Friday night, February 21, 475 teenagers along with their pastors and/or sponsors, gathered at Pine Hills Church for our annual Crossroads District All-Nighter. Churches large and small were represented with groups coming from as far away as Anderson, Bryant, and Chesterton. Rev. Andrew Kinney (Marion Chapel Pike) brought the largest contingent with 76 attending, including guests from other churches that joined his team.
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Rev. Aldean Pablo serves as our Crossroads District Champion for Student Ministries while he also leads ARISE Church in Roanoke, one of our newest congregations. Rev. Andy Jellison (on the right) served as a youth pastor for several years and now leads Lifeway Church in Fort Wayne. The keynote speaker for the evening rally was Rev. Andy Riemersma, church planter/pastor at Westfield ONE Church. It was great to see these lead pastors still investing in student ministry.
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Pastor Andy is an anointed communicator of the Gospel through both preaching and music. Praise the Lord that more than 50 students made new or renewed commitments to follow Christ. At least five of those indicated a call to pastoral ministry. Thank you to the leadership team members and the incredible adults who volunteered for this night of spiritual impact!
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Sunday, February 23, I was on the road for drop-in visits. The first stop was at Fairmount Wesleyan Church where I worshiped with Rev. Jeff Luedtke and Rev. Dr. Amy Luedtke. I was encouraged by the number of college and high school students in the room. Pastor Jeff noted that IWU students were investing in the youth ministry and took 19 teenagers to the all-nighter, 5 of whom made fresh commitments to Christ.
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My next stop was at The River Church in Marion for their NOW Generation weekend. Pastor Matthew Trexler and his team had their junior and senior high school students serving in every capacity in the church from greetings, ushering, worship team, reading scripture, making the announcements, sharing in the sermon, and teaching in the children’s ministry.

My last stop of the day was with Pastor Brent Miller and the team at Southside Wesleyan Church in Gas City. Pastor Brent and his team hosted a Night of Worship. While this was a multi-generational service, the worship team members were nearly all under 30 years old. One notable exception was Rev. Tom Holloway. Tom pastors in South Carolina but drove up this weekend to join Southside’s worship leader Taylor, his daughter, in leading this worship event.
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Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations through the day and meetings in the evenings. On Monday night, I began with the Indianapolis Trinity Church LBA (local board of administration) for Pastor Michael Colaw’s quadrennial review. We also celebrated the completion of Rev. Yamil Acevedo’s transfer of ordination from the Christian Missionary Alliance. Rev. Dr. Acevedo leads Wesley Seminary and his family is actively involved at Trinity.
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The LBA at Brown’s Chapel in Greenfield welcomed me to join their meeting to discuss their pastoral search process. We continue to pray with Dr. Theo and Randy Griffin as they seek the Lord’s guidance for their next assignment. We’re also praying for wisdom as the church looks to the future.
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Tuesday evening, I met with the leadership team at East Liberty Church just north of Decatur. Rev. Dennis Croy has been serving as their supply/interim pastor since the church came to us from their former denominational affiliation. The team voted unanimously to recommend Rev. Croy to the members for an official call.
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Thursday evening, Pastor Michael Hewitt and his team welcomed me to join their staff meeting. They are working on team building through Clifton StrengthsFinder and invited me to share team insights from my coaching certification. The DBA invested in my training so that we can offer this free of charge to any of our churches. Just let us know if you’d like to take advantage of this resource.

The Crossroads District chaplains gathered in Marion on Saturday for a time of fellowship and planning. With a growing number of our ministers serving in chaplaincy roles across a variety of settings from hospitals to law enforcement, this group continues to expand its impact in our communities.
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They are working on a seminar for next fall that will introduce chaplaincy opportunities to ministry students at IWU and to pastors interested in serving their community in these roles. Bob Burchell, lead chaplain for online students at IWU, leads this team. If you’d like more information, reach out to the district office and we can help make that connection.

