This week’s Crossroads District team update is abbreviated in light of the General Conference reporting and our opportunity to be with family in Michigan over the Memorial Day weekend. I trust you were able to find time to connect with loved ones and to remember those who gave their full measure for the freedom that we enjoy here in the United States of America.
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The Wesleyan Church regularly meets every four years for our annual North American General Conference. The Covid pandemic delayed our gathering by an extra two years and it was evident from the very first session that we were delighted to be able to reconnect after the passing of six years. While the primary purpose of our gathering is to conduct essential business on behalf of our denomination, precious times of fellowship, prayer, and worship ensure that our conference is more than just a legislative process.
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The worship service on the first Sunday evening concluded with a powerful time of prayer led by Rev. Mick Veach, lead pastor at Kentwood Community Church. Monday’s session began with our General Superintendent Rev. Dr. Wayne Schmidt presenting his “State of the Church” report followed by his re-election for another four-year term. Dr. Schmidt is also a member of our Crossroads District so it is a special joy to congratulate him and pledge our support for his leadership over the next four years.
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The election of general directors took place on Monday afternoon. Rev. Dr. Ed Love, also a member of our Crossroads District, was elected as the new General Director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship. I’m excited about Dr. Love’s track record of leadership which has long been focused on church planting and disciple-making. Please join me in praying for Dr. Schmidt and his Executive Cabinet.
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​Business sessions continued on Tuesday and concluded at noon on Wednesday. Major items of business for the conference included a modified statement that more positively frames the spiritual gift of tongues, a major rewrite of the guidelines for local church administration, and an overhaul of our United Stewardship funding plan that lowers the amount assessed for educational and denominational ministries from 6% down to 5% by 2026.

Those of you who will be serving as delegates to our Crossroads District conference (June 25) will be asked to consider two constitutional matters. All constitutional changes must be approved by 2/3 of the delegates voting at General Conference and then by an aggregate 2/3 of all delegates voting at the North American district conferences this summer. If approved here, the constitutional items will proceed for approvals at the two other general conferences of The Wesleyan Church (Caribbean and Philippines).

We will be well represented by the three members of our district who were elected to serve on the General Board: Dr. Jeff Clark (lay member - College Wesleyan Church), Dr. Steve DeNeff (ministerial member – College Wesleyan Church), and Dr. Carl Shepherd (lay member – Indianapolis Trinity Church). For a full rundown of elections and approved memorials, please visit the website: ​https://www.wesleyan.org/category/general-conference
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I’m grateful for our lay and ministerial delegates who took time from busy schedules and family to faithfully represent our Crossroads District for this 14th General Conference. This was the first general conference as delegates for half of our team. We prayed together, laughed together, learned together, and then returned home with an even deeper appreciation for our denominational team.
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While it is important to fulfill the administrative responsibilities essential to our denominational ministries, nothing is more vital than keeping our focus on the Great Commission. How wonderful to receive word from Pastor Mark Atkinson (Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church) that on Thursday, his first day back from General Conference, he was blessed to celebrate two baptisms at the reservoir, Praise God for these lives being #MadeNew by the power of the Holy Spirit!
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We are looking forward to our ordination service on Friday, June 24, at College Wesleyan Church and our district conference on Saturday, June 25, at the Indiana Wesleyan University Chapel. Please join me in praying for God’s favor and anointing on our time together next month.
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Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,
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Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

This week’s team update is coming to you from the 14th General Conference of The Wesleyan Church in St. Louis, Missouri. I’m here with 18 delegates representing our Crossroads District for meetings that began on Sunday evening. The evening rally concluded with a powerful time of prayer led by Rev. Mick Veach, lead pastor at Kentwood Community Church.
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Last week began with the opportunity on Monday morning to meet with Pastor Matthew Trexler and his leadership cohort meeting at The River Church. Monday afternoon, I met with Rev. Carla Working and her team as they plan for our district conference on June 25 at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Tuesday morning, I was able to meet with Rev. Mike Colaw as he welcomed Rev. Gregg Parris, lead pastor at Union Chapel UMC in Muncie, for a leadership development session on finishing well in our calling. Pastor Gregg has led the ministry of Union Chapel for more than 40 years!

Tuesday evening, I met with the LBA at Colfax Wesleyan Church as they began their pastoral search process. We’ve been blessed to have Rev. Harold Henson serving this congregation for the past five years but recently announced that he has accepted a call to a church in Alabama.
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Wednesday morning, I connected with Rev. Jeff Brady for an update on Commoners Church, the micro church network that he has been leading. He has also just been accepted into a CPE for a new opportunity in chaplaincy. Wednesday evening, Rev. Carla Working and I met with the leadership team at Wabash North Wesleyan Church to serve them in their pastoral search process. Rev. Working was able to help them connect with Rev. Ashlynn Lutrell to serve as their interim pastor effective immediately.
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Our reconvened district nominating committee met on Thursday evening and unanimously nominated Rev. Craig Thurmon to become our next district secretary. Pending the vote of our district conference, Craig would move from serving as our district treasurer to this new position. The DBA is empowered by our standing rules to appoint a new treasurer if that vacancy occurs.
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Then, on Saturday, Sherry and I traveled to St. Louis for the four days of our General Conference. After a meeting with the new Wesleyan Theological Network at noon and a meeting of the General Board in the afternoon, we closed out the day with a wonderful service of worship. Please join us in praying for these important meetings!

While we’ll be meeting in General Conference, ministry continues on the frontlines. We’ve been enjoying receiving the annual statistical reports from our local churches and nothing is more exciting than news of lives being changed by the Gospel. For example, just last week, The River Church celebrated even more baptisms after reporting 49 in the previous conference year. Praise God for lives #MadeNew!
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We are excited to announce that Rev. Jon and Lindsay Noggle will be joining our Crossroads District team as the new pastoral family at Elwood Central Wesleyan Church. Pray for the Noggles as they make their transition this summer.
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We’re also pleased to announce the Rev. Joshua Fox has accepted the unanimous call of Hartford City Wesleyan Church and will be relocating to Indiana this summer. We’re looking forward to welcoming Joshua and his family to the Crossroads District!
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​Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, May 15, Rev. David Dignal and his team at Edgerton Wesleyan Church welcomed me to bring greetings and the morning message. Pastor Dave was one of the pastors I knew many years prior to the privilege of serving together here in the Crossroads District. I’ve always appreciated his positive attitude and his commitment to the Great Commission.
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EWC has rebounded well both from the impact of the pandemic and a group that stepped out in January to start a new church in nearby Ohio. They just elected their new board of administration so I appreciated the opportunity to join Pastor Dignal in leading the commissioning prayer. Following the service, I enjoyed lunch with Pastor Dave, his wife Stevie, and their son Jonathan.

Sunday afternoon, I led the closing service for Warren Wesleyan Church. The ministry in Warren dates back around 150 years and the current building was constructed in 1885. Members and friends of the congregation gathered to share memories and offer thanks to God for the impact of this ministry on their lives and in the Kingdom.

Rev. Allen Laws has been serving the congregation as a bi-vocational pastor for the last several years but, coming through the pandemic, attendance had declined to a faithful few. The DBA has agreed to turn the facilities over to the Huntington Hope Rising Church leadership team with a view to restarting ministry in Warren in the next few years.

Sunday evening, I joined the team at Marion Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church for the official installation service of Rev. Joshua Bowlin as their new senior pastor. Pastor Josh and Rebecca have most recently been serving with The Wesleyan Church in New Zealand. This is a homecoming for Pastor Josh who met Christ through the ministry of Chapel Pike when he was a teenager. Pastor Steve Colter and the LBA at Chapel Pike did a great job of planning for this intentional succession as Pastor Steve moved into retirement. We’re excited to welcome Josh and his family back to the Crossroads District team!
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Last week’s schedule included our weekly staff meeting, a specially-called General Board meeting via Zoom, along with coaching conversations in Richmond, Muncie, Marion, and Indianapolis. The highlight of the week had to be the three days that our District Board of Ministerial Development convened to interview this year’s class of ordination candidates. We began on Thursday afternoon and concluded on Saturday afternoon. Dr. Chris Williams, chair, and Rev. Carla Working, vice-chair, led us in interviewing 18 candidates, half of whom were women. The candidates spanned from their 20s to their sixties, from those expecting their first child to those who have already welcomed grandchildren.

I was especially encouraged by the priority that these ordination candidates gave to the message of holiness. They submitted exceptional position papers on the topic and consistently selected our embrace of the biblical doctrine of Christian perfection in love as one of the top 3 reasons they are glad to be part of The Wesleyan Church. Make plans to join our 2022 ordination service at Marion College Wesleyan Church on Friday evening, June 24, 7:00 p.m.
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Pastor Steve Arnett and the team at New Castle Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church had an incredible celebration on Sunday, May 8, as 10 people publicly professed their faith in Christ through baptism.
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Pastor Scott McDermid and the team at Sheridan Six Points Church are rejoicing with their dedication of children and the celebration of four baptisms on Sunday morning, May 15.
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Pastor Gary Bingham and the team at Marion Hillside Wesleyan Church are praising God for five people who publicly professed faith in Christ through their baptism. Four of the baptisms were by immersion and Pastor Gary also had the privilege of baptism by pouring for one gentleman in a wheelchair. Praise God for these lives being #MadeNew by the grace of Jesus Christ!
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This is the final week before our General Conference convenes this coming Sunday in St. Louis. Here’s an invitation from Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent, to join together for a Pentecost prayer journey:
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May I encourage every pastor in our district to lead their congregation in focused prayer during your worship services on Sunday, May 22. For more information about the schedule, memorials being considered, and online access to the sessions, visit the conference website:
​https://www.wesleyan.org/unleashed

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

​Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, May 8, I had the joy of worshiping with Rev. Aldean Pablo and the team at ARISE Church in Roanoke. Pastor Aldean preached a powerful message and I brought greetings from our district team. With an unexpected illness in their worship team, Pastor Aldean invited me to fill in on the keyboards, an invitation that I was happy to accept. The men of the church arrived early to prepare a beautiful breakfast for all the mothers and Pastor Aldean honored mothers in the service. I am grateful for the leadership that Aldean and Jessie Pablo are giving to this new congregation. The future is bright at ARISE Church.
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Sunday evening, Pastor Neftali Lopez and the team at Carmel Amistad Iglesia Wesleyan welcomed our monthly prayer gathering. It was a blessing to pray with those who gathered for this 5th monthly district prayer meeting. I’m grateful for the partnership of Rev. Jim Weinmann (Evanston Avenue), Rev. Craig Thurmon (The Encounter Assembly), Dr. Rich Schenck (Circle of Hope), and Rev. Lopez in leading this evening of prayer.
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Many of you will know that Dr. Chris Williams (Lakeview Wesleyan) and I just returned from spending 10 days in Africa speaking at the national leadership and missions conference for the Zambia Pilgrim Wesleyan Church (PWC). Bishop Juden Siachitema extended a warm invitation that opened the door for our ministry and we were blessed by this opportunity to learn and fellowship in this thriving national conference.
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There are more than 450 Wesleyan churches now in Zambia and they have a great vision for continued growth through church planting and missions to neighboring countries. In addition to preaching and teaching at the conference, Chris and I were also blessed to visit several mission stations, clinics, and schools across the country. God was gracious and powerfully anointed the three keynote messages that Dr. Williams preached from Isaiah’s encounter with God (Isaiah 6). We both came home inspired and encouraged by what God is doing through our Wesleyan brothers and sisters in Zambia.
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We arrived back home on Wednesday evening and I was back on the road for a coaching conversation with Rev. Judy Hatt (Fowler Hope Wesleyan) on Thursday. I also had the opportunity to check in with Pastor Andy Riemersma for an update on the growing ministry of ONE Church in Westfield.
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On Friday evening and Saturday, Sherry and I welcomed Rev. Mike Hewitt and a new cohort of church planting pastors who are committed to working together to accelerate our multiplication movement. This was a fun group to host in our home!
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On Saturday, Dr. David Smith and I attended the 6th annual gathering of the Wesleyan Covenant Association held in Indianapolis. This group of orthodox United Methodists has been meeting to find a way forward from the controversies in the UMC. The official announcement was made at this meeting that many of them will be leaving the UMC to form the new Global Methodist Church. This is a painful journey for leaders and congregations who are seeking to be faithful to scripture.
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We’re praising the Lord for continued reports of lives being changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ! Pastor Ryan Budde, Jonesboro Westview Wesleyan Church, reported that they celebrated seven baptisms on Easter Sunday. Pastor Brad LeRoy reported that Greenfield Harvest Community Church celebrated three baptisms and two more professions of faith with a total of 316 in attendance.
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Pastor Shane Wilson and the team at Columbia City New Hope Wesleyan Church celebrated two baptisms on Easter Sunday and two other individuals made professions of faith in the morning service. New Hope also had a terrific response to their Easter drama with more than 700 people attending the two presentations.
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Easter weekend, Pastor Tony Bye and the team at Marion Brookhaven Wesleyan Church celebrated six baptisms. This spring has been a good season with growing momentum at Brookhaven Wesleyan.
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Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck, co-pastors leading the Circle of Hope network reported two baptisms and welcomed three new members at their Noblesville campus. We join them in rejoicing for the ways that God is working!
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Last weekend, Dr. Oliver Dongell and the team at Plymouth Wesleyan Church celebrated six public professions of faith through baptism. There’s nothing better than rejoicing with heaven for these lives being #MadeNew to the glory of God!
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Please join us in making the upcoming General Conference a matter of focused prayer. I would be grateful if every pastor in our district led their congregation in focused prayer during your worship services on Sunday, May 15, and Sunday, May 22. For more information about the schedule, memorials being considered, and online access to the sessions, visit the conference website: https://www.wesleyan.org/unleashed
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Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom of God here in the Crossroads District and beyond!
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​Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent