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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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​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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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
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​​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.
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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).
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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​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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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​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
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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
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​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.)
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​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).
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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?”
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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. 
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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

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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.
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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)
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​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

Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church announced on Friday that Rev. Chris Williams, Assistant DS, accepted the call to become their new senior pastor. Chris has been a church planter, church revitalizer, ministry coach, executive pastor and, since 2016, he has done an exceptional job as our full-time Assistant District Superintendent.
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Special thanks to Bob Burchell and the search team who completed a thorough process to identify the best candidate. We are also grateful for the excellent interim ministry provided by Dr. Lenny Luchetti. I’m grateful to report that Rev. Williams has agreed to continue coaching our pastors in Region 3 and serving as one of our assistant superintendents alongside Rev. Mike Colaw and Rev. Matthew Trexler.
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Last week’s schedule included Zoom webinars, Zoom calls with denominational leaders, pastor coaching calls via Zoom, but my favorite Zoom call of the week was on Tuesday afternoon, 2 p.m., when 50 of our Crossroads District pastors connected for updates and then broke out into groups for prayer. My breakout prayer group included Pastor Tim Becker (Elwood Main Street) and Pastor Matthew Ohime (Davis Wesleyan). I am grateful for the way so many of our pastors are rising to the challenge of leading churches in the midst of this pandemic.

This weekend was a bit unusual for our family. Jordan, our daughter, and Samuel An had planned a May wedding in Michigan until the pandemic prompted her county to cease providing marriage licenses. We found a county clerk here in Indiana who was incredibly helpful and so Jordan’s wedding plans were changed.
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The sun was shining on Saturday as our family gathered for a small private ceremony to bless this union. Jordan has two brothers and a sister-in-law who are ordained Wesleyan ministers so we had plenty of help in tying the knot. Sherry and her daughters-in-law worked hard to accommodate the changes and to make it a wonderful day of celebration. Jordan and Sam will reside in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she is the Marketing Communications Manager for the media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church.

We have been encouraged to hear progress reports from Pastor Michele Henry (Brookhaven Wesleyan) as David her husband, continues to slowly recover in Fort Wayne. Pastor Carol Schenck (Noblesville Circle of Hope) was also able to pass along better news from her brother’s hospitalization. Pastor Calimerio Rodriguez (Frankfort Templo de Poder) was feeling well enough to preach the message for his church family on Sunday. Please continue to remember these requests in your prayers.
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While we rejoice with those who rejoice, we also weep with those who weep. Pastor Ryan Budde reached out to me on Sunday to let me know that Mrs. Sue Budde, his mother and the wife of Rev. Roger Budde, had passed away earlier that morning. Sue was a wonderful partner in life and ministry as she and Roger served Wesleyan churches here in Indiana, in Wisconsin and even in Alaska. Mrs. Budde will be greatly missed by her family, friends and the many lives she touched through the years of ministry. We express our sincere condolences and extend our prayers on behalf of the Crossroads District family to the Budde family.

As we noted last week, the Crossroads District Conference has been postponed until June 2021. We are authorizing pastors to postpone their local church conferences until no later than May of 2021, but they may choose to meet earlier as restrictions are lifted.

In this time of national emergency, your Local Board of Administration is empowered to 1) approve any necessary changes to the budget (including any housing designation, if any) and 2) elect/appoint any officers needed to fill vacancies that might occur before your next conference.

Reminder: Annual statistical reports and the pastor’s annual service report are still due on May 15.

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
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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
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Never think you’re too old to try something new. Reverend Duane Seitz is in his 6th decade of ministry and serves our congregation in Silver Lake. Most of his congregants don’t readily access social media so Pastor Seitz took a page from John Wesley and preached from the back of his Toyota pickup on Easter Sunday and again yesterday. His innovation and sermon were well-received by the members. He was excited to report that some neighbors he’d been reaching out to listened in for the first time. The person who doesn’t think it can be done should not discourage the person who is doing it!​
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​Thank you for all you are doing to lead and love in this challenging season of ministry!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. – As I’ve been talking with our pastors over the last few weeks, I’ve been concerned about the fatigue factor that can easily overtake us if we’re not being intentional about our own well-being. Back in the days when we were still traveling by air, the flight attendant would remind us to secure our own oxygen masks first in an emergency before attempting to assist others. That is good advice for leading in any crisis. The Barna Report spoke to this topic in a recent article. They quoted Dr. Henry Cloud, Christian psychologist and author, said: “What you need to do in a time of crisis is reset your system and God has given us ways to do this. There are four main areas that need to be reset: your sense of connectedness, structure and routines, sense of control and, lastly, mental space. We also need to be increasing our regular spiritual practices…”

Easter Sunday 2020 will go down as one of the most memorable in recent memory. Most every church in America was providing online ministry to their congregation and many thousands of others who may have been exploring faith for the first time. Saturday afternoon, my son and I participated in the drive-in worship and communion service hosted by Pastor Gary Bingham and the team at Marion Hillside Wesleyan Church.
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First thing on Sunday morning I was able to be part of the drive-in communion service hosted by Pastor David Shafer and Executive Pastor James Stamper at North Anderson Wesleyan Church. I was also able to join Pastor Eric Roemer and the team at Greentown Wesleyan Church for their drive-in Easter service. Not every church has the parking lot layout or even the community approval for a drive-in service but several of our churches were able to provide this option. Several people expressed their appreciation for this unique opportunity to gather for worship, even though parking 9 feet apart.
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In another memorable first, Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church conducted their candidating and voting for a new pastor completely online this weekend. Rev. Chris Williams, currently Assistant DS, interviewed on a live streaming event on Saturday afternoon with a call-in line for the question and answer session. Then, on Sunday morning, Rev. Williams preached online for Lakeview. The Discipline allows for absentee ballots for pastoral votes and every member of the church received their absentee ballot to mail in by this Friday. We’re excited about the possibilities for Kingdom impact and will be praying for Lakeview Wesleyan and Pastor Chris as they await the results.
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Last Monday included Zoom meetings with the Heartland Region district superintendents and then with the Executive Board of the General Board of The Wesleyan Church with Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent. Tuesday included teaching online for IWU, our district staff meeting, and Zoom coaching calls with Rev. Logan Patriquin (Lafayette The Branch), Rev. Johnnie Blair (Tipton Trinity), and Rev. Gary Bingham (Marion Hillside). Wednesday included a weekly Zoom huddle with many of the district superintendents of The Wesleyan Church, and coaching calls with Pastor Kory Christensen (New Haven Impact), Pastor David Cox (Laketon Wesleyan), and Pastor Heath Croft (Fort Wayne Level 13).

Coaching calls on Thursday included Rev. Eric George (New Castle Memorial), Rev. Jarod Osborne (Warsaw Pathway), and Rev. Chuck Moorer (Indianapolis Divine Direction). Thursday evening, I met online with Dr. Joe Harmon and the LBA at New Castle Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church. The DBA will receive a recommendation later this month to appoint Dr. Harmon as the interim pastor for the coming conference year.

On Friday, Dr. David Smith, Chris Williams and I met online for a contingency planning session as we prepare for the final interviews of more than a dozen ordination candidates. We are also looking at options for ordination this summer as the impact of the pandemic is mitigated.
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Praise the Lord that both Rev. Calimerio Rodriguez (pastor of Frankfort Templo de Poder) and David Henry, husband of Rev. Michelle Henry (Brookhaven Wesleyan) are both making measured progress in their recoveries. Please continue to remember them in your prayers!

*** All Crossroads District pastors are invited to a ZOOM connection on Tuesday, April 14, at 2 p.m. We’ll be connecting for an update on the PPP/CARES program, local church conference matters, and other questions that our pastors may have. There are 100 participant slots available and we would love to have you join us. Pastors will receive an email invitation with the password for login.

Lead Pastors, Staff Pastors and Ministerial Students – Annual Service Report (ASR). You should have received an email from Wesleyan Headquarters with your login username to complete this year’s report. For instructions, please access this link:
https://www.wesleyan.org/asr-and-lcsr-instructions

Congratulations to Pastor Steve & Susan Bray on the occasion of the marriage of Taylor, their daughter, to Mr. Andrew Rieck. Wedding plans are being altered by the pandemic but we want to join the Bray family in praying for God’s blessing on this new couple!
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​Our sympathies are extended to Rev. and Mrs. Barry Faucett (retired pastor) on the death last week of their son, Brandon. Please remember the Faucett family, including Brandon’s wife and children, in your prayers for God’s grace and comfort.