Nothing matters more than lives transformed for eternity by the power of the Gospel! Pastor Joshua Fox and the team at Hartford City Wesleyan Church celebrated two baptisms yesterday. Dr. Ed and Emily Love attend HCWC and had the privilege of baptizing their son Micah in the morning service.
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Waterline Church continues to experience growth in its new location with 154 worshiping together yesterday, That’s their second largest attendance since their grand opening. Pastor Scott Rhyno passed along the good news of four more baptisms yesterday!
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Pastor Michael Hewitt passed along the good report that Rising Hope Church celebrated three more baptisms yesterday morning. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew!
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Pastor Andy Jellison and the team at Lifeway Church are experiencing an exciting season of growth and impact. Worship attendance is averaging 30-40% over the same Sundays last year. They are also rejoicing in changed lives with three more baptisms yesterday!
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Another great way to grow your church is with growing families. Congratulations to Rev. Ryan and Rachel Budde as they welcomed Judah, the newest member of Westview Wesleyan Church and their first grandchild!
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Register by March 1 to save $25 per person! Yes, there are still a few slots available for the Branson tour. Rev. CK Chitty, Senior Adult Ministries Director, invites all senior adults (55+) to this year’s trip to Branson, May 13-16, 2025! Enjoy great fellowship, top-tier entertainment, delicious food, and deluxe accommodations—including a scenic dinner cruise and all the classic Branson attractions. Help spread the word to the senior adults in your church. More details and registration are available at this link:
https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2680279
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Thank you all for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte
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Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, Sherry and I worshiped with Dr. Chris and Marietta Williams at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. The poor weather may have discouraged some but there was still strong attendance for their morning worship service. I was impressed with the growing number of young families since my last visit. Following the morning service, I met with the Local Board of Administration. Bob Burchell and Lori Moore were unable to join us but I was glad for a few moments with this team to express our appreciation for their leadership in our district. This year’s ordination service and annual conference will be held at Lakeview, June 27-28.
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Monday evening, February 10, Pastor Steve Cox and the leadership team at Dublin Gospel Mission (near Cambridge City) welcomed me for a follow-up conversation as they are continuing to explore the possibility of joining the Crossroads District. They were formerly part of the Evangelical Church of North America, a sister holiness denomination that disbanded a few years ago. The picture below is from their historic sanctuary that features hand-hewn beams. Pray that God will make His will clear to all of us in this conversation.
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Tuesday, I was back on the road for meetings in Marion with Chuck Vernon, Eric Roemer, and Dr. Chris Williams. That evening, I joined Pastor Brian Williams and the LBA at Sims Wesleyan Church for their quadrennial pastoral review. On my way home, I dropped in on Rev. Josh Bowlin’s Brazilian jujitsu club in Swayzee. This has become a connecting point for Pastor Josh to share his faith and make disciples in their neighborhood.

On Wednesday morning, I met with Pastor Ben Jones (Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church) in preparation for an upcoming meeting with his board. Pastor Matthew Trexler (The River Church) and I met on Wednesday afternoon. In addition to leading a fast-growing church, Pastor Trexler also graciously leads two learning cohorts for pastors in our district.

Thursday, the Crossroads District Board of Administration met at The River Church in Marion. The agenda included the presentation of a potential memorial from College Wesleyan Church to the 2026 General Conference, an update on the church planting project that Terry and Lennaire Vaughn are leading in downtown Indianapolis, and preliminary budget conversations. The DBA also conducted the annual performance review of the district superintendent. Thank you to every pastor who took the time to participate in the online evaluation survey!
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​Friday afternoon, I was grateful for the opportunity to connect with Mrs. Jill Anderson and other members of Rev. David Anderson’s family at LifeSpring Church. Pastor Jacob Gibson and Dr. Jim Dunn led the funeral service on Saturday. I was unable to attend but appreciate Dr. Chris Williams, our Assistant District Superintendent, being present. Pastor Gibson graciously read a letter from the district in the service. If you were unable to attend, you will appreciate this video that was shared:
https://www.facebook.com/stevemathewsfcwc/videos/647745997689794

​Saturday morning, Sherry and I traveled to ARISE Church in Roanoke (southwest Fort Wayne) to host the area pastors’ and spouses’ fellowship brunch. We had lots of food, laughter, and prayer during our time together. We also awarded another $1000 scholarship for the Harvest Foundation Pastors’ Retreat in the Dominican Republic next fall. Congratulations to Pastor Sam and Jennifer Maddox (Albion Wesleyan Church). Thank you to Pastor Aldean Pablo for hosting us and to Michael Wood, assisted by Darah Martin, for coordinating our meal.

​One of the fun connections at this gathering was learning that Pastor Dennis Croy (East Liberty Church) has a member in his congregation who led the building program to construct the formerly UMC facility in which Pastor Aldean Pablo and ARISE now worship. East Liberty has also blessed ARISE Church with investments from their 1% multiplication matching fund to bless the new congregation.
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​This is the week! Please join us in prayer for the Crossroads District All-Nighter meeting this Friday night, February 21, in Fort Wayne. Pray for safe travel, for fun times and, most importantly, for spiritual impact in the lives of our students. Rev. Andy Riemersma (pastor of Westfield ONE Church) is our rally speaker. I hope to see you there! Details may be found at this link: https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/calendar/event/174593782

​I love hearing how our churches find creative ways to connect with their community. Pastor Scott Rhyno (District Treasurer) sent a fun report from Waterline Church in Pendleton. They hosted a “Nerf Guns and Nachos” party for their neighborhood on Saturday night. They connected with 15 new families and over 100 participants for this evening of family fun.
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They invited these new friends back for the church’s 14th anniversary party on Sunday morning. Despite the weather, 10 first-time guests showed up. This coming weekend, Waterline will host their fourth baptism service since moving into their new facility in September. Well done!

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, February 9, I had the privilege of preaching in both of the morning services at Pathway Community Church (formerly Warsaw Wesleyan). Pastor Jarod Osborne was away but Assistant Pastor Samantha Freds is doing a great job leading the team in his absence.
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The ice storm had resulted in area churches cancelling services but Pathway was able to meet. It was also good to connect with Assistant Pastor Esther Osborne and other members of the Pathway team. The church is rolling out a vision campaign in March with exciting plans for expanded ministry impact and facility remodeling.

On Sunday afternoon I met with the LBA at Hope Rising Church in Huntington for the quadrennial review of the pastor’s extended call. Hope Rising recently completed their 21 Days of Prayer focus and are now working through a sermon series on spiritual warfare.
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My last stop of the day was at Rising Hope Church in Muncie. Pastor Mike Hewitt and his team were hosting a Super Bowl party with a special half-time show of their own. Some of you know that Pastor Mike is well known in the pool world as a trick shot artist. His mentor is evangelist Dr. Cue who travels the world using pool artistry as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
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Other members of this pool evangelism team from South Africa shared in the worship service yesterday. Their next door of opportunity for outreach is next year at a tournament in the largest communist country. They put a whole new spin on being marketplace multipliers.

Pastor Rob Tippey and the team at New Journey Church in Wabash celebrated their 15th anniversary. We’re grateful for Pastor Tom and Sarah Cochran, the pioneers who stepped out in faith to launch this new ministry. Pastor Rob is doing a great job carrying on their legacy of passionate, creative, evangelistic ministry to Wabash.
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I continued my church planter recruiting tour of our Wesleyan colleges last week with a visit to Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina. It’s been over 40 years since I graduated from SWU and the campus has undergone significant transformation, most notably under the leadership of President Todd Voss. This was Spiritual Emphasis Week at SWU so I was also blessed to sit under the teaching ministry of Rev. Rupert Charkham, former Vicar of St. Michael’s Cathedral in London and Chaplain to the King of England.
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It was great to connect with SWU’s ministry professors, including Dr. Mark Wilson and Dr. Brent Dongell, who welcomed me into their classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was also invited to present to students and faculty in two separate sessions, one focused on church planting and revitalization and the other on lessons from my book “Lead Like Wesley.”
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Wednesday evening, I dropped in on youth ministry at ALIVE Church and was able to catch up with Reagan (Tippey) Ott, one of our own Crossroads’ team members, who is serving there as a ministry resident. Reagan and Steve, her husband, are having a great year in South Carolina but I reminded her that we’d love to welcome her back home to the Crossroads District.
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I traveled back home on Thursday and then worked from home on Friday catching up on correspondence. Saturday morning, Dr. Chris Williams (Assistant DS) and I met in Gas City in preparation for our upcoming District Board of Administration meeting. With the approaching storm, Pastor Mike Colaw (Indianapolis Trinity) and I opted to meet by video on Saturday afternoon, in preparation for his upcoming quadrennial review.
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Dr. Theo Griffin announced his resignation yesterday as lead pastor at Brown’s Chapel Wesleyan Church in Greenfield. Among the advances made during Dr. Griffin’s ministry, the church was able to pay off a significant debt load. We have appreciated Dr. Griffin’s leadership as a member of our Crossroads District Board of Administration. He will continue to serve the church through the remainder of this conference year.
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​The time is now! Youth leaders, don’t miss the opportunity to bring your students to this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter, February 21, in Fort Wayne. I hope to see you there! You can find all the information and registration at this link:
https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/calendar/event/174593782
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And it’s not too early to make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event is scheduled for May 2-3.) https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/
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Rev. CK Chitty, Senior Adult Ministries Director, invites all senior adults (55+) to this year’s trip to Branson, May 13-16, 2025! Enjoy great fellowship, top-tier entertainment, delicious food, and deluxe accommodations—including exciting shows, a scenic dinner cruise, and classic Branson attractions. Register by March 1 to save $25 per person! Help spread the word to the senior adults in your church. More details and registration are available at this link:
https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2680279

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Save the Date – The 2025 Ordination Service and Celebration of Ministry will be held on Friday evening, June 27, followed by the Crossroads District annual conference on Saturday, June 28. With General Conference delegates to be elected and memorials discussed for 2026, we anticipate a full day of conferencing. Both events will be held in the Marion area.

Sunday, February 2, Pastor Alan Downing and the team at Connecting Point Church in Frankfort welcomed me in their morning worship service. Pastor Downing is continuing to regain strength after some health concerns. One of the bright spots in the church is its growing children’s ministry. Yesterday, they had 15 children; double the number from my last visit. Another special focus of their ministry is the investment they make serving families with special needs children.
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Following the worship service, I met with the members of the LBA (local board of administration) for a brief update on their ministry. Pastor Alan and Teri allowed me to host them for lunch. I am grateful for Pastor Alan’s decade of faithfulness in this challenging ministry assignment.
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Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations and an interview with a prospective pastor looking to transfer into The Wesleyan Church. On Tuesday evening, I met with the LBA at Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church in Marion. On Wednesday, I joined with more than 70 leaders from across our denomination for a Zoom call hosted by Rev. Zach Szmara and Immigrant Connection. If you are working with immigrants in your congregation, you know these are uncertain times. Please check out the valuable resources available at this website: https://www.icwelcome.org
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Pastor Scott McDermid and his team are celebrating another baptism in their Wednesday night service this past week at Six Points Church in Sheridan. Praise God for lives #MadeNew!

The River Church celebrated more baptisms yesterday, even with Pastor Trexler out of town. It’s encouraging to see young men and women publicly professing their faith in Christ!
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Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church has completed their search process and they are pleased to announce that Rev. Nicholas Hect has accepted their call. Pastor Nick and Tifani currently serve at Fountain Springs Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. Pray as they work through the logistics of arriving in Tipton in time to celebrate Easter with their new church family.
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Several pastoral transitions are taking place across the district. Rev. Josh Bowlin has submitted his resignation and will be moving on from Marion Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church. Rev. Ron Forsythe has announced his retirement from Lancaster Wesleyan Church and plans to relocate to Marion, where he hopes to continue serving in ministry part-time. Dr. Aaron Perry, who has been serving as interim pastor at Sweetser Wesleyan, has accepted a call to local church ministry and will be moving to Pennsylvania later this spring.​

​Several of you have attended seminars or participated in the 21 Day of Prayer initiative led by Dr. Chris Hodges so you may be interested to know that he announced a big change yesterday. He will step down from being lead pastor at Church of the Highlands to devote 80% of his time to leading Highlands College. Rev. Mark Pettus who has shared the preaching load for the past few years, will be the new lead pastor. https://www.al.com/news/2025/02/founding-pastor-chris-hodges-steps-down-from-alabamas-largest-church.html
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​Youth leaders: mark your calendars and make plans to bring your students to this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter, February 21, in Fort Wayne. You can find all the information and registration at this link:
https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/calendar/event/174593782
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And it’s not too early to make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event is scheduled for May 2-3.) https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. Save the date! The Ordination Service and Celebration of Ministry will be held on Friday evening, June 27. The Crossroads District annual conference will be held on Saturday, June 28. With delegates being elected and memorials being discussed for General Conference 2026, we anticipate a full day of conferencing. Both events will be held in the Marion area.