Sunday morning, January 29, I was blessed to worship at Connecting Point Church in Frankfort. Pastor Alan Downing leads this team in ministering in the historic First Wesleyan Church building just north of the campus of what was then the Frankfort Pilgrim College. Rev. Downing has served the church since 2014 and he’s another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors. The church has a unique and growing ministry to families of children with special needs. After the worship service, I met briefly with the local board and then joined Pastor Alan and Teri Downing for lunch. Pray for their continued outreach.
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I drove on from Frankfort to Noblesville to worship with Revs. Nicolas and Adriana Zarate at Rey de Gloria Iglesia Wesleyana. Rey de Gloria is part of the network of congregations known as Circle of Hope led by Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck. Rey de Gloria is growing again after overcoming a series of setbacks including health challenges in the Zarate family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Sunday was also a special day at Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church in Marion. Pastor Josh Bowlin and Assistant Pastor Andrew Kinney had the joy of baptizing six teenagers and affirming the infant baptism of a seventh. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew!
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Last Monday, I met with our district staff and then joined a Zoom call led by DS Jerry Lumston with the study committee tasked by General Conference with further consideration of Memorial 857. This group is making progress in developing recommendations that will be presented to the General Board in May.
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Monday evening, I had the joy of connecting with Dr. Steve DeNeff and the LBA (local board of administration) at College Wesleyan Church to review the extended pastoral call. Pastor DeNeff had the board break out into future-focused discussion groups to wrestle with some of the exciting challenges ahead for their church. Dr. DeNeff began pastoring College Wesleyan back in 2001 and continues to lead this ministry with excellence in his 22nd year.
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On Tuesday morning, I met with the district budget team in preparation for our upcoming DBA meeting and then met with Pastor Rob Tippey at Wabash New Journey Church for our annual coaching conversation. Tuesday evening, I met with Pastor Rich VanVuren and the LBA at Plymouth Shiloh Wesleyan Church for their pastoral review.

Wednesday morning, our district team hosted a Zoom call for local church leaders who were interested in learning more Discipline changes from General Conference 2022. We offered this webinar on Wednesday morning and again on Saturday morning. The Wednesday call was recorded and you can access the video at this link:
​https://youtu.be/KE8AA-G48pg
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Wednesday afternoon, the snow was continuing to fall so Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck joined me via ZOOM for our annual coaching conversation.

The roads were still unpredictable on Thursday morning so I worked from my home office again. The day included a call from one staff pastor considering the possibility of transitioning to a lead pastor role, another call with a lead pastor considering the possibility of trans-local ministry, and I was also able to join the webinar that Wesley Seminary hosted featuring Dr. Chris Williams on “Self-Leadership.” Chris always delivers great content so if you weren’t able to catch that webinar, here’s the link:
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykf85yWBR9A
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I met with an IWU graduating ministerial student on Friday afternoon. If your church has job openings, please share those opportunities via our free denominational website:
https://www.wesleyan.org/jobs

For the past 3 weeks, many of us have been participating in the 21 Days of Prayer initiative led by Pastor Chris Hodges and the Church of the Highlands. I joined their online prayer meetings (6 am CST) through the week and enjoyed the closing prayer rally that they hosted on Saturday morning. If you’ve not yet discovered their prayer ministry resources, I encourage you to visit their website:
​https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

Saturday evening, I was able to join with Rev. Zachary and Rev. Carla Working in Huntington as they led Hope Rising Church in the final gathering of their 21 Days of Prayer. Thank you to the Working's and every Crossroads District pastor who is making prayer a priority in 2023!
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Pastors, we have two slots available for local church leaders who are ready to take the next step in ministry effectiveness. Call today to register your team for the Next Level Church Experience led by Dr. Christopher Williams. This experience includes the opportunity for your team to develop an updated action plan and receive a $1000 matching grant for your next outreach initiative. Check out the link below for more information:
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We’re counting down with just two more weeks until the 2023 Crossroads District Youth All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on Friday, February 17. Click the image below for more information or to register your youth group. Rev. Jessica Folz, our District Youth President, along with Rev. Lane Sander are a great team, always providing an incredible experience for our youth groups. I hope to see you there!

Thank you for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

​Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S.: Main session and seminar recordings from The Gathering are now available! Click here to access those resources: ​https://resources.wesleyan.org/g23resources

Sunday morning, January 22, Sherry and I had the joy of worshiping with Rev. Kory Christensen and his team at New Haven Impact Church. Pastor Kory and I had the privilege of serving together back in West Michigan District as he was answering his call to ministry. It is always good to hear how God is working in his ministry and family. The in-person attendance was down due to the weather but there was a good spirit in the worship service. We also shared in communion as they do every Sunday.
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After the service, Kory and Becky joined us for lunch along with their son, Peyton, and his fiance, Bailey. It was encouraging to hear how God is blessing their outreach and disciple-making in the community, especially to learn how God is working through Becky’s public school leadership.

