Sunday morning, February 21, I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Barry and Joyce Dixon and the wonderful congregation at Indianapolis Calvary Family Church. Pastor Barry has served the church for more than a decade and also serves on our District Board of Administration. The church has been challenged this year with the loss of senior members to Covid-19.
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After their 9 a.m. worship service, Pastor Dixon and I met with the Local Board of Administration. Pastor Dixon’s gifted children, Barry Jr. and Dee, join him in the inspiring worship ministry of the church. We look forward to having them lead us in worship at our 2021 District Conference, June 26.

The early service at Calvary Family Church made it possible for me to arrive at Fishers Waterline Church in time to hear Assistant Pastor Elizabeth Rhyno preach the lead-off sermon in their new series on the Apostles’ Creed and to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent, will lead the special ordination service for Elizabeth Rhyno on Sunday evening, March 14, 6 p.m., at Waterline Church. We look forward to having as many of our district pastors as possible join us for this sacred occasion.
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Sunday afternoon, I chaired the Local Church Conference for Muncie Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church. This is an important time of transition for Memorial as they send out several members to be part of the new Crossover Community Church planting team and also begin their pastoral search process.

Sunday evening, I was able to drop in on two of our newest churches. Rev. Mike Weller and his team are launching Restoration Church on Meridian Street in downtown Anderson. They are using a dinner church model, meeting around tables to share a meal and conversations before the message.
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My last stop of the day was to check in with Rev. Jerome Bell and members of his launch team who are gathering on Sunday evenings to pray and plan for the launching of Autumn Hills Church in Pendleton. It was a joy to pray with them and hear some of the stories of how God is at work through their team.
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Last week’s schedule included LBA meetings with Greenfield Browns Chapel Wesleyan on Monday, Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan on Wednesday, and Hartford City Wesleyan on Thursday. I come away from these meetings with a deep appreciation for our many lay leaders who generously invest their time, talents and treasure in the ministry of our churches. These valued volunteers are so often the unsung heroes of our ministry. I also enjoyed my coaching conversations last week with Rev. Duane Seitz (Silver Lake Wesleyan) and Rev. Dan Clark (Monon Wesleyan).

Our District Board of Administration met in Pendleton on Thursday. We had a broad ranging discussion on matters from the strong participation in our “Rest Well Initiative” to a new memorial for General Conference that would allow churches a path to withdraw from the denomination if changes were made to affirm homosexual relations or to approve same-sex marriage. The DBA also reviewed the 360 degree DS evaluation. I am grateful for this feedback and appreciate the willingness of so many of our pastors to participate in this year’s anonymous feedback survey.
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The highlight of our DBA meeting was the opportunity to hear from Pastor Andy and Leanza Riemersma who are answering the call to plant a new church in Westfield. Rev. Mike Colaw, Assistant DS for Region 2, presented the couple and the project proposal. The DBA unanimously approved “One Church” as the new project and appointed Pastor Riemersma to lead this new ministry as a launch from Trinity Wesleyan Church. Pastors will receive additional information from the DBA meeting including an exciting opportunity for us to be part of the GROW conference at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, July 27-29.

Friday evening, Sherry and I had the pleasure of hosting pastors and spouses for the Fort Wayne Zone fellowship supper. We shared delightful conversations and a delicious meal at Ziano’s. The highlight of our time together is hearing how God is at work in our families and ministries. We were also blessed to be able to pray for one another. Special thanks to Pastor Andy Jellison for making our arrangements!
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Special thanks to Jessica Folz, Crossroads District Youth President, and her team for hosting this year’s FUEL event at Lakeview Wesleyan Church on Saturday. It was good to stop by and see the cross section of youth and children’s ministry leaders who gathered from across our district family.
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We’re rejoicing with Lapel Daybreak Church as they celebrated three baptisms this morning! This is Lead Pastor Andy Cole with Amber, a young lady that he led to the Lord last month. Praise God for lives being #madenew! There is still time for your church to plan a baptism service as we move into the Easter season.
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Dr. Wilbur Williams, beloved professor and mentor, passed away on Tuesday, February 16, after serving the IWU community for more than 50 years, teaching over 17,000 students and completing almost 200 tours of Israel. Our sympathy and prayers are extended to Mrs. Ardelia Williams, her family and their many friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced.
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We also extend our prayers and sympathies to Mrs. Eula May (Metz) Carr and the family of Rev. Richard Carr, retired pastor and educator. Rev. Carr passed away on February 16. Rev. Carr pastored Wesleyan churches in Michigan, Florida and Indiana. He also taught public school for 44 years. Visitation will be Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Wesleyan Church, 2406 Delaware St., Anderson with the funeral service at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Jerry Alexander officiating.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, February 14, I joined interim pastor Rev. Jeff Brady and the team at Level 13 for worship. After the service, I led a brief congregational meeting to review progress and affirm new members for their leadership team. The church is regaining strength after an unexpected pastoral transition and the shared challenges of Covid-19.
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Rev. Brady has been very helpful in providing preaching for Sundays and a shepherds heart for the team. Jeff has been leading them in the annual membership renewal affirmation with 31 people already joining or reaffirming membership. Pray with the leadership team at Level 13 as they move forward in their pastoral search process.

Sunday afternoon, I met with Dr. Oliver Dongell and the LBA at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. It was good to connect with this team and hear about recent praise points with new families becoming part of the congregation. Pastor Ollie has served the church effectively for the past 18 years and is embracing the challenge of relaunching the church this summer. Pastor Dongell set the stage for a productive conversation with the board on the importance of succession planning. The board voted unanimously to recommend a two-year call and to initiate a succession planning process.
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Fishers Waterline Church celebrated their 10th anniversary on Sunday with founding pastors John and Danielle Freed returning as special guests. Interim pastor Rev. Scott Rhyno and the Waterline team put together a well-attended and very creative celebration of Waterline’s ministry for the past 10 years. Among the highlights reported were more than 40 people called to ministry, more than 400 decisions for Christ, and 173 baptisms in these first 10 years. John and Danielle are off to a great start in their new assignment of leading the church planting efforts for the Great Lakes District. The Freeds did an outstanding job at Waterline and we miss having them as part of our district team. Pray for Waterline as they continue the search for their next lead pastor.

Last week began with an annual check-up with my cardiologist on Monday morning. I’m thankful for another positive report and one less medication to take. Dr. Craig Dunn (CEO of Wesleyan Investment Foundation and Wesleyan Pension Fund) and I enjoyed catching up over lunch. He has a unique vantage point on the church in North America in his work with leading churches. I’m grateful for his deep commitment to the work of The Wesleyan Church and for his wise counsel.

Tuesday morning, I met with Pastor Mark Atkinson for an update on Ronda’s recovery and his ministry at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan. Rev. Matthew Trexler, Assistant DS, and I met in his office at The River Church to review the feedback from DBA members and lead pastors across the district as part of my annual DS evaluation. The full DBA will receive the report at this week’s meeting. Thank you to each one who took time to provide their input. Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
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Tuesday evening, I met with Rev. Matthew Stewart and the LBA at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. Matthew is another of our faithful bi-vocational pastors. In addition to farming and teaching as an adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, Pastor Matthew is also completing his PhD in organizational leadership. It was good to catch up with the Sweetser team and hear how God has been working even in the craziness of the past 12 months. The’ve added a new children’s ministry director (part-time) and are celebrating two decisions for Christ in this new year.

Wednesday, I was on the road to meet with Rev. Don Bayne (New Carlisle Wesleyan Church) for our annual coaching conversation. The church is making good progress including an innovative Christmas school break VBS serving up to 25 children and they have a baptism service scheduled for March 7. Dr. Oliver Dongell and I met on Wednesday afternoon at his office in Plymouth in preparation for the LBA meeting referenced earlier.

My last meeting on Wednesday was with Pastor Ben Jones and the LBA at Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church. This historic congregation is located near Potato Creek State Park, just east of North Liberty. Pastor Ben is completing his initial two-year call and the LBA was enthusiastic in their support for his upcoming four-year call. I’m grateful for Pastor Ben’s effective bi-vocational ministry!
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Thursday morning, Rev. Aldean Pablo (Fort Wayne/Roanoke SEND Church) and I met via ZOOM for our annual coaching conversation. While a pandemic might not be the optimal time for church planting, Aldean has seen God open doors in unusual ways. An existing campus of a larger Fort Wayne church was given the opportunity to become part of the new church plant. With the blessing of the main campus, this campus voted 52-1 to join in as part of SEND Church. They are still working out the details but the plan is coming together for relaunching in a permanent facility at the beginning of the new school year. Pray for wisdom and unity!

Pastor Steve Arnett (New Castle Mount Zion) and I met in Muncie for our annual coaching conversation. Pastor Steve has experienced God’s touch and recovered from significant health challenges in the past year. He is excited about the progress at the church, including a major remodel of their children’s ministry area. Pastor Steve has one of the most effective membership affirmation plans in our district so don’t hesitate to connect with him if you have questions.

My last meeting of the day was with Rev. Matthew Trexler (Region 1 – Fort Wayne and surrounding areas), Rev. Michael Colaw (Region 2 – Indy and surrounding areas), and Rev. Chris Williams (Region 3 – Lafayette and surrounding areas), who each serve as assistant district superintendents. We met in Kokomo for an encouraging time of collaboration. In addition to providing wise counsel for our team, each of these leaders intentionally invests in other leaders in their region. Another key contribution is the way they champion church planters and the new projects launching in their regions. We are better together!

We held our Crossroads District staff meeting in Marion on Friday morning at Abbey Coffee. After that helpful time with Seth, Carla and Woody, I drove down to Anderson to meet with a prospective pastoral recruit over lunch. Before the afternoon was over, I was also able to connect with Pastor Steve Binns (Anderson Lone Oak Wesleyan) for a ministry update. My last appointment of the day was a call with another pastoral prospect. God is raising up laborers for His harvest!

Saturday was a welcomed day of sabbath rest at our house.
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82 pastors have already completed initial applications for Rest Well! Don’t miss out on your opportunity for intentional renewal. The Crossroads District is providing up to 100 grants of $475 for a pastor and their spouse to invest in a retreat of two nights or more. Just complete the learning resources and planning tools we’ve provided to make this time as profitable as possible. When you complete your retreat, the Thrive Initiative has an additional $500 matching grant available with a second set of learning resources. ​If your church also agrees to participate in this initiative (i.e. paying down ministerial student loans, topping up retirement, fitness equipment), additional matching funds up to $500 are available. For more details, please follow this link:
​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/restwellinitiative.html

We’re celebrating baptisms again with week! Pastor David Cox shared the good news of two more baptisms at Laketon Wesleyan Church this past Sunday. What a privilege to witness the joy of lives being #madenew by the gospel of Jesus Christ!
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​Please continue to pray for Pastor Dan Clark (Monon Wesleyan Church) and Mrs. Cheryl Laws (wife of Rev. Allen Laws, pastor of Warren Wesleyan) both of whom are fighting courageous battles with cancer. Cheryl was moved home from the hospital over the weekend and is now receiving hospice care.

Our sympathies and prayers are extended to Rev. Bob Burchell, (DBMD member and Director of Chaplain Ministries for IWU Global and National) on the passing of his mother, Mrs. Gloria Anderson on February 9. The family was able to gather for the memorial service that was conducted in Wisconsin on Saturday, February 13.

Our sympathies and prayers are also extended to retired General Superintendent Dr. Thomas Armiger, Jr. and to our own Rev. Jeremy Armiger (pastor of Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan Church) on the news that Mr. Thomas Armiger, Sr., Jeremy’s grandfather, died on Sunday, March 7. Dr. Armiger lived nearby his father in Kissimmee, Florida. Funeral arrangements will be made in the next few months with hopes that more family members will soon be able to gather in person.

We are also requesting prayer for Rev. Kaleb Wakeman, Pastor of Worship Arts at The River Church. Kaleb was hospitalized in Marion over the weekend and then was transferred ​to Indianapolis where he will be in surgery today.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Eric and Amanda Roemer at Greentown Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning, February 7. I brought greetings from our district team and then we enjoyed lunch with Eric, Amanda, and their 3 beautiful children. One of the highlights of their service was the testimony time with people sharing reports of God’s healing grace and the positive impact of the Men’s Conference that they hosted on Saturday.
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Sunday evening, I dropped in on the youth group at Hartford City Wesleyan Church as they hosted their annual “Souper Bowl” Party. They had a good turnout of teenagers with parents and youth sponsors serving a delicious array of soups and chili.
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Pastor Mike Hewitt and the Muncie Rising Hope team held their annual planning retreat on Friday evening and all day Saturday at our home in Upland. The StratOp retreat was facilitated by Rev. Jason Tash. Rising Hope has done an amazing job of finding creative ways to minister through the pandemic. I am deeply grateful for Pastor Michael and Kim Hewitt and their family who moved to Muncie just three years ago to plant what is now a thriving, community-impacting ministry.
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I worked from my Upland office on Monday and Tuesday, before hitting the road on Wednesday to meet with Pastor Dan Fisher and the LBA at Delphi Wesleyan Church. We connected for a review of Rev. Fisher’s extended call review and the LBA unanimously affirmed his continued service. While I was with them, I learned about a pizza fund raiser that they were conducting for a needy family in their community. The Delphi Wesleyan team worked hard on Saturday morning and assembled more than 300 pizzas with more than $1500 raised to bless this family.
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On Thursday, I was in Muncie and New Castle for annual coaching conversations with Rev. Michael Hewitt (Rising Hope) and Rev. Paul Walden (West 8th Street). My final meeting of the day was with the leadership team at Marion Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church. They are praying for God’s direction about decisions for their future ministry.

Our district office staff met in Marion on Friday. In addition to preparing for the February 18 meeting of our District Board of Administration, we’re already looking forward with anticipation to our 2021 District Conference. The ordination service will take place on Friday evening, June 25, and the regular business session will convene on Saturday, June 26, both on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.

We are excited to welcome Pastor Sia M’Bayo as the new Pastor for Community Outreach at Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church. She will be serving on staff with Rev. Chris Williams while she continues to work full-time as a program representative for Indiana Wesleyan University. Lakeview Church hosted a reception following the worship service on February 7 to introduce her to their church family.
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We were saddened to receive word that Mr. Rod Benson, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, had passed away this past week in Florida. Rod was an exemplary layman who actively served on boards and committees of The Wesleyan Church, including many years as district treasurer of the Indiana Central District and part of the team that navigated the creation of the Crossroads District. We extend our sympathies and prayers to Mrs. Kathie Benson, Rod’s wife, their family and Rod’s many friends across our district. The family is planning a celebration of life service in Brooksville on Friday.
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The Rest Well initiative is now officially opened to all ordained or licensed ministers, lead pastors and staff pastors, appointed to local church service in the Crossroads District. Over 40 lead pastors have taken steps to participate in this opportunity. We are excited about this practical way to bless our pastors. You are running hard in ministry but, to sustain long-term effectiveness, you also need to rest well.
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Attention all Crossroads District youth and children’s ministry leaders! Our District Youth President, Jessica Folz, is inviting you to join her for FUEL, the annual Wesleyan training event for these key ministry leaders. This year’s event will be hosted at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. This is a FREE event being held on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9am-12:30. Invite your volunteers, team members and children’s ministry people! For more information or to register, please follow the link below so they can know how many to expect:
https://www.lakeviewwesleyan.org/fuel

​Please continue to pray for Pastor Dan Clark (Monon Wesleyan Church) and Mrs. Cheryl Laws (wife of Rev. Allen Laws, pastor of Warren Wesleyan) both of whom are fighting courageous battles with cancer. We are grateful for answered prayers on behalf of members of our pastoral families who have recently recovered from Covid-19. We are encouraged that vaccinations are becoming more readily available.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

The meteorologist nailed this weather forecast! Many of our communities received their largest snowfall of the year overnight on Saturday. Chicagoland recorded their heaviest snowfall in 5 years. Following the example of John Wesley, who once walked his horse through a snow storm to keep his next preaching appointment, our local church leaders responded quickly to keep the message moving forward.

My appointment with Pastor Aldean Pablo at our SEND Church in Fort Wayne was rescheduled so I was able to join Pastor Tony Bye and the team at Brookhaven Wesleyan for worship in the earliest of the three services they offer.
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Most of our churches have already added an online worship option through the pandemic so they easily managed a simple snow day. Pastor Kyle Horton’s team at Fort Wayne Three Rivers Church planned to video their worship service before the snowfall and then creatively decided to welcome everyone to an “in person” experience on Saturday evening. Pastor Terry Vaughn, planting The Bridge Urban Church in South Bend, was able to report three new decisions for Christ in the Zoom breakout room following their online service.

Other churches were able to mobilize their snow removal teams and have the doors open on Sunday morning as scheduled. It is a blessing when, like Gas City Southside Wesleyan’s Rev. Brent Miller, our pastor has the biggest truck and a new snowplow.
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On Tuesday, I met with Rev. Theo Griffin, senior pastor at Greenfield Brown’s Chapel, as they prepare for the pastor call renewal. It was encouraging to hear how God has been at work this past year even with all of the challenges their church has faced. It was also good to reconnect with Assistant Pastor Ben Wade who was a student at Kingswood University while I served there.
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After joining the staff meeting at Hartford City Wesleyan on Tuesday afternoon, I joined Rev. Jason Tash at Level 13 in Fort Wayne. Jason is working with the leadership team for follow-up on their StratOp planning retreat. I am also grateful for Rev. Jeff Brady who is providing helpful interim ministry for Level 13 as they prepare for their pastoral search. Please join them in praying for God’s direction!
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Wednesday morning, I met with Rev. Dan VanCise, pastor of Marion’s 8th Street Wesleyan Church, for our annual coaching conversation. We met at the 9th Street Diner to catch up on their ministry and celebrate the two people who have recently come to faith. Pastor Dan is another of our faithful bi-vocational ministers.

Later in the morning, I met with Rev. Michael Colaw, Rev. Matthew Trexler, and Rev. Chris Williams, our three assistant district superintendents, for our monthly ZOOM check-in. We are blessed that these effective pastors serve our three regions by generously investing their time in leadership development and church multiplication.

Wednesday afternoon, Angela Spangler, Executive Director of Fairmount Camp, and I met for coffee and an interview as part of her final requirements for her Master of Divinity degree at Wesley Seminary. Angela has done a terrific job leading Fairmount through a challenging year. She also wanted to let our pastors know that she is available for pulpit supply. Following my meeting with Angela, I was also glad to connect with Rev. Bill Barlow, one of our district’s retired ministers. We’d not had a chance to sit down together since the funeral for Melody, his beloved wide. It was good to catch up and share in prayer.

Thursday morning, I met with Dr. Bob Hallett who has been serving as our interim pastor at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. Dr. Bob has a great heart to serve churches and will be available to assist other churches with capital campaigns or interim ministry. Lancaster Wesleyan has called Trevor O’Dell to be their new pastor. Trevor and Allison will begin their ministry in March after serving as residents with Rev. Mike Hewitt and the Rising Hope Church team in Muncie. Pray for the O’Dell’s as they begin their first lead pastor appointment. We’re excited to see what God has in store for Lancaster Wesleyan Church.
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Thursday morning, I met with Dr. Morris Jones, pastor of Lebanon Wesleyan Church, in his office for our annual coaching conversation. Morris faithfully serves as a bi-vocational pastor for Lebanon Wesleyan while working full-time with IUPUI.

Thursday evening, I met with Rev. Jeremy Armiger and the leadership team at Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan Church in preparation for their upcoming pastoral vote. It was good to see Mrs. Roxene Lo again, this time in her new capacity as Local Church Secretary on the LBA.
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Our district office staff meeting has moved to Fridays and it was good to catch up with Seth Bye, Carla Working and Michael (Woody) Wood. I’m blessed with a great team!

Saturday morning, I dropped in on the final gathering for the combined “21 Days of Prayer” led by Brookhaven’s Pastor Tony Bye, Lakeview Wesleyan’s Pastor Chris Williams, and The River Church’s Pastor Matthew Trexler. This was the first time that three of our churches have linked arms for this special prayer emphasis. What a great way to launch into the new year!
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The Rest Well initiative is now officially opened to all ordained or licensed ministers, lead pastors and staff pastors, appointed to local church service in the Crossroads District. Over 40 lead pastors have taken steps to participate in this opportunity. We are excited about this practical way to bless our pastors. You are running hard in ministry but, to sustain long-term effectiveness, you also need to rest well.

We are making available a $475 grant towards a retreat of two nights or more. Learning resources and planning tools are provided to make this time as profitable as possible. When you complete your retreat, the Thrive Initiative has a $500 matching grant available with a second set of learning resources.
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​If your church also elects to participate in this initiative (i.e. paying down ministerial student loans, topping up retirement, fitness equipment), additional matching funds up to $500 are available. For the first month, this opportunity is only available to the first 100 solo or senior pastors that sign up. This opportunity will be made available to assistant pastors starting February 2, 2021.

For more details, please follow this link:
​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/restwellinitiative.html
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​Attention all Crossroads District youth and children’s ministry leaders! Our District Youth President, Jessica Folz, is inviting you to join her for FUEL, the annual Wesleyan training event for these key ministry leaders. This year’s event will be hosted at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. This is a FREE event being held on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9:00a-12:30p. Invite your volunteers, team members and children’s ministry people! For more information or to register, please follow the link below so they can know how many to expect.

​https://www.lakeviewwesleyan.org/fuel

Free resources: ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) Tax Guides: These books, originally prepared by Dan Busby (former General Treasurer of The Wesleyan Church), are now available as a free download. ECFA also provides helpful videos for the topics covered in these downloads. (You will be asked to register for a free account.)

Nonprofit and Church link: https://www.ecfa.org/TaxBooks/ChurchNPGuide.aspx

Minister Tax Guide: https://www.ecfa.org/TaxBooks/MinistersGuide.aspx

Video Page: https://www.ecfa.org/TaxBooks/Videos.aspx

Our prayers and sympathies are extended to Mrs. Lenita Bell, wife of church planter Jerome Bell (Pendleton Autumn Hills Church), and to her extended family upon the death of her father, Mr. Robert E. Wolfe who passed away on January 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Pastor Jerome Bell assisted in the funeral on Friday in Logan, Ohio.

Our prayers and sympathies are extended to Mrs. Joyce Dixon, who serves on staff with her husband, Rev. Barry Dixon, at Indianapolis Calvary Family Church, and to her extended family upon the death of her mother, Mrs. Myrtle Woolridge who passed away last week. Rev. Barry Dixon will assist in her funeral this weekend in Chicago.

Let’s keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,
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Mark Gorveatte
Crossroads District Superintendent