Again, let me say how impressed I am with the courageous and creative leadership that our pastors and staff members are providing to our congregations in this challenging season of ministry. Few pastors had training to prepare for online ministry or crisis management. Many have been working even longer hours with added stress. Please keep your pastors in your prayers and support them in every way that you can!

Together for His Kingdom!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

This week marked the first time for most of us to celebrate Palm Sunday via technology.  April 5 would have been my regularly-scheduled visit to The River Church in Marion so I joined Pastor Matthew Trexler and his team in leading their congregation for a first-time online communion service.
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I received an exciting praise report yesterday from Dr. Steve Bray, lead pastor at LifeSpring Church (Richmond). He shared that 53 people responded to the salvation invitation at the close of Palm Sunday message. God is on the move!

We continue to pray for David Henry, husband of Rev. Michelle Henry (staff pastor at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church) and received word yesterday that Pastor Calimerio Rodriquez (Frankfort Templo de Poder) has also been hospitalized. Please join us in praying for these pastoral families.

Please continue to pray for our amazing health-care workers who are battling this pandemic. We have so many graduates of IWU serving on the frontlines and caring for patients. Churches in Marion are hosting a prayer vigil each evening this week in the parking lot of Marion General Hospital and Pastor Ryan VanMatre (LifeSpring Church South) is coordinating the same initiative in Richmond.
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Our Crossroads District pastors and their leadership teams are responding to this challenge with innovation and creativity. Some of our larger churches have been streaming and offering online services for years but this pandemic has created a learning opportunity for churches of all sizes. Thank you for doing whatever it takes to keep preaching the Gospel!

Last week’s schedule included coaching calls, teaching online for IWU, meeting with the Wesley Seminary board and the Indiana Wesleyan University board, and chairing our Crossroads District Conference Action Committee. The highlight of the week was connecting with 50 of our pastors for a conversation on Tuesday afternoon via Zoom. Even the introverts are looking forward to the opportunity to get together!
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Lead Pastors, Staff Pastors and Ministerial Students – Annual Service Report (ASR). You should have received an email from Wesleyan Headquarters with your login username to complete this year’s report. For instructions, please access this link:
https://www.wesleyan.org/asr-and-lcsr-instructions

Join us in praying for each of our congregations as we respond to the opportunity to celebrate the hope of Easter in new ways during this pandemic. The church buildings may be empty but so is His tomb. The Lord is Risen!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

All of us are learning to lead in a new normal. Maybe you, like me, feel a little overwhelmed by the challenge. I was reminded of this encouraging truth last week:  “When God was choosing who should pastor and lead the church through the crisis of this pandemic, He chose you.” We may find ourselves in uncharted territory but God is still on the throne, we are still in His hands, and His Kingdom is still advancing!
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Sunday, March 29, it was clear that more and more of our churches are learning to navigate this digital frontier. Pastor David Dignal and the team at Edgerton Wesleyan Church stepped up to the challenge and are learning quickly. Pastor John Freed and the team at Waterline Church extended congregational engagement beyond the sermon by offering a large-group Zoom meeting following their streaming service. They had about 30 adults and 20 kids jump in on that call. They’re also offering a call-in number for adults or students who want pastoral counseling through the week.

At Harvest Church (McCordsville), Pastor Brad and Heidi LeRoy are hosting a Tuesday evening open session to answer frequently asked questions.
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It is exciting to see so many of you that are figuring out how to offer on-line Bible studies, family devotionals, and discipleship groups on Zoom. For example, Pastor Emily Hines at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church is coaching 24 discipleship groups that are now meeting through the week via Zoom.

One of my favorite stories is of Maelle, daughter of Pastor Mike and Kim Hewitt at Rising Hope Church. This past week, she led her first Zoom Bible study for her friends. You can find an inspiring video on their Facebook page. In the picture below, she’s the one wearing the Colts jersey. Did I mention that she’s just 9 years old?
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​WCJC, the local country radio station for Eastview Wesleyan Church (Gas City), has agreed to offer a one-hour time slot on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday for Eastview to broadcast their services. Has your team reached out to your TV/radio stations?

With the new April 30 mandate, it’s clear that all of us will be imagining new ways to celebrate Easter with our congregations. I heard of one church where the children’s ministry leaders are conspiring with parents and will be out getting their exercise by hiding Easter eggs (with candy and Scripture verses inside) on the lawns of each home of the children from the church. Tony Morgan’s UnStuck team provided helpful insights in this webinar entitled, “Re-Imagine Easter Gathering”  – Click HERE to watch this with your leaders.

One practical way we can help each other in this new digital reality is to subscribe to each others’ YouTube channel. When a church reaches 100 subscribers, they can personalize their URL making it easier for people to find them. The next time you find yourself stuck at home with nothing urgent to do, jump on YouTube and help each other get over the top. (tip from @Karl Vaters)

Measuring engagement can be challenging in the digital realm. Pastor Kaleb Wakeman at The River Church recommends that, if you’re using Facebook for streaming your services, you may want to track 1) one-minute views, 2) shares, and 3) clicks on video. Average watch time is also a helpful stat to understand engagement.

I’ve also appreciated how most people have kept their sense of humor. Here’s one of my favorite examples:
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Last Monday evening, I was scheduled to meet with the LBA at Lancaster Wesleyan Church as they continue in their pastoral search. We ended up cancelling the meeting with the updated “social distancing” directives but I dropped off resumes at the church and they are beginning to process through candidates. Tuesday morning, I taught online for IWU and then led our district staff meeting via Zoom. Tuesday afternoon, Pastor Don Bayne (New Carlisle Wesleyan) and I connected online for our annual coaching conversation. Wednesday’s online coaching conversations included Pastor Alan Downing (Frankfort Connecting Point) and Pastor Eliorgy Guerrero (Elkhart Cielos Abiertos). Thursday, Pastor Mike Cloud (Rochester The Cross) and Pastor Marc Ulrich (Merrillville ReThink Church) took time out to join me via Zoom for our annual coaching connection. My final coaching conversation for the week was on Friday afternoon with Pastor Ollie Dongell (Plymouth Wesleyan Church).

The Crossroads District partners with the Bangladesh Wesleyan Church led by Rev. Joshe Bose, National Superintendent. I reached out on Monday to wish him a “Happy Birthday” from our district team. He shared an amazing praise report of baptizing 57 new believers last week at their national church gathering. Recently, municipal authorities have requested their 5 Jesus film teams to bring the ministry to their communities.
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​Our prayers and sympathy are extended to Pastor Scott McDermid (Sheridan Six Points Church) on the passing of his grandmother last week. The private family service will be held this coming Thursday. We’re also praying for David Henry, husband of Assistant Pastor Michele Henry (Brookhaven Wesleyan), who was hospitalized last weekend. The family has shared updates on Facebook requesting prayer for his serious condition.

Just a reminder for our pastors that we’re hosting an all-district connection event via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00. We want to share the latest information of how churches can participate in the “payroll protection” provisions in the $2 trillion package CARES legislation signed last Friday. Kevin Batman, General Treasurer of The Wesleyan Church, and Rev. Jerry Alexander, regional representative for U.S. Senator Mike Braun, are encouraging our churches to make the most of this opportunity. Join us Tuesday at 2.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. Special thanks to General Treasurer Kevin Batman and his team who mobilized an online giving platform for Wesleyan churches. If your church doesn’t yet provide that option, here’s the link for more information:

Sunday, March 22, was the second weekend that our Crossroads District churches made the decision not to gather in physical spaces and to cooperate with the public health efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Thank you to every pastor, team leader, and volunteer who worked countless hours to serve your congregation in these unusual days.
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Sherry and I viewed several services online yesterday morning but also made it over to Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion to participate in their drive-through prayer ministry. In spite of the colder weather, Interim Pastor Lenny Luchetti and the Lakeview team took the opportunity to open their parking lot for a brief greeting (at the appropriate social distance) and offered pastoral prayers for specific needs.

We are all learning, and unlearning, to meet the challenge of change. Some of the changes that have been forced upon us may have been overdue and will undoubtedly serve us well going into the future.
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For example, most churches could get better at meeting needs in their congregation between Sundays. I’m seeing pastors sharing daily devotional thoughts on their personal Facebook page in the morning. Pastor Ben Parker at Back Creek Wesleyan Church has been doing this for months now and it has been received well by his church family.

Most churches could step up to another level of effectiveness in their online ministry for not just replaying services but engaging people for next steps. Small churches are learning what can be done with even an old iPhone on Facebook Live. We are also learning that many meetings can be handled online through platforms like Zoom.
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Last week, in addition to teaching an IWU class via Zoom, I participated in a General Board Executive Committee meeting, a General Board meeting, a District Board of Administration meeting, and with several meetings with smaller groups of district pastors hosted by our Assistant District Superintendents. While the technology is not perfect, there are new ways to connect to which we can adapt.

Most churches, if they didn’t already provide a way for people to give digitally, had at least considered the possibility. Special thanks to General Treasurer Kevin Batman and his team who mobilized an online giving platform for Wesleyan churches. Pastor Joe Jackson at United Wesleyan Church in Anderson was our first church to take advantage of this convenient platform which has $0 start-up costs. If your church doesn’t yet provide that option, here’s the link for more information:

Last week, our Crossroads District Board of Administration met via Zoom and approved an initial response to the challenges our churches are facing. We approved a refund of district portion (40%) of the March and April USF payments for every church that paid 100% last conference year, or up through February of this year. Also included in this package were funds to assist churches in meeting utility bills or insurance payments on their property, a grant for pastoral families, and a Great Commission grant of $1000 for every church to be creative in reaching out to their community with the love of Christ. (Pastor, if you did not receive the video and response form, please let us know ASAP.)

You will also want to be aware that The Wesleyan Church General HQ has provided a 1/12 reduction in this current year’s USF so that you will not need to send in the 60% of the April USF payment that goes to our EIF (Educational Institution Fund) and to the GSF (General Stewardship Fund).
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An important announcement for all church leaders is that this year’s General Conference is being postponed by one full year. The General Board (as authorized by Discipline 1530) felt this was the most prudent course of action given the uncertainties of the national emergency in which we find ourselves. The collective prayer gathering scheduled for May 31, Pentecost Sunday, will still be offered online and we would love for you to share that invitation with your congregation.

The Crossroads District Board of Administration has followed in that decision (Discipline 1112), determining that most of our agenda for the upcoming session was to focus on the results of the General Conference. We will be working with the General Superintendent to set the exact date of conference but anticipate that it will be June 25-26, 2021. The District Board is authorized (in the interim of our conferences to 1233:38) to approve the recommendation of the DBMD for ordination candidates. We anticipate holding an ordination service on a Sunday evening as close as possible to the original date.
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Here are the implications for your local church. No annual local church conference needs to be scheduled until such time as you are able to gather in person. Pastors will complete their annual service reports and statistical reports online at the normal time with special directions coming to them from Wesleyan HQ. Any of your officers or board members who were planning to transition at the end of this conference year may still do so. The LBA is empowered to appoint successors to fill those vacancies (Discipline 815:2) in the interim and to make all necessary budget adjustments during this emergency. Again, no annual local church conference needs to be scheduled until such time as we receive official notice that we are cleared to convene in person.

We do have churches that are in the middle of searching for their next pastor and I know they would be grateful for your prayers. Pastor Eric George has resigned at New Castle Memorial Wesleyan Church and I met with their LBA on Wednesday night to prepare for this transition. I met with the LBA of Wabash New Journey Community Church on Thursday evening and they will be conducting interviews over the next few weeks. Tonight, I’ll be meeting with the LBA at Lancaster Wesleyan Church to assist them in their search process.
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We believe that God is able to work in any circumstance to advance His Kingdom. I received a report that Facebook, YouTube, Boxcast, Zoom and others had service failures during the peak morning window yesterday. Churches almost broke the internet! In spite of the down time, the church online platform (offered free by lifechurch.tv) recorded over 28,000 people who clicked the Salvation Moment as a response to the invitation.

We are praying as you and your team continue to adjust and respond positively to these new realities. Please call, text or email if there are questions you have or ways that our district office staff can assist your church. I can’t wait to hear the creative ways in which you’re preparing for an amazing Easter outreach!

Your servant in Christ,
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Mark Gorveatte
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Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. Here’s what Bethany Wesleyan Church in Pennsylvania did this past Sunday: