfield One Church) and Pastor Aldean (SEND Church). The DBA approved the request of Laketon Wesleyan Church to move from developing to established church status and approved the district budget for FY2022. Thank you to Pastor Jerome Bell and his team for hosting our meeting.
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Friday morning, I met with Dr. Ed Love for an update on our denomination’s church planting movement. Dr. Love is doing a great job building out the systems and structure to support a multiplication movement in The Wesleyan Church. We’ve had a wonderful shared history since I first met Ed and Emily as students at Asbury Seminary before they joined us in Michigan to plant Epic Church. I’m grateful for his ongoing personal investment in Crossroads District church planters.

Friday evening, Sherry and I had the privilege of hosting 4 couples from the Region 2 North Central Zone for an evening of fellowship in our home. We each shared updates from our family life and ministry settings, laughed together, and then closed our time together in prayer around the circle. It is an honor to serve with the Crossroads District team.
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On a more personal note, Sherry and I are celebrating with our youngest son Joel Jeffery Gorveatte on the happy occasion of his graduation from IWU’s Wesley Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree on Saturday evening. We were delighted to have Joel and Christie, his wife, here for the weekend and to be able to attend the ceremony in person. Joel serves as Worship and Next Steps pastor at Journey (Wesleyan) Church in Caledonia, Michigan.
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Congratulations to Rev. Mike and Brenda Cloud on their retirement! Pastor Mike completed 43 years of ministerial service, most recently as senior pastor at The Cross Church in Rochester, Indiana. Mike has played an active role in district boards and committees, most recently on our District Board of Ministerial Development. When not visiting grandchildren, Mike and Brenda will reside in the Rochester community and will be available for supply ministry in area churches. Well done!
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Congratulations also to Dr. Jim Lo who was selected by students as the Outstanding Professor of the Year for Indiana Wesleyan University. In addition to his teaching load at IWU and his work with our District Board of Ministerial Development, Dr. Lo is serving alongside me this year as a District Shepherd. Dr. Lo will visit a group of 20 churches to bring greetings from our team, preach as requested, and spend time with the pastoral family. In addition to the weekend visit, our District Shepherds will stay in touch with those 20 pastors throughout the year as prayer partners. Dr. David Smith has also agreed to join us in this new role beginning this summer. I’m grateful that these wonderful leaders who are great examples and encouragers in my life will expand our capacity to care for our frontline leaders.
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Congratulations to Muncie Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church on the successful conclusion of their pastor search process. The members voted unanimously on Sunday to call Rev. Eric George as their next pastor. Rev. George, an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church, is a full-time chaplain in a nearby correctional facility but has also been serving as supply pastor for the Memorial Drive congregation since December.

Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck passed on the good news of three baptisms at the Beech Grove campus of Circle of Hope Network. They also shared the story of ladies from their Noblesville campus providing meals for police officers working the night shift.
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Prayer Requests:

Please keep Rev. Bob Van Cise, one of our beloved retired ministers, in your prayers. He was hospitalized last weekend for a heart condition and will be undergoing tests and treatment this week.

​Please pray for the General Board of The Wesleyan Church as they convene this Tuesday and Wednesday in Fishers. These are days of great opportunity and challenge.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, April 25, Pastor Ben and Amanda Capshaw welcomed me to worship with their team at Elwood Central Wesleyan Church. Pastor Ben has served this growing congregation since 2012. They went through a challenging season when their auditorium was closed by the city building inspector for structural issues. It was nearly two years before the repairs could be completed and the church was able to return to its sanctuary.
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Pastor Ben led well through this transition and attendance grew even while they were worshiping in their fellowship hall. Last conference year, they averaged 112 in worship with 12 baptisms. After preaching and meeting with members of the LBA, I had the privilege of sharing lunch with Pastor Ben, Amanda and their two terrific sons, Isaac and Noah.
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Sunday afternoon, I dropped in on Pastor Ryan Budde and the team at Jonesboro Westview Church during their LCC (annual local church conference). They are making progress on their revitalization project and there was a wonderful spirit of anticipation as they move through 2021 as The Year of Prayer. It was also encouraging to hear the testimonies from their Celebrate Recovery ministry. Yes, your LCC can become your annual Local Church Celebration!

Last week’s schedule included meeting with the LBA at Indianapolis Trinity on Monday evening for the extended call review for Pastor Mike Colaw. Pastor Colaw has served Trinity for the past 10 years and gives God all the glory for the progress they’ve made.

Tuesday morning, our office staff sat in with the Trinity Church staff for a special meeting as they celebrated the graduation of Ethan Zent. Ethan has been interning with Trinity this spring and was unable to participate in the normal graduation experience at Kingswood University. The Trinity team orchestrated a surprise visit from Ethan’s family and conducted a very meaningful graduation ceremony for him.
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Our team met over lunch and then I connected with Rev. Mark Schnell and the staff at Hartford City Wesleyan Church. Hartford City has seen continued growth for their in person services with the last two weeks being over 160. Mark Schnell has been a great addition to the team and the congregation is responding warmly to his ministry.
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Tuesday evening, I attended a gathering at First Nazarene Church in Kokomo for The Holiness Partnership. Dr. Jim Garlow was scheduled to be a keynote speaker for the event and graciously extended an invitation. The speaker on Tuesday evening was Dr. Brian Powell, Nazarene DS from Kentucky. I was back for the Wednesday morning session where Dr. Garlow delivered his compelling address. One of the highlights for me was hearing from Dr. Charles (Chic) Shaver, recipient of a life-time achievement award from Nazarene Theological Seminary for his 60+ years of service as evangelist, church planter, and seminary professor.
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Wednesday afternoon, I enjoyed two coaching conversations. Pastor Andy Cole (Daybreak Church) and I met in Lapel and then I met with Rev. Bernie Haddad (Eden Unleashed) in Anderson. Pastor Bernie shared about the challenges for our partners in the church she planted in New Castle prison. Because of Covid-19, they’ve had no family visits and our ministry volunteers have not been permitted to return since last March. The good news is that the men are still studying their Bibles while confined to their cells for 23 of 24 hours each day. They just requested another box of the Banding Together notebooks.

Wednesday evening, I chaired the annual meeting of our District Conference Action Committee. I’m grateful for each of those who have served on our district committees as we prepare for DC21 (District Conference) to be held in person at IWU on June 26.

Thursday morning, Rev. Chip Bos (Marion College Wesleyan), met with Seth, Carla and I for continued DC21 preparation. The assistant DS team of Rev. Matthew Trexler (Region 1), Rev. Michael Colaw (Region 2), and Rev. Christopher Williams (Region 3) met over lunch to review plans for leadership development in our new conference year. Stay tuned to hear more about the “Next Level” workshops that Chris Williams will be leading this fall. If your church has not been able to take advantage of StratOp or Maximizing Impact, I believe you’ll find this a valuable resource for your leadership team.

Thursday evening, I led the LBA meeting at Hartford City Wesleyan. In addition to the normal agenda, I appreciated the time this team gives to praying for the needs in the congregation. Our district is blessed with so many outstanding lay leaders who take their spiritual responsibility seriously and give themselves fully to this important role.
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Friday, I met with Dr. Oliver Dongell (Plymouth Wesleyan Church) over lunch in Kokomo. Dr. Dongell accepted a two-year call this spring and is doing a wonderful job of helping PWC rebound from the pandemic. They’ve just announced that Rev. Levi Lehman will be joining their staff as they ramp up for the new conference year.

Friday evening, Sherry and I had the joy of hosting five of the pastoral couples (the Beckers, the Coles, the Jacksons, the Shafers, and the Wellers) from our Madison County Zone in our home for supper and an evening of encouragement. We heard heart-warming reports of God blessing in their families and congregations. We sang together, laughed together, and prayed together. I love being part of this Crossroads District team!
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We have 3 millions reasons (people without Christ in Indiana) to stay focused on our mission of making disciple-making disciples. Nothing brings greater joy in Heaven than people finding freedom in Christ (Luke 15:7). I’m hearing incredible stories of life change again this week from across our churches. Jerry Hartman is just one of those stories. For more than 30 years, Jerry’s wife and friends at Tipton Trinity prayed for him and shared the love of Christ. A few months ago, while home alone, he sensed the Holy Spirit calling him to give his life to Christ. He prayed in faith and surrendered to Jesus. Jerry, at age 86, publicly confessed his faith in Christ and was baptized yesterday along with 5 other new believers of all ages!
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Pastor Lyle Breeding was praising the Lord and shared the good news that 5 people were baptized Sunday morning at Bluffton Sonlight Church. Three of these were from the same family, a mother and her two daughters.
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Pastor David Dignal and the team at Edgerton Wesleyan Church are seeing God do amazing things even through the pandemic. Pastor Dave and the team celebrated two more baptisms yesterday morning!
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And Pastor Matthew Trexler reported in that seven people were baptized yesterday morning in Marion at The River Church. One baptism was scheduled and the other six responded to the challenge to give their lives to Christ and make this public profession of faith.
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Let’s keep praising God and believing for more lives being #madenew!

Congratulations to Waterline Church on finding their new pastor. Rev. Scott Rhyno, who has been serving as transitional pastor, accepted the near unanimous vote of the congregation and will step into this new role immediately. Rev. Elizabeth Rhyno, Scott’s wife, also serves on staff at Waterline. This will be an exciting new chapter in the life of this vibrant ministry that was launched and led so well by John and Danielle Freed.
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Now is the time to register for Veritas! Rev. Mike Colaw and the team at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church are hosting the inaugural Veritas Pastors’ Conference on May 22. Crossroads District is pleased to help sponsor this event that will equip pastors to better understand and address key cultural issues from an orthodox Christian perspective. Registration is free for Crossroads District pastoral staff members but you need to register so that they can make arrangements to welcome you:
​​https://encountertrinity.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/783945
​

​Attention Song Writers!

June 17-20 IWU will once again be hosting the Gloria Gaither Songwriting Intensive. Attendees will have the opportunity to dive into the art of songwriting as a means of storytelling with award-winning and seasoned songwriters. They will be enriched by participants from around the world in a weekend of classes and collaboration. 

Along with Gloria Gaither, in-person teaching sessions will also include Michael W. Smith, Becky Nordquist, and Dr. Todd Syswerda.  Natalie Grant will also lead an evening session and the Sunday morning worship time.  Details are available at:
https://www.indwes.edu/undergraduate/division-of-music/songwriting-intensive

Year End Reports

Pastors, thank you in advance for timely completion of your Annual Service Report (ASR) and annual Local Church Statistical Report (LCSR). District reporting opens on May 1, 2021. On that day, each credentialed person will be notified and given direction by email for completing your reports. Wesleyan HQ has provided very helpful video resources to assist you in completing these required reports. These step-by-step videos can be found at:
https://www.wesleyan.org/communication/2021-twchub-ministerial-community-help-site

Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, April 18, I had the joy of worshiping with Pastor Tim and Jennifer Becker and the team at Elwood Main Street Wesleyan Church. I shared an update on our district ministry partnership and led in the pastoral prayer time. Pastor Tim preached a message on overcoming through our identity in Christ from Ephesians 1. Alexander Henry is off to a great start as their youth pastor intern. After the morning service. I had met briefly with the members of their board of administration. It was also good to catch up with retired pastor Rev. Ron Becker who continues to be active in serving the community.
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Sunday afternoon, I met with Rev. Dr. Mark Rennaker and the LBA at Kokomo Southdowns Wesleyan Church for the four-year review and affirmation of the extended pastoral call. The board enthusiastically supports Dr. Rennaker’s ministry and voted unanimously to affirm the extended call of the church. In addition to leading Southdowns, Dr. Rennaker directs the organizational leadership degree programs at Indiana Wesleyan University.
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My last stop of the day was with Rev. Duane Summitt and the congregation at Lapel Fishersburg Wesleyan Church. I appreciated the opportunity to preach the message. The church has doubled in attendance in recent months. Fishersburg is classified as a developing church and Pastor Summitt is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors.

Today was a landmark day for Harvest Church in McCordsville as they announced a new partnership with Dr. Kevin Myers and 12Stone Church in Atlanta. Pastor Brad LeRoy shared with the congregation, "We know the Kingdom of God is advanced by partnerships faster and farther than going it alone…
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And we have a relationship with our friends at 12Stone who are willing to help us go faster and farther to reach more people for Christ. The bottom line: We are better together. We are still Harvest Church, but we have a partner in ministry!”

Our district team is excited for what this means for Harvest Church and are grateful for the Kingdom-hearted generosity of Pastor Kevin Myers and 12Stone Church.

Last Monday, Rev. David Hines and Pastor Steve Mathews, co-leaders of our district’s global missions team, met with me to map out next steps for the coming year as we continue to partner with Global Partners in Bangladesh and Mozambique. Last week’s schedule also included coaching conversations with Dr. Steve DeNeff (Marion College Wesleyan), Pastor David Cox (Laketon Wesleyan), and Rev. Brent Miller (Gas City Southside Wesleyan). I led two staff meetings (for the district and for Hartford City Wesleyan Church) and chaired a followup meeting of the district nominating committee on Tuesday. Rev. Jason Tash and I met with the LBA at Albion Wesleyan Church on Thursday evening as they move forward in their pastoral search process.
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Sherry and I took the day off on Friday to make an overnight trip to see our family in Grand Rapids. John, our oldest son, pastors Center Church in Byron Center. His church is in the final days of preparing to move into their new facility. He graciously gave us a sneak preview of their new space on Friday afternoon. John and Lindsey, his wife, are expecting our first grandchild on May 19 so this trip might become more frequent in the weeks ahead.
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I’m still collecting baptisms stories and saw on social media that College Wesleyan celebrated several baptisms on Easter Sunday. Then, as I was writing this update, Dr. Richard Schenck texted to let me know that the Circle of Hope campus in Beech Grove baptized a new believer this Sunday morning. What a joy to celebrate lives being #madenew!
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​Just a reminder that Rev. Mike Colaw and the team at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church are hosting the inaugural Veritas Pastors’ Conference on May 22. Crossroads District is pleased to help sponsor this event that will equip pastors to better understand and address key cultural issues from an orthodox Christian perspective. Registration is free for Crossroads District pastoral staff members but you need to register so that they can make arrangements to welcome you:
​​https://encountertrinity.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/783945
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Always remember that what you do matters for eternity!

​Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

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

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

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

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

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

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

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

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

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

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent