Sunday morning, May 21, I had the privilege of worshiping with the growing congregation at Monte de Sion Iglesia Wesleyan Church in the Eagledale neighborhood of Indianapolis. This church was planted by the Granados family over two decades ago and has been rebounding after the setbacks of the past few years. Rev. Grace Lopez has stepped in to serve as supply pastor and is blessing the church with her leadership. Rev. Neftali Lopez, Circuit Rider, was able to be with us yesterday and helped out by playing guitar with the worship team. Yesterday, they honored two of their high school graduates and Pastor Grace shared a prayer of blessing over the children. Monte de Sion has a vibrant worship and prayer ministry. They do have a challenge in a deteriorating older parsonage that will need to be repaired or replaced. Please pray for the leaders of this ministry as they reach out to their community. Crossroads District has two churches named Mount Zion. The second of those is outside of New Castle and yesterday was a special celebration day for this Mt. Zion as Pastor Steve Arnett led their team in commemorating 180 years of ministry. Our best records indicate that Mt. Zion (formerly Duck Creek) was the second Wesleyan (Methodist) church formed in the spring of 1843, just after Fountain City (Newport Wesleyan Methodist, now LifeSpring). On my way to Monte de Sion, I was able to drop in to worship with Pastor Michael Colaw and the team at Trinity Church in Indianapolis. Pastor Colaw brought a powerful message on the prophets. This is a busy season for Pastor Mike as he leads a growing church, a growing family, and completes his Doctor of Ministry degree with Wesley Seminary. Sunday afternoon, I joined Rev. Jacob Gibson and his team at LifeSpring Church in Richmond to convene their annual local church conference and to bring district greetings on this 180th year of their ministry. It was an exciting year for LifeSpring as they called Rev. Gibson to be their new senior pastor. Dr. Aaron Perry did a wonderful job serving alongside the team as interim pastor. LifeSpring celebrated 65 baptisms last year and gave over $100,000 to world missions! My last stop on Sunday was with Rev. Jerry Alexander and the team at the former Central Wesleyan Church in Anderson. For the past 5 years, they've been part of the Circle of Hope Network led by Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck. Circle of Hope is launching them out and the DBA is working with the team and Rev. Michael Hewitt, their coach, to develop a relaunch plan for this fall as Living Hope Wesleyan Church. Last Monday, I was able to drop in on the leadership cohort that Rev. Matthew Trexler leads each month at The River. This is a great group of pastors committed to learning and growing, both themselves and the churches that God has entrusted to them. I took lots of notes and was encouraged to hear the stories of how God is moving in these churches. I was on the road Tuesday to meet with Rev. Chip Bos at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers to record interviews with Rev. Claudia Ruiz and Rev. Steve Arnett. You will be blessed to hear their stories at District Conference on June 24. Tuesday evening, I met with the LBA (Local Board of Administration) at New Castle Memorial Wesleyan Church as they continue their search for a new pastor. Dr. Joe Harmon is serving them well as they work through the process of finding the best leader for their bright future. On Wednesday, I met with Rev. Mark Atkinson, Circuit Rider, over lunch and then connected with Rev. Jeff Luedtke, pastor of Fairmount Wesleyan Church and chair of the Fairmount Camp Board. Fairmount Camp is searching for a new Executive Director and interested candidates may apply by through this link: https://secure.wesleyan.org/job/frame/8989 Wednesday evening, I joined with Pastor Allen Gross and friends at Cicero United Family Church (UFC) as they welcomed Rev. Mark Atkinson for a workshop on personal evangelisms. United is in an exciting season of growth and this was a timely seminar for their team. Thursday afternoon, I represented our team at the funeral of Mrs. Edie Surfus, mother of Rev. Michele Henry, assistant pastor at Brookhaven, and grandmother of Alexander Henry, assistant pastor at Elwood Main Street. Pastor Tony Bye and Alexander Henry led this meaningful celebration of her life and legacy. Thursday evening, I met with Rev. Scott Rhyno and the leadership team at Waterline Church as they explored a possible meeting location in Ingalls. Waterline has been meeting at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers for the last several years. With the General Board's decision to sell the HQ building to WIF, Waterline is looking for a new home. Pray with Pastor Scott and Waterline as they seek God's direction for this strategic decision. With a full day of coaching conversations in the northwestern corner of our district on Saturday, I was glad to have a day of Sabbath at home on Friday. My first coaching conversation on Saturday was with Rev. Marc Ulrich in Merrillville. These are exciting days at ReThink Church with new families and recent baptisms. My next stop was with Rev. Jere Gowin just south of LaPorte where he pastors the Wesleyan church in Kingsford Heights. My final stop of the day was in Elkhart with Jose Cardenas. Jose and Angiee, his wife, have a growing team of leaders who serve Cielos Abiertos Iglesia Wesleyana. One of their most exciting developments is working with a pastor to launch a new campus of Cielos Abiertos in Ambato, Ecuador. God is on the move! Pastor Joe Jackson and the team at United Wesleyan Church in Anderson are rejoicing with two more baptisms on Mothers' Day. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew! Rev. Andy Jellison, senior pastor at Lifeway Wesleyan Church in Fort Wayne, left yesterday with his family for his first sabbatical, but before he pulled out of town he sent word of four baptisms and another profession of faith! Heaven is celebrating with us! Rev. Dr. Kerry Kind, former General Director of what is now the Eduction and Clergy Development, passed away yesterday evening, May 21. Dr. Kind was gracious man of God who served as as a Global Partners missionary and administrator for many years. Funeral arrangements will be forwarded to our pastors as soon as possible. Please keep Jule and the Kind family in your prayers. Dr. Andrea Kind Summers, Dean of the Chapel at IWU, posted this on Facebook: "We said goodbye for now to my dad Kerry Kind earlier this evening. His wife (Jule Kind) and family surrounded him with prayers, singing, Scripture, tears, words of gratefulness and an undercurrent of faith-filled hope. It was beautiful. A fitting final moment for a beautiful life. A week ago today we were talking about the sermon after church and my dad told me how much he’s been learning and growing. Never done. Always hungry. Knowing there’s still so much more. And now he knows the More better than any of us. I’m overflowing with gratefulness for a dad who loved God and who loved us so well." For friends and family of the ordination candidates who want to join us for the celebration of ordination, please note that seating will begin at 10:15. The service will begin at 10:30. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. Seminars and workshops will be available for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Sunday, May 13, was a wonderful day in the churches of the Crossroads District as mothers were celebrated. Flowers, baby dedications, special tributes, and timely messages affirmed the significant ministry of mothers in our families and in our congregations. North Wabash Wesleyan Church welcomed me to bring greetings from the district team and to share the morning message. Their piano player was unable to be present so I was glad to help out. This faithful congregation is in the last stages of the church lifecycle. What once was a flourishing multi-generational ministry is today a handful of dedicated folks. These dear saints sacrificially underwrite the operational expenses. They still believe and teach orthodox Christianity. They financially support Hephzibah and Wesleyan missionaries around the world. They always contribute 100% of their United Stewardship Fund. They pray and hope for their church to return to its former glory. The difficult conversation has begun about the future of their church. There is an acute awareness that without the dramatic, divine intervention of God, the days of the ministry are numbered in months, not years. I was sobered by my time with these dear saints. The reality is that every church that fails to keep its evangelistic fire burning hot faces the same inevitability. We do not exist for our own comfort, our own preferences, or our own positions. The local church is the hope of the world only when we are overflowing with the Holy Spirit and passionately pursuing God’s mission of winning the lost at any cost. Pray for North Wabash Wesleyan and pray that God will keep all of us focused on fulfilling the Great Commission in the Spirit of the Great Commandment. Last week’s schedule included a variety of coaching conversations and working with local church leaders to wrap up the conference year. I did have the opportunity to attend the funeral for “Miss Judy” (Judy Plotner Ward) who was a long-time staff member and treasured friend for the team at The River Church in Marion. She impacted hundreds of families through nearly 40 years of children’s ministry. Another highlight of the week was serving with Rev. Carla Working and our District Board of Ministerial Development in Marion on Friday as they conducted the final round of interviews for this year’s class of ordination candidates. We were encouraged by the deep commitment expressed by these ministers to our core value of holy living in the power of the Holy Spirit. What a joy to see these younger and older, women and men, recent college graduates and mid-career professionals, answering God’s call to the equipping ministry of Word and sacrament. We’re looking forward to their ordination at the 2023 Crossroads District Conference in Anderson on June 24. The ordination service will begin promptly at 10:30. We’re honored to have Dr. JoAnne Lyon as our ordination speaker this year! On Saturday, I joined Rev. Grace Dominguez Lopez and the leadership team at Indianapolis Monte de Sion Iglesia Wesleyana. This congregation is in the building formerly known as Eagledale Wesleyan Church. Pastor Grace has agreed to serve as interim pastor for this congregation and I was glad to connect with them for an update on their ministry. We always love to share the good news of lives being changed by the Gospel! Pastor Duane Cragun passed along this photo from the baptism service held on May 7 at Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church in Marion. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew! Rev. Don Bayne and the team at New Carlisle Wesleyan Church continue to see the church rebounding and lives being changed. On Sunday, May 14, they celebrated 4 baptisms and an infant dedication. Praise the Lord for His blessing on their ministry! Pastors, just a gentle reminder that your ASR (Annual Service Report) and LCSR (Local Church Statistical Report) are both due on May 20. The ASR is required for continued appointment as a minister in the Crossroads District. You can finish yours today in about 15 minutes. Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub As we prepare for District Conference, we have created a form for each local church to submit the names of those elected as Lay Delegates to District Conference as well as the Local Church Officers who will be serving this conference year. This form may also be used to update any staff appointment information for the district. Please CLICK HERE to submit those details by May 30th. Please remember that only the Local Church Conference (not the LBA) can elect delegates to district conference and it is prudent to elect at least 1 or 2 alternate delegates. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will be helpful seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so please make every effort to attend! Sunday morning, May 7, Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Gawin Anderson and the team at Indianapolis Divine Direction. Pastor Gawin is in his first year of leadership for this congregation situated on 46th Street, between College Avenue and Keystone Avenue. Following the morning service, Pastor Gawin invited me to chair their Local Church Conference. It was encouraging to hear the progress that they’re making after the pandemic and the recent pastoral transition. If I understand the history correctly, the congregation was originally planted by Rev. Eugene and Phyllis Ramsey in the former Trinity Wesleyan Church building and was known as Northside Wesleyan Church. Mother Norma Grayson, one of the earliest members now attending for 45 years, shared some of her memories with me about the Ramsey’s effective ministry. The church continues to impact its neighborhood with children’s ministry and a food pantry. Please pray for Pastor Anderson and his family as they serve this changing community. Sunday evening, I joined with Rev. Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck to chair the LCC (Local Church Conference) for Circle of Hope Network. You may remember that the Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Noblesville was already hosting Rey de Gloria and an inner city ministry known as Bethel Outreach Mission when they agreed to bring on Anderson Central and Beech Grove Wesleyan to form the Circle of Hope Network. This network was formed just before the pandemic and played a key role of helping these congregations through those difficult years. One of the celebration points last evening was the unanimous vote of the LCC to relaunch the Anderson campus as a developing church under the direction of the DBA. Dr. Rich has also been leading our district’s multi-cultural ministry initiative and Circle of Hope is modeling that with a pastoral staff that includes ordained African American and Latino Wesleyan ministers. I’m always glad to make time for prospective church planters, so it was fun to connect with Pastor Michael Hewitt and the Caraballos last week. Janiel and Leana will be joining the Muncie Rising Hope team for a church planting residency this year as they prayerfully prepare for the possibility of launching a new multi-ethnic church in Anderson next year. The remainder of my week included coaching conversations and connections with a variety of amazing leaders: Dr. David Drury (micro-church planter), Rev. Mike Colaw (multi-site church leader), Rev. Matt