Sunday morning, January 28, Pastor Andy & Leanza Riemersma and the team at ONE Church in Westfield celebrated the second anniversary since their official launch in 2022. It was a great reminder that we don’t plant churches to expand The Wesleyan Church. We plant churches to reach more of the 3 million people in Indiana who don’t yet have a relationship with Christ and His Church. Praise the Lord for more than 140 decisions for Christ in the first two years of ONE Church’s ministry.
​

Continue to pray for Pastor Andy and his team as they reach out into Westfield and the surrounding area. If you’d like to hear more about the compelling vision for the next phase of this ministry including their new partnership with the YMCA, here’s the vision-casting message:
​

My next stop was in Avon at 317 Church in time to hear Pastor Seth Bye bringing a strong message and challenging the church in the launch of their “One More” initiative. It was so encouraging to see their team growing and to experience the excitement in the room.
​

Pastor Seth also led the church in celebrating three more believers publicly professing their faith in Christ. Praise the Lord for the forward progress of His Kingdom in Avon!
​

Last Monday, I was in Marion for our district staff meeting at Lakeview Wesleyan Church. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS, met with us as we reconfigure our staff support role in partnership with his office. If you know someone who might be interested in applying for this new cooperative position, you may direct them to this weblink:
​https://secure.wesleyan.org/job/frame/9247

Monday evening, I met with the LBA (Local Board of Administration) at Marion Nelson Street. Pastor Tim Witte has been serving this congregation but submitted his resignation in that meeting. Rev. David Bannach has agreed to provide pulpit supply through the remainder of the conference year. Tuesday, travel was impacted in the morning by an icy driveway but Dr. Craig Thurmon (The Encounter Assembly) and I met online for our annual coaching conversation. Tuesday afternoon, I was on the phone with a prospective pastoral candidate.

Wednesday morning, I met with Pastor David Cox (Laketon Wesleyan) in Warsaw for our coaching conversation and then came back to Marion for coaching conversations first with Rev. Michael Gallant (Mt. Etna Community Life) and then with Rev. Brian Williams (Sims Wesleyan Church). Wednesday evening, I was grateful for the opportunity to join Pastor Rob Tippey and the team at Wabash New Journey Church for their third Wednesday prayer gathering in their “21 Days of Prayer.”
​

Thursday morning, I was in Marion to meet with Rev. Ed and Bonnie Silliman, recently retired from Pennsylvania, who have transferred into the Crossroads District. They are excited to meet other retired pastors and spouses at our spring gathering at Wesleyan HQ on April 12. Rev. Tim Witte and I met with Tisha Teague who has been serving as assistant pastor with him at Nelson Street.

Thursday afternoon, I met with another couple in Anderson and answered questions as they explore God’s call to ministry in The Wesleyan Church. My last stop was for a coaching conversation with Rev. Carol Schenck, co-pastor at Noblesville Circle of Hope. Dr. Rich Schenck joined us for this conversation and for a discussion of future possibilities for the ministry of Circle of Hope.

Friday morning, I was in Indianapolis to connect with Rev. Cary and Cindi Sanders as they reach out to the Fountain Square community. Friday afternoon, I joined with Rev. Carla Working at Wesleyan HQ as she welcomed Dr. Elaine Bernius, IWU professor, and a group of students exploring ministry opportunities in Indiana.
​

Several of our district churches wrapped up their 21 Days of Prayer this weekend. The River Church in Marion concluded with a prayer meeting on Saturday morning. Executive Pastor Amy Biegel brought the devotional message and then led the congregation into the hour of prayer.

Following that prayer meeting, I dropped in on Pastor Dan VanCise and the team at West 8th Street Wesleyan Church for their 11 a.m. prayer service. Pastor Dan has been leading their congregation in this Saturday morning prayer gathering for many months and they’ve been encouraged by the way that God is moving in response to specific prayer requests.
​

Thank you to every pastor who is leading by example and calling our district churches to a deeper level of corporate prayer. Missionary Hudson Taylor often reminded the church that “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.”

One of the ways we seek God at work in our churches is through the testimony of changed lives. Pastor Aldean Pablo and ARISE Church in Roanoke celebrated three more baptisms yesterday. Praise the Lord for these stories of redemption!
​

Pastor Martin Furrow and the team at The Cross in Rochester are delighted to announce that Rev. Richard Ladoceur and his family have arrived to join their staff team. The Ladoceur family is coming back to Indiana from a season of ministry with The Wesleyan Church in New York. Welcome Pastor Richard and Haley and their children back home to the Crossroads District!

Thank you to those who have been praying for Rev. Greg Holmes (South Bend Sonlight) in his recovery from the severe back injury and surgery he experienced almost two weeks ago. I’ve spoken with Pastor Greg and Cheryl by phone throughout this journey and we are grateful to report that Greg was released to continue his recovery and rehabilitation from home. Thank you to those who’ve responded to the financial matching grant. If your church would like to help, please send your contribution to our district treasurer: P.O. Box 7186, Fishers, IN 46038.
​

Rev. Matthew and Nicole Trexler (The River Church) are grandparents for the first time! Congratulations and welcome to Wrenn. Mother and baby are home and doing well. Pastor Matthew is off to a good start in his rookie season of grandparenting.
​

Rev. Randy and Carol Yaryan (Winchester Wesleyan Church) welcomed grandbaby number 11! Lucas and his mother are both doing well. Pastor Randy is a seasoned pro in this grandfathering role. We agree with Proverbs 17:16 “Children’s children are a crown…”
​

​Don’t miss out, registration ends February 5th! Here’s the link for the speaker lineup and registration information: gathering.heartlandregion.org
​
​Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!
​
Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte

Sunday morning, Rev. Barry Dixon, Rev. Joyce Dixon, and the team at Calvary Family Church in Indianapolis welcomed me to join them for their 9 a.m. worship service. Pastor Barry and Assistant Pastor Joyce (the First Lady) have served Calvary Family Church since 2010. Both Joyce and Barry have served on the Crossroads District Board of Administration.
​

Accompanied by the Dixon’s talented daughter and son, Pastor Barry led us in worship and then shared an encouraging message on God’s faithful provision in our lives. The highlight of the Christmas season at Calvary was celebrating five baptisms!

Divine Direction, another of our congregations serving inside the I-465 circle, is just five miles away from Calvary Family Church so I was able to join them for their 11 a.m. worship service. Pastor Gawin Anderson and Monique, his wife, lead this ministry in a strategic location within our capital city. Sister Monique led us in worship and Pastor Gawin brought a timely message on “The Indisputable Reality of Jesus Christ.”
​

Pastor Gawin is studying for his degree in ministry through Indiana Wesleyan University and has entered the ordination process in the Crossroads District. We are grateful that the Anderson family has joined our district team bringing their experience in both church planting and revitalization.

I was in Marion on Monday for district staff meeting and to connect with Rev. Matthew Trexler and the cohort of pastors he convenes at The River Church each month. The morning group has been meeting for nearly three years and a new afternoon cohort began meeting last summer. It was encouraging to hear how their respective churches are engaging in focused prayer as we launch into a new calendar year. I’m thankful for our pastors who are committed to cheering one another on to greater ministry effectiveness.
​

This is the time of year when Wesleyan churches and pastors are prayerfully considering God’s call. On Tuesday, I met with one of our pastors for that conversation and I closed out the day on a Zoom call with another pastor who is seeking God’s direction for his ministry.

Wednesday morning, I was in Indianapolis for coaching conversations. I met with Rev. Jim Weinmann (Indianapolis Evanston Avenue Wesleyan Church) at his HQ office where he serves as Operations Director for the Wesleyan Pension Fund. In addition to his local church ministry and full-time job at HQ, Pastor Jim also actively serves as a chaplain with the Lawrence Police Department. Rev. Nathan Richardson (Indianapolis Southview) met for our coaching conversation in the afternoon. In addition to leading the church, Pastor Richardson also handles staffing/HR matters for a group of Chick-Fil-A restaurants in the Greenwood area.

While in Indy, I also met with Rev. Mark James, a long-time friend who has retired and moved back from South Carolina to be closer to grandchildren. Pastor Mark and Anna James served at Warsaw Wesleyan and at Trinity Wesleyan in Indianapolis before heading south. It’s good to have them back home and I’m delighted to announce that they have agreed to lead worship and bring the devotional for our spring Retired Pastors and Spouses Fellowship. The brunch will be held in the Indianapolis area on Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m., so save the date!

On my way home from Indy, I connected with Pastor Mike Weller and some of his leadership team for a walk-thru of a possible new location for Restoration Church. Their ministry is outgrowing their current facility and they are seeking God’s direction for the next chapter.
​

On Thursday morning, I met with Rev. Clifton Ashlock (Chesterfield Parkview) for our coaching conversation. New Journey Church was closing on a construction loan early that afternoon so I made a quick trip back to Wabash to sign documents on behalf of the district before heading back to Noblesville for a coaching conversation with Rev. Dr. Rich Schenck (Noblesville Circle of Hope). Pastor Rich has also played a significant role in our district’s partnership with the developing Wesleyan mission field in Bangladesh. Rich and I will be accompanying Dr. Aron Willis, our former DS, to Bangladesh in February for a special presentation marking the progress of this partnership

Saturday morning, I dropped in on Pastor Scott Rhyno and the team at Waterline Church. They are on the home stretch for completing the build out of a new leased facility in Ingalls. This will be the first time that Waterline has had a long-term home since the church was planted. The congregation gathered first for a prayer meeting on Saturday and then rolled up their sleeves for a workday. Waterline is working diligently for a grand opening by Easter.
​

Pastor Greg Holmes (South Bend Sonlight) had a very serious fall on the ice last week requiring surgery. Cheryl, Greg’s wife, called me on Friday to let me know what had happened and she provided this report that I can pass along: “It has been a week we didn’t expect. Greg fell while headed out on a call early Wednesday morning. God was definitely with him as he somehow was able to call me and get himself inside. At the hospital, in addition to a concussion, they found he had fractured his back. Surgery the next morning. Now working on recovery. His pain has been so intense it causes him to vomit. Your prayers are appreciated. Through it all we’ve seen the hand of God. God got him inside out of the frigid cold. God helped him call me. God provided an excellent neurosurgeon and wonderful caregivers at the hospital. God has surrounded us with loving, praying family and friends. Thankful for today. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Rev. Holmes is a bivocational pastor and his recovery period (without work) could be up to three months. Two churches are already planning to take a love offering this Sunday to help with extra expenses while Greg is unable to work. Thank you in advance for responding to this need and for keeping Pastor Greg, Cheryl, their family, and Sonlight Church in your prayers.

Nothing brings greater joy here in the Crossroads District than hearing reports of how God is on the move and changing lives in our churches. Pastor Lyle Breeding shared the good news of four more baptisms on Sunday at Sonlight Wesleyan Church in Bluffton. Praise the Lord!
​

Pastor Noah Farmer and the team at Eastview Wesleyan Church celebrated four more baptisms yesterday morning in Gas City! Praise God for lives #MadeNew!
​

Pastor Jacob Gibson and the team at LifeSpring Church are also rejoicing as they celebrated nine more baptisms this weekend. Praise God for the way He is moving in our churches!
​

Calling all youth pastors! Register now and bring your teens to this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on February 16! The early bird price is $50 until January 31 (cost goes up to $55 starting February 1) so register soon! This year, in addition to the inspiring worship rally, our students will be enjoying Crazy Pinz, Canlan Ice Rink, laser tag, and the YMCA! Here is the registration link: https://districtallnighter2024.eventbrite.com
​

*** PLEASE NOTE THE LOCATION CHANGE FOR RALLY! The rally will be held at Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne (about 5 minutes down the road from our previous location).
​
Calling all pastors and spouses (and PKs are also invited)! Please join us for the 2024 Heartland Gathering, April 2-5, 2024, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Our DBA has approved one $300 scholarship for each district church, designated to cover a significant portion of the registration cost for one pastoral family per church. Details regarding the scholarship were sent to lead and solo pastors.
​

​Don't miss out, registration ends February 5th! Here’s the link for the speaker lineup and registration information: gathering.heartlandregion.org
​
​Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!
​
Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent
​

Sunday morning, January 14, Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Tim Becker and the team at Elwood Main Street Wesleyan Church. This welcoming congregation continues to reach out to their community with God’s love and celebrated 14 baptisms last year in a church averaging around 100 in worship. An enthusiastic group gathered yesterday in spite of the cold weather. Following the service, the members shared a family meal and then worked together to put away the Advent decorations for another year.
​

Later in the day, I made my way to Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis as they partnered with God’s Grace Community Church to host “ONE Together” on Sunday evening. Trinity is an increasingly multi-ethnic church and God’s Grace Community is predominantly African-American. It was an expression of Dr. King’s dream of the “beloved community” as they gathered for worship and fellowship over a shared meal. Participants also brought food items that could be distributed at God’s Grace food pantry on MLK Day. There was a full house with people from these two congregations and some other area churches coming together for this event.
​

This partnership was birthed in the friendship that developed with Pastor Mike Colaw and Rev. Dr. Bishop Steve Thompson while they were students together at Wesley Seminary. This event was sponsored by the multi-ethnic ministry initiative grants announced at the Crossroads District conference last year.
​

The next mult-ethnic ministry event sponsored by these grants will be the Ochlos seminar coming up at Southview Wesleyan Church in April. Speakers include Santes Beatty, Director of Next Gen for the Wesleyan Church; Yamil Acevedo, Executive Vice President of Wesley Seminary; Zachary Szmara, Executive Director for Immigrant Connection and Pastor of the Bridge Church; and Meg Puello, Executive Director of ASPYRE Inc. Click Here for more information and registration.
​

My final stop of the day was in Anderson at Restoration Church. Pastor Michael and Elizabeth Weller brought a team together to launch this inner-city ministry during the pandemic with their first service on January 3, 2021. They regularly minister to as many as 50 people on Sunday evenings with a free meal, Bible study and prayer. God put it on their heart to use their space as a warming shelter for homeless people during this time of severe weather. Pray for the Wellers as they lead this important new ministry in downtown Anderson.
​

Last Monday included our regular district staff meeting in Marion and then I traveled to Fishers to meet with Rev. Grace and Rev. Neftali Lopez at the restaurant where Neftali is general manager. Pastor Grace leads our FLAMA Hispanic ministerial education courses and has also been supervising ministry at Monte de Sion. Pastor Neftali was excited to share more about the upcoming Ochlos conference mentioned earlier.

Tuesday, I was in Indianapolis to meet with Rev. Cary and Cindi Sanders who have begun ministering in the Fountain Square community. My last stop on Tuesday was with Rev. Clifton Ashlock and the LBA at Parkview Wesleyan Church in Chesterfield for a discussion about some proposed changes they are considering.

Wednesday was a day of coaching conversations beginning with Rev. Tony Bye (Marion Brookhaven) in the morning, Rev. Dr. Mark Rennaker (Kokomo Southdowns) over the lunch hour, and then with Rev. Noah Farmer (Gas City Eastview) in the afternoon. My last stop of the day was with Rev. Johnnie Blair (Tipton Trinity) as we met with a group about the possible purchase of the former Kokomo Trinity building. I worked from home on Thursday doing sermon prep, catching up on emails, and returning phone calls.
​

Friday morning, Pastor Matthew Trexer invited me to speak at their 21 Days of Prayer gathering. The River Church, along with many other district congregations, has been calling people to three weeks of focused prayer and fasting as we begin the new year. I was encouraged by the strong attendance for a 6 a.m. prayer meeting, especially with so many high school students participating.

If your church is not hosting 21 Days of Prayer, you can download the “Pray First” app from Church of the Highlands and connect with their live stream each morning at 7 a.m. The Pray First app (https://prayfirstapp.com) has a wealth of resources to enrich your prayer life. I’m grateful that Pastor Chris Hodges and this team make this freely available.
​

Saturday morning, I was back on the road to connect with the leadership team at Monte de Sion on the west side of Indianapolis. Chris and Tammy Granados have served the church well in the many months since Pastor Tomasa Granados moved to Arizona. They announced to the church that they will also be moving to Arizona after school is out in May. This was an important meeting to map out the process of transition to a new leader.
​

Epiphany Sunday, January 7, I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Tony Bye and the team at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church in Marion for both the morning and evening services. Pastor Tony kicked off their annual vision series with a message reminding the church that we are called first to be a place of prayer. The pastoral staff is leading Brookhaven in 21 days of prayer to launch into the new year.
​

Sunday evening, I was back at Brookhaven as they welcomed Rev. Juden Siachitema, National Superintendent of the 476 Wesleyan churches in Zambia, to preach at their Heritage service in the chapel. Dr. Henry Smith, retired IWU president, was also present to bring an update on the development of Africa Wesleyan University. Rev. Fred Cromer, a retired Global Partners missionary, introduced Rev. Siachitema with fond memories of their time together at Jembo Bible College where Fred was a professor and Juden was his student.
​

Sherry and I enjoyed hosting Bishop Siatchitema in our home last week. He graciously endured the back-to-back football games on New Year’s Day. Then, on Tuesday, Bishop traveled with me for meetings in Marion and Anderson. Our last stop was with Rev. Clifton and Arletta Ashlock to see the free meal program that Parkview Wesleyan Church has provided for the past three years. Parkview has served more than 15,000 meals to bless their neighbors!
​

On Wednesday, I was in Marion for an annual coaching conversation with Dr. Steve DeNeff so Rev. Siachitema came along to tour College Wesleyan. Dr. Lo joined us and then took our guest for a tour of the IWU campus. We hosted Marion area pastors for lunch and then took Bishop to meet with Rev. Darren Campbell’s team at the Slingshot office to explore future collaboration between Africa Wesleyan University and CampusEdu.
​

Bishop Siachitema and I were in Fishers for his meetings with General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt and Global Partners Executive Director Dr. Dennis Jackson. I was scheduled to meet with Pastor Gawin Anderson (Indianapolis Divine Direction Church) for our coaching conversation that afternoon and was glad for this opportunity to introduce him to our denominational leaders.
​

Supply Pastor Judy Hatt and Harold, her lay assistant, serve the congregation of Hope Wesleyan Church in Fowler. Pastor Judy invited me to meet with the lay leaders on Friday morning as they worked through some concerns in the church. We had a productive meeting and time of prayer. Pastor Judy and Harold are still serving the Lord in their 80s. They have seen the church slowly regather from the pandemic but health concerns continue among their older members. They had a recent high attendance of 37 with nearly a dozen children present. We are grateful for their faithful ministry to this rural community.
​

We’re always excited to hear more stories of life change and baptisms coming in from across our district team. Pastor Alan Downing and Connecting Point Church in Frankfort celebrated another baptism on Sunday, December 31, and welcomed two new members into their church family. Pray for Connecting Point Church as Rev. Downing begins his transition to retirement.
​

Pastor Shane Wilson and the team at New Hope Wesleyan Church in Columbia City celebrated the baptisms of four of their teenagers yesterday. Praise the Lord!
​

Pastor Joe Jackson and the team at Anderson United Wesleyan Church are rejoicing with two more baptisms yesterday. The service yesterday was a combined gathering of their two congregations with Rev. Jeremy Armiger preaching in English and Rev. Ana Armiger preaching in Spanish.
​

Rev. Dr. Steve DeNeff and the team at College Wesleyan Church in Marion celebrated another baptism yesterday!

Pastor Jacob Gibson and the team at LifeSpring Church in Richmond celebrated one baptism on December 31 and another yesterday. They are anticipating more baptisms coming up on January 21. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew!
​

We’re inviting you to join us for the 2024 Heartland Gathering, April 2-5, 2024, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Our DBA has approved one $300 scholarship for each district church, designated to cover a significant portion of the registration cost for one pastoral family per church. Details regarding the scholarship were sent to lead and solo pastors. For more information and registration, visit gathering.heartlandregion.org.
​
​Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!
​
Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent

FOLLOW Conference in Cincinnati was an incredible event to close out 2023. Special thanks to Charlie Alcock, Aldean Pablo, Santes Beatty and many more leaders who invested countless hours in making this event so successful. Thank you also to Dr. Jim Lo for leading the prayer ministry that resulted in significant spiritual impact. I was especially proud of the many senior/lead pastors from our district who came with their students. Thank you for investing in the life-changing experience.
​

More than 4000 students and their leaders attended these sessions from every corner of the continent. My heart was moved on Saturday morning as more than 400 students responded to God’s call to ministry in local churches, mission fields and the marketplace. Pray that the seeds that were planted will continue to bear much fruit.
​

During the breakout sessions at the Follow Conference, the district superintendents met for a series of roundtable discussions. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent, joined us for the opening and closing sessions. I’m encouraged by the commitment in that room to seeing The Wesleyan Church thrive in God’s movement. God has good things in store as together we follow Him! 
​

Rev. Juden Siachitema, National Superintendent, flew into Cincinnati on Friday to join us for the evening rally and to participate in the sessions on Saturday. Sherry and I have been blessed to have him staying in our home. On Sunday morning, December 31, Dr. Chris Williams welcomed Bishop Juden to preach in the morning service at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. (Bishop will be speaking at Brookhaven Wesleyan in Marion on Sunday evening, January 7.)
​

Having Christmas Eve on Sunday presented unique opportunities for our churches. We’re praising the Lord with Pastor Barry Dixon and the team at Calvary Family Church in Indianapolis as they baptized 5 new converts on Christmas Eve Sunday morning.
​

Dr. Chris Williams and the team at Marion Lakeview Wesleyan also celebrated a baptism on Christmas Eve Sunday morning. I was present for this service and captured the joy in that moment for both the candidate and Pastor Chris.
​

Pastor Noah Farmer and the team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church hosted a well-attended midnight service that included both a baby dedication and the baptism of two new believers. I was able to be there for this sacred service that ushered in Christmas morning.
​

Thank you to every one of our pastors and every staff member (both paid and volunteer) who went the second and third mile this Christmas season to celebrate the birth of Christ and to introduce many people to the life-changing story of Jesus!

Don’t miss the 2024 Heartland Gathering, April 2-5, 2024, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! The DBA has approved one $300 scholarship for each district church, designated to cover a significant portion of the registration cost for one pastoral family per church. Details regarding the scholarship were sent to lead and solo pastors. If you are a lead or solo pastor and did not receive that email, please reach out to us at [email protected]. For more information and registration, visit gathering.heartlandregion.org.
​

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

Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. Plan now to bring your teens to this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on February 16! Early bird price is $50 until January 31 and regular price is $55 after that. This year we will be enjoying Crazy Pinz, Canlan Ice Rink, laser tag and the YMCA!

Also, PLEASE NOTE THE LOCATION CHANGE FOR RALLY! The rally will be held at Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne (about 5 minutes down the road from our previous location).

Registration Link: https://districtallnighter2024.eventbrite.com
​