Pastor Brent Miller (Southside Wesleyan Church in Gas City) shared the best news of all from this weekend. A woman prayed to receive Christ on Friday, then she asked about baptism on Saturday, and Pastor Brent had the privilege of baptizing her on Sunday morning. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew by Jesus Christ!
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Last Monday, before our district staff meeting, I dropped in on the leadership cohort led by Pastor Matthew Trexler. This team has been journeying together each month both in learning and prayer for the past couple of years. I appreciate the investment that each leader makes in participating and I salute Pastor Trexler for pouring into this team.
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Tuesday morning, I met with Dr. Matthew Stewart in Marion in preparation for a Thursday evening meeting with the LBA at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. Over lunch, I met with Pastor Steve Arnett (New Castle Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church) in Muncie for our annual coaching conversation.

Tuesday evening, I met with Rev. Tony Bye and the LBA at Marion Brookhaven Wesleyan Church as they prepared for the upcoming vote to renew the pastoral call. Brookhaven is rebounding well from the pandemic and it was exciting to hear the testimonies of life change that they shared in the meeting.
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Wednesday included meetings with Rev. Ashlyn Luttrell, pastor of Wabash North Wesleyan Church, a coaching conversation in Huntington with Rev. Zack Working (pastor of Rising Hope), and a meeting with Rev. Trevor O’Dell (Lancaster Wesleyan Church) in preparation for an upcoming LBA meeting.

Thursday morning, I made a quick trip up to Monon Wesleyan Church to connect with our new pastor, Rev. Dr. Bradford (Brad) Snyder. Pastor Brad and I had served together in West Michigan District over a decade ago so it was fun to hear how God has been blessing Brad and Peggy in their semi-retirement. We’re glad they’ve joined the Crossroads team and Pastor Brad is already making a difference in Monon.

Thursday evening, I met with Dr. Stewart and the LBA at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. They’ve been making upgrades to their facility and they continue to find creative ways to minister to their community.
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Friday morning, I was invited to lead the devotional to begin the 6:00 am prayer service at The River Church in Marion. We have several district churches participating in the “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting” initiative led by Pastor Chris Hodges and the team at Church of the Highlands. Thank you for every way in which you call your church to prayer!
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We had planned to host several pastors and their spouses for supper in our home but cancellations due to illness made rescheduling the best option. Since we had the evening open, Sherry and I drove to Fort Wayne to share a meal with Rev. Mike and Hannah Henry. Mike is one of our newest pastors. He serves Level 13 Church bi-vocationally. While leading the church, Mike and Hannah serve as EMTs.

Saturday afternoon, I dropped in on Rev. Logan Westrick, pastor at Tipton Ash Street Wesleyan, and then drove up to Lancaster Wesleyan Church to meet with Pastor Trevor O’Dell and the LBA. Saturday evening, Sherry and I were invited to enjoy a delightful meal and fellowship with Tim and Gillian Swanson. Gillian is the youth director at Hartford City Wesleyan Church and I had the honor of performing Tim and Gillian’s wedding last year.

Speaking of youth ministry, please plan to bring your teens to the 2023 Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on Friday, February 17. Click the image below for more information or to register your youth group. Rev. Jessica Folz, our District Youth President, along with Rev. Lane Sander are a great team, always providing an incredible experience for our youth groups. I hope to see you there!
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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

P.S. – There’s still time to register your team for the Next Level Church Experience led by Dr. Christopher Williams. This experience includes the opportunity for your team to develop an updated action plan and receive a $1000 matching grant for your next outreach initiative. Check out the link below for more information.
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Sunday morning, January 15, 2023, Rev. Allen Gross and the Cicero United Family Wesleyan Church team welcomed me to preach and bring greetings from our district family. The worship team (including Pastor Gross on the bass guitar) led us in a powerful time of worship and it was good to see the growth in the church since my last visit.
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The church is active in serving the community, including hosting a free after-school tutoring program and providing community meals every third Friday evening. Pray with Pastor Gross and their team as they work toward becoming an established church before the end of this conference year.

On Monday, after meeting with our district staff, I headed north to Columbia City. Rev. Shane Wilson and the Local Board of Administration (LBA) at New Hope Wesleyan Church welcomed me to their regular meeting for a conversation about the new extended call for pastors. I enjoyed connecting with this team and hearing more about the fun they had at their recent LBA Christmas party.
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Rev. Sam Maddox and the LBA at Albion Wesleyan Church welcomed me to drop in toward the end of their Monday evening meeting. Pastor Sam is in the second year of his initial call and the board unanimously recommended him to the Local Church Conference for an extended call.

I was off the road Tuesday through Thursday for medical leave but was able to connect with pastors via email and phone calls while working from home. I also attended two webinars, one on leading breakthroughs featuring Shawn Lovejoy and the other on church revitalization featuring Thom Ranier.
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Rev. Carla Working, chair of the District Board of Ministerial Development, led our team in interviewing ordination candidates and ordained ministers in process of transfer at College Wesleyan Church through the day on Friday. Members of our DBMD team had the special privilege of interviewing with and praying for Rev. Dr. Jon Kulaga, our new president at Indiana Wesleyan University. Just a reminder that our ordination service this year will be at 10:30 on Saturday morning, June 24, at Madison Park Church of God in Anderson.
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Saturday morning, I dropped in at Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church as Dr. Christopher Williams (Senior Pastor and Assistant District Superintendent) continued to lead the congregation through “21 Days of Prayer.” Pastor Chris arrived earlier that morning (around 3:00 am) to pray with the short-term missions team that was heading out to Mexico.
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Pastor Matthew Trexler (senior pastor and district treasurer) is also leading the congregation at The River Church through the “21 Days of Prayer” and I was glad to drop in on their Saturday morning prayer gathering before heading on to Indianapolis.
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Saturday afternoon, I represented our district family at the funeral of Rev. Arthur Davis, father of Dr. Randy Davis and Gary Davis, and stepfather to Dr. Carl Shepherd and Jerry Shepherd. Rev. Davis passed away last week at age 93. He was an effective pastor and evangelist with a special heart for mentoring younger leaders. Rev. Mike Summers brought the sermon and Don Cady led the singing. Our prayers are extended to the family of this faithful servant of God.
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Revs. Zach and Carla Working shared the news that the congregation at Huntington Hope Rising Church celebrated two more baptisms on Sunday morning. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew!
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Rev. Noah Farmer, senior pastor at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church, reported that they were back up over 200 in worship attendance this weekend (205) and celebrated another baptism. Praise the Lord for every Kingdom advance!
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Save the date and plan to bring your teens to the 2023 Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on Friday, February 17. Click the image below for more information or to register your youth group.
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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

P.S. – There’s still time to register your team for the Next Level Church Experience led by Dr. Christopher Williams. This experience includes the opportunity for your team to develop an updated action plan and receive a $1000 matching grant for your next outreach initiative. Check out the link below for more information.
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Pastor Dan Clark and the team at Colfax Wesleyan Church graciously welcomed me to worship with them on Sunday morning, January 8. I had the privilege of leading the pastoral prayer and bringing greetings from our Crossroads District team. Following the morning service, Pastor Dan and I met with the Local Board of Administration for Q & A and prayer. Both Rev. Dan and Amanda have health concerns and appreciate the prayers extended on their behalf.
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Sunday evening, I dropped in on Rev. Mike and Elizabeth Weller at Restoration Church in Anderson. Pastor Mike and his team hold services over supper each Sunday evening at 5. Starting with just a handful, Restoration Church welcomes as many as 40 people for this meal, preaching, conversation, and prayer. It was also good to catch up with Rev. Ron and Joy Weller, Mike’s parents, who have been key team members from day one. Restoration Church is playing a vital role in the advancement of the Kingdom among people living on the margins in downtown Anderson.

We’re celebrating with Pastor Tim Becker and the team at Elwood Main Street Wesleyan Church as three people publicly professed their faith in Christ yesterday through baptism! What a great way to begin the new year! Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew!
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Last week, Sherry and I joined more than 1500 Wesleyan leaders, and their families, in Orlando for The Gathering. We had strong representation from the Crossroads District both in attenders and presenters. Mr. Joel Hunt, a lay member of our Crossroads District Board of Administration hosted the lunch meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Network held on Thursday. You’ll be hearing more about the Wesleyan theological and discipleship resources to be created and curated by this new initiative led by Rev. Matthew LeRoy and supported by a generous grant from the Lilly Foundation.
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Rev. Carla Working, Assistant District Superintendent of the Crossroads District, served on the steering committee for the Wesleyan Women in Ministry breakfast held on Friday morning. Dr. Wayne Schmidt and Dr. JoAnne Lyon addressed this group. In addition to her work on this denomination-wide team, Rev. Working also leads our District Board of Ministerial Development.
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Rev. Danielle Freed, who helped plant Fishers Waterline Church, was one of the main rally speakers. She shared a compelling story of personal evangelism from her days growing up in Lapel.
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Dr. Steve DeNeff, pastor of Marion College Wesleyan Church, brought a powerful and timely message for pastors from the book of Jeremiah on Thursday morning.
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One of the highlights of The Gathering is reuniting with ministry colleagues from around our denominational family. I enjoyed reconnecting with Dr. Laurel Buckingham (founder of the Buckingham Leaders Network), Rev. Troy Evans (author and church planter of The Edge), and Rev. Brett Jones, pastor of Auckland’s East City Wesleyan Church and the newly-elected national superintendent of the New Zealand Wesleyan Methodist Church.
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Sunday, January 8, began the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting that Crossroads District pastors and churches are marking again this year. If you’d like to follow along and join in this prayer focus, you can access the free resources from the Church of the Highlands:
https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/

Save the date and plan to bring your teens to the 2023 Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on Friday, February 17. Click the image below for more information or to register your youth group.
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Please mark your calendar for Saturday, June 24, when our Crossroads District Conference will convene at the Madison Park Church of God in Anderson for our annual conference and ordination service.

Join us in praying that 2023 will be a year of breakthroughs for our Crossroads District churches!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. – There’s still time to register your team for the Next Level Church Experience led by Dr. Chris Williams. This experience includes the opportunity for your team to develop an updated action plan and receive a $1000 matching grant for your next outreach initiative. Check out the link below for more information.
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