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*** REMINDER: We’ll be hosting another of our bi-weekly connections for Crossroads District pastors this Tuesday, April 28, at 2 p.m. We’ve had about 50 leaders join us for the previous connections on Zoom. We’ll have information updates, opportunity for Q & A, and then move into breakout rooms for prayer and praise. This has been a conference year we won’t soon forget. April 30 marks the end of our 2020 conference year so our annual statistical reports are coming due. You will note that the directions for measuring average worship attendance only covers the months of April through February. Also note that there is a column for reporting average of online attendance (through February), using the “Peak Live Viewers” or “Concurrent Viewers” number. (Other livestream platforms may use slightly different language, but this will be the preferred way of calculating online attendance for our denominational reports and you’ll want to track this in our new conference year.)  For your convenience, here are the links for the conference year-end reports:
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Seth Bye (seth@crossroadsdistrict.org) or Roxene Lo (roxene@crossroadsdistrict.org). Local Church Conference (LCC) The Crossroads District Board of Administration has authorized local church boards (LBA) to postpone the annual local church conference (LCC) until April 2021 unless the local church determines to do so sometime sooner, after the gathering restrictions are lifted. The local board may either continue to operate with the current financial plan or approve an interim FY21 financial plan which can, if required in church bylaws, be approved at the next meeting of the LCC. All officers would also remain in place until their successors are elected. Vacancies may be filled, in the interim of the LCC, by vote of the LBA. Most church leaders’ are asking “When will we be allowed to gather again and what will we need to do to wisely prepare for re-opening our facility?”  Governor Holcomb was asked about Indiana’s reopening timeline by the Indiana Business Journal (April 24, 2020) and he replied: “Here in the state of Indiana, we’re focused on May 1, and all the changes we need to make and put in place through May 1, and we’ll continue to look at that road ahead in those kind of two-week, 10-day, three-week increments.” Phase One of the federal government’s instructions includes the following requirements: “All individuals, WHEN IN PUBLIC (e.g., parks, outdoor recreation areas, shopping areas), should maximize physical distance from others. Social settings of more than 10 people, where appropriate distancing may not be practical, should be avoided unless precautionary measures are observed. “Avoid SOCIALIZING in groups of more than 10 people in circumstances that do not readily allow for appropriate physical distancing (e.g., receptions, trade shows) “LARGE VENUES (e.g., sit-down dining, movie theaters, sporting venues, places of worship) can operate under strict physical distancing protocols.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/#phase-one Whether we will be able to gather as 10 or 50, it is clear that your ability to provide for “physical distancing” will be essential. Perhaps “watch parties” gathering a few relatives or friends in the homes of your congregation will be a first step. For some of our smaller congregations, it may be that your auditorium is spacious enough for people to be able to maintain the minimum required 6-feet of physical distancing (about 10 square feet of seating of space would facilitate that separation.) You might consider only using every other pew or setting chairs up with two empty spaces between them. Leaders, it will be wiser to open two Sundays later than you might have rather than to open one Sunday before you should have. HERE ARE HELPFUL RESOURCES AS YOU PREPARE FOR RE-OPENING:
 Last week’s calendar for me included a General Board Executive Committee Zoom Call and a pastoral search team coaching session on Monday. On Tuesday, I taught my final class with IWU students in Wesleyan Church History and Discipline and then met with our CD office staff via Zoom. The General Board had a Q & A Zoom meeting on Tuesday afternoon and voted to approve moving forward to hold the General Conference in St. Louis in 2021 along with approving real-time tithe as an alternative for celebrating 100% contribution to the United Stewardship Fund (USF). Pastor Rich Van Vuren (Shiloh Wesleyan) and Pastor Terry Vaughn (The Bridge Urban Church) joined me for coaching conversations on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday morning, I was in Fishers to connect with Rev. Scott Rhyno before jumping in on the DS Zoom Huddle that Dr. Karl Eastlack has been hosting each week. Rev. John Freed (Waterline Church) and I connected on Wednesday afternoon for our annual coaching conversation. My last meeting of the day was with Nancy Schoonmaker, our Crossroads District Treasurer to revise our FY2021 with a 25% reduction in expenses. Thursday, I met with Pastor Matthew Trexler (The River Church) and Pastor Brian Williams (Sims Wesleyan Church) for annual coaching conversations. Assistant DS Chris Williams and I also connected online for our weekly meeting. Friday morning, I joined Dr. Don Maness and the board of directors at Wesleyan Village Board (Brooksville, FL) via Zoom for our monthly meeting. The ministry of our Wesleyan retirement community continued to make excellent progress under the gifted leadership of Dr. Maness. Dr. Keith Drury, Rob Benson and Martha Blackburn also serve on this board so the Crossroads District is well represented.  Dr. David Drury (pastor of One MultiChurch Network) met on Friday afternoon for our annual coaching conversation. It was encouraging to hear more about the remarkable growth of micro churches across The Wesleyan Church. I am grateful for the significant role that David and Kathy Drury are playing in supporting the leaders of these Kingdom communities. Friday evening, I joined Pastor Trexler and the River Church prayer group to offer a devotional from Romans 15:13. I want to say “thank you” again to our pastors and their key leaders who are going the second and third mile during this pandemic to care for their congregations and to serve in their communities. God is at work for good even in this difficult season. Thank you for praying! We’ve been praying for Pastor Calimerio and Maria Rodriquez at Frankfort Templo de Poder. Pastor Rodriguez has fully recovered from Covid-19 but Maria needs our continued prayers. Please, never doubt the power of your prayers. Pastor Michele Henry continues to post encouraging progress reports for David, her husband. Yesterday, Pastor Michele shared on Facebook that David’s doctor said “…no one that sick survives. It’s really quite miraculous.” Please, don’t stop praying!  I love hearing stories of how God is on the move during this pandemic. For example, Indianapolis Trinity Church set a goal of $15,000 for an offering to help needy families. They received over $22,000. Pastor Randy Yaryan decided to try a drop-in family worship at Winchester Wesleyan in addition to his online message. Nine different families (a total of 31 people) took advantage of this opportunity to meet with their pastor for prayer in the 20-minute time slots he provided from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. on Sunday. One more praise report from Elwood: Pastor Ben Capshaw shared the story of an agnostic who had recently started attending with his wife. Yesterday’s online sermon challenged everyone to spend at least 10 minutes reading their Bible each day. He reached out to Pastor Ben via email for a recommendation on an easy to understand version. His wife sent Pastor Ben a text message expressing her surprise and delight that her agnostic husband spent 30 minutes reading his Bible before bed last evening. God is on the move! Thank you for all you are doing to spread the salt and shine the Light! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent QUOTE OF THE DAY: “To exist as something without a white-hot commitment to the mission of God in the world is to exist as something other than the church.” ~ Brian Sanders in “Microchurches” (p.57)  TOGETHER: an online Pentecost event On May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Wesleyans are gathering online to worship and pray for the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This hour-long event begins at 7 p.m. EST. “Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation. In the book of Acts, remember the early believers were together in unity and praying. They were anticipating that God was going to move in powerful ways.” TOGETHER, hosted by Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, will be streaming live from Marion, Indiana on Sunday, May 31, at 7 p.m. EST. The 60-minute online service will feature focused prayer delivered by Wesleyans from around the world with times of worship led by Josh Lavender. Pastors can find more information at: https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together  The Center for Congregations has just announced a one-time “Connect Through Tech” grant for all Indiana congregations. This is a unique opportunity for congregations in Indiana to purchase new technology resources to help connect virtually during the pandemic and beyond. This includes streaming hardware, computers, audio/visual equipment, software, video conferencing subscriptions, licensing fees, and more!
For more information and to submit your grant application, click here: Center for Congregations Grant Form Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church announced on Friday that Rev. Chris Williams, Assistant DS, accepted the call to become their new senior pastor. Chris has been a church planter, church revitalizer, ministry coach, executive pastor and, since 2016, he has done an exceptional job as our full-time Assistant District Superintendent.  Special thanks to Bob Burchell and the search team who completed a thorough process to identify the best candidate. We are also grateful for the excellent interim ministry provided by Dr. Lenny Luchetti. I’m grateful to report that Rev. Williams has agreed to continue coaching our pastors in Region 3 and serving as one of our assistant superintendents alongside Rev. Mike Colaw and Rev. Matthew Trexler. Last week’s schedule included Zoom webinars, Zoom calls with denominational leaders, pastor coaching calls via Zoom, but my favorite Zoom call of the week was on Tuesday afternoon, 2 p.m., when 50 of our Crossroads District pastors connected for updates and then broke out into groups for prayer. My breakout prayer group included Pastor Tim Becker (Elwood Main Street) and Pastor Matthew Ohime (Davis Wesleyan). I am grateful for the way so many of our pastors are rising to the challenge of leading churches in the midst of this pandemic.  This weekend was a bit unusual for our family. Jordan, our daughter, and Samuel An had planned a May wedding in Michigan until the pandemic prompted her county to cease providing marriage licenses. We found a county clerk here in Indiana who was incredibly helpful and so Jordan’s wedding plans were changed. The sun was shining on Saturday as our family gathered for a small private ceremony to bless this union. Jordan has two brothers and a sister-in-law who are ordained Wesleyan ministers so we had plenty of help in tying the knot. Sherry and her daughters-in-law worked hard to accommodate the changes and to make it a wonderful day of celebration. Jordan and Sam will reside in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she is the Marketing Communications Manager for the media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church.
We have been encouraged to hear progress reports from Pastor Michele Henry (Brookhaven Wesleyan) as David her husband, continues to slowly recover in Fort Wayne. Pastor Carol Schenck (Noblesville Circle of Hope) was also able to pass along better news from her brother’s hospitalization. Pastor Calimerio Rodriguez (Frankfort Templo de Poder) was feeling well enough to preach the message for his church family on Sunday. Please continue to remember these requests in your prayers. While we rejoice with those who rejoice, we also weep with those who weep. Pastor Ryan Budde reached out to me on Sunday to let me know that Mrs. Sue Budde, his mother and the wife of Rev. Roger Budde, had passed away earlier that morning. Sue was a wonderful partner in life and ministry as she and Roger served Wesleyan churches here in Indiana, in Wisconsin and even in Alaska. Mrs. Budde will be greatly missed by her family, friends and the many lives she touched through the years of ministry. We express our sincere condolences and extend our prayers on behalf of the Crossroads District family to the Budde family.  As we noted last week, the Crossroads District Conference has been postponed until June 2021. We are authorizing pastors to postpone their local church conferences until no later than May of 2021, but they may choose to meet earlier as restrictions are lifted. In this time of national emergency, your Local Board of Administration is empowered to 1) approve any necessary changes to the budget (including any housing designation, if any) and 2) elect/appoint any officers needed to fill vacancies that might occur before your next conference. Reminder: Annual statistical reports and the pastor’s annual service report are still due on May 15.  TOGETHER: an online Pentecost event On May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Wesleyans are gathering online to worship and pray for the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. This hour-long event begins at 7 p.m. EST. “Wesleyans are people of prayer,” said General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt. “We live and minister daily knowing that prayer is foundational to any work of the Holy Spirit. May 31 is an important time for us to be together and continue building our Kingdom Force foundation. In the book of Acts, remember the early believers were together in unity and praying. They were anticipating that God was going to move in powerful ways.” TOGETHER, hosted by Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, will be streaming live from Marion, Indiana on Sunday, May 31, at 7 p.m. EST. The 60-minute online service will feature focused prayer delivered by Wesleyans from around the world with times of worship led by Josh Lavender. Pastors can find more information at: https://www.wesleyan.org/event/together  The Center for Congregations has just announced a one-time “Connect Through Tech” grant for all Indiana congregations. This is a unique opportunity for congregations in Indiana to purchase new technology resources to help connect virtually during the pandemic and beyond. This includes streaming hardware, computers, audio/visual equipment, software, video conferencing subscriptions, licensing fees, and more!
For more information and to submit your grant application, click here: Center for Congregations Grant Form Never think you’re too old to try something new. Reverend Duane Seitz is in his 6th decade of ministry and serves our congregation in Silver Lake. Most of his congregants don’t readily access social media so Pastor Seitz took a page from John Wesley and preached from the back of his Toyota pickup on Easter Sunday and again yesterday. His innovation and sermon were well-received by the members. He was excited to report that some neighbors he’d been reaching out to listened in for the first time. The person who doesn’t think it can be done should not discourage the person who is doing it!  Thank you for all you are doing to lead and love in this challenging season of ministry! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent P.S. – As I’ve been talking with our pastors over the last few weeks, I’ve been concerned about the fatigue factor that can easily overtake us if we’re not being intentional about our own well-being. Back in the days when we were still traveling by air, the flight attendant would remind us to secure our own oxygen masks first in an emergency before attempting to assist others. That is good advice for leading in any crisis. The Barna Report spoke to this topic in a recent article. They quoted Dr. Henry Cloud, Christian psychologist and author, said: “What you need to do in a time of crisis is reset your system and God has given us ways to do this. There are four main areas that need to be reset: your sense of connectedness, structure and routines, sense of control and, lastly, mental space. We also need to be increasing our regular spiritual practices…” Easter Sunday 2020 will go down as one of the most memorable in recent memory. Most every church in America was providing online ministry to their congregation and many thousands of others who may have been exploring faith for the first time. Saturday afternoon, my son and I participated in the drive-in worship and communion service hosted by Pastor Gary Bingham and the team at Marion Hillside Wesleyan Church.  First thing on Sunday morning I was able to be part of the drive-in communion service hosted by Pastor David Shafer and Executive Pastor James Stamper at North Anderson Wesleyan Church. I was also able to join Pastor Eric Roemer and the team at Greentown Wesleyan Church for their drive-in Easter service. Not every church has the parking lot layout or even the community approval for a drive-in service but several of our churches were able to provide this option. Several people expressed their appreciation for this unique opportunity to gather for worship, even though parking 9 feet apart.  In another memorable first, Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church conducted their candidating and voting for a new pastor completely online this weekend. Rev. Chris Williams, currently Assistant DS, interviewed on a live streaming event on Saturday afternoon with a call-in line for the question and answer session. Then, on Sunday morning, Rev. Williams preached online for Lakeview. The Discipline allows for absentee ballots for pastoral votes and every member of the church received their absentee ballot to mail in by this Friday. We’re excited about the possibilities for Kingdom impact and will be praying for Lakeview Wesleyan and Pastor Chris as they await the results.  Last Monday included Zoom meetings with the Heartland Region district superintendents and then with the Executive Board of the General Board of The Wesleyan Church with Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent. Tuesday included teaching online for IWU, our district staff meeting, and Zoom coaching calls with Rev. Logan Patriquin (Lafayette The Branch), Rev. Johnnie Blair (Tipton Trinity), and Rev. Gary Bingham (Marion Hillside). Wednesday included a weekly Zoom huddle with many of the district superintendents of The Wesleyan Church, and coaching calls with Pastor Kory Christensen (New Haven Impact), Pastor David Cox (Laketon Wesleyan), and Pastor Heath Croft (Fort Wayne Level 13). Coaching calls on Thursday included Rev. Eric George (New Castle Memorial), Rev. Jarod Osborne (Warsaw Pathway), and Rev. Chuck Moorer (Indianapolis Divine Direction). Thursday evening, I met online with Dr. Joe Harmon and the LBA at New Castle Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church. The DBA will receive a recommendation later this month to appoint Dr. Harmon as the interim pastor for the coming conference year. On Friday, Dr. David Smith, Chris Williams and I met online for a contingency planning session as we prepare for the final interviews of more than a dozen ordination candidates. We are also looking at options for ordination this summer as the impact of the pandemic is mitigated. Praise the Lord that both Rev. Calimerio Rodriguez (pastor of Frankfort Templo de Poder) and David Henry, husband of Rev. Michelle Henry (Brookhaven Wesleyan) are both making measured progress in their recoveries. Please continue to remember them in your prayers! *** All Crossroads District pastors are invited to a ZOOM connection on Tuesday, April 14, at 2 p.m. We’ll be connecting for an update on the PPP/CARES program, local church conference matters, and other questions that our pastors may have. There are 100 participant slots available and we would love to have you join us. Pastors will receive an email invitation with the password for login. Lead Pastors, Staff Pastors and Ministerial Students – Annual Service Report (ASR). You should have received an email from Wesleyan Headquarters with your login username to complete this year’s report. For instructions, please access this link: https://www.wesleyan.org/asr-and-lcsr-instructions Congratulations to Pastor Steve & Susan Bray on the occasion of the marriage of Taylor, their daughter, to Mr. Andrew Rieck. Wedding plans are being altered by the pandemic but we want to join the Bray family in praying for God’s blessing on this new couple! Our sympathies are extended to Rev. and Mrs. Barry Faucett (retired pastor) on the death last week of their son, Brandon. Please remember the Faucett family, including Brandon’s wife and children, in your prayers for God’s grace and comfort. Again, let me say how impressed I am with the courageous and creative leadership that our pastors and staff members are providing to our congregations in this challenging season of ministry. Few pastors had training to prepare for online ministry or crisis management. Many have been working even longer hours with added stress. Please keep your pastors in your prayers and support them in every way that you can! Together for His Kingdom! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent This week marked the first time for most of us to celebrate Palm Sunday via technology. April 5 would have been my regularly-scheduled visit to The River Church in Marion so I joined Pastor Matthew Trexler and his team in leading their congregation for a first-time online communion service.  I received an exciting praise report yesterday from Dr. Steve Bray, lead pastor at LifeSpring Church (Richmond). He shared that 53 people responded to the salvation invitation at the close of Palm Sunday message. God is on the move! We continue to pray for David Henry, husband of Rev. Michelle Henry (staff pastor at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church) and received word yesterday that Pastor Calimerio Rodriquez (Frankfort Templo de Poder) has also been hospitalized. Please join us in praying for these pastoral families.  Please continue to pray for our amazing health-care workers who are battling this pandemic. We have so many graduates of IWU serving on the frontlines and caring for patients. Churches in Marion are hosting a prayer vigil each evening this week in the parking lot of Marion General Hospital and Pastor Ryan VanMatre (LifeSpring Church South) is coordinating the same initiative in Richmond.
Our Crossroads District pastors and their leadership teams are responding to this challenge with innovation and creativity. Some of our larger churches have been streaming and offering online services for years but this pandemic has created a learning opportunity for churches of all sizes. Thank you for doing whatever it takes to keep preaching the Gospel!
Last week’s schedule included coaching calls, teaching online for IWU, meeting with the Wesley Seminary board and the Indiana Wesleyan University board, and chairing our Crossroads District Conference Action Committee. The highlight of the week was connecting with 50 of our pastors for a conversation on Tuesday afternoon via Zoom. Even the introverts are looking forward to the opportunity to get together!  Lead Pastors, Staff Pastors and Ministerial Students – Annual Service Report (ASR). You should have received an email from Wesleyan Headquarters with your login username to complete this year’s report. For instructions, please access this link: https://www.wesleyan.org/asr-and-lcsr-instructions Join us in praying for each of our congregations as we respond to the opportunity to celebrate the hope of Easter in new ways during this pandemic. The church buildings may be empty but so is His tomb. The Lord is Risen! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent |
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