Ohime (rural church revitalizer), Dr. Mike Brown (NGO leader serving in Ukraine), Rev. Jon Noggle (small town church revitalizer), Dr. Chris Bounds (Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University), Rev. Neftali Lopez (Circuit Rider) and Rev. Grace Lopez (FLAMA Coordinator). We are blessed with a great team! I dropped in at Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday morning as Never 2 Young weekend was wrapping up. Congratulations and thank you again to Rev. Charlie Alcock and his amazing team that hosted more than 1000 middle school students from across the midwest. Thank you also to our many youth pastors and sponsors who brought their students and made this event possible. I also had the opportunity to drop in on Rev. Trevor O’Dell and the team at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. They were hosting their annual “Blessing of the Bikes” which included a free lunch and a ride together. Pastor O’Dell is completing his service with LWC and will be joining Pastor Noah Farmer’s team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church as the worship leader. Lancaster Wesleyan Church has called Rev. Ron Forsythe to be their next pastor. We are delighted to welcome Pastor Ron and Rita Forsythe back to the Crossroads District from their ministry in Florida. We love sharing the news of baptisms from across our district family. Pastor Matthew Trexler and the team at River Church were planning on six baptisms yesterday morning. The invitation was extended and 16 more people made their profession of faith in Christ public through baptism for a total of 22. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew! You may recall the exciting news that Gas City Eastview celebrated six baptisms on April 30 but that’s not the end of the story. The next day, Assistant Pastor Ken Dykhoff received a call from someone who had watched the baptism service online and wanted to take that next step of discipleship. Pastor Noah Farmer and Ken drove to Herb’s home and had the privilege of celebrating his baptism on Monday, May 1! We enjoy celebrating educational milestones in our ministry family. Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Craig Thurmon, pastor of The Encounter Assembly and Crossroads District Secretary. Dr. Thurmon graduated this weekend with his PhD in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University in South Carolina. Congratulations are also in order for Dr. Josh Lavender and Megan Christine, his fiancee, on the happy occasion of their engagement. Dr. Lavender serves as the lead worship pastor on staff with Rev. Michael Colaw at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church. The FY2023 conference year concluded on April 30. While the fiscal year closed on April 30, USF (United Stewardship Fund) contributions for that period can be received until Tuesday, May 10, to be credited toward your 100% participation. Pastors have access to their online LCSR (local church statistical report) and the due date for timely completion is May 20. That is also the date for pastors to complete their Annual Service Report (ASR). Just a reminder that a completed ASR is required for continued appointment as a minister in the Crossroads District. You can finish yours today in about 15 minutes. Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub Please remember that only the Local Church Conference (not the LBA) can elect delegates to district conference and it is prudent to elect at least 1 alternate delegate for each one allotted. For friends and family of the ordination candidates who want to join us for the celebration of ordination, please note that seating will begin at 10:15 and the service will begin promptly at 10:30. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will be helpful seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Sunday morning, April 30, Sherry and I worshiped with Rev. Ryan Budde and the congregation at Jonesboro Westview Wesleyan Church. Before the service, I was invited to join the worship team for prayer. In the service I brought greetings from our district team and read the scripture passage leading us into worship. Pastor Ryan has a strong pastoral team including Rev. Mark Deisler who led us in music. Rev. Budde was in the sixth week of a new series that he is preaching from Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. This has been an exciting year at Westview with 19 baptisms. Pray with them for continued growth and impact as they rebound from the past few years. Since I wasn’t preaching at Westview, I had time to drop in at Fairmount Wesleyan Church for worship with Pastor Jeff Luedtke and his team at their 9:30 service. Fairmount Wesleyan does a special missions emphasis on the 5th Sundays and it was good to hear more about their local, national and global vision to reach people for Christ. Sunday afternoon, Michael Wood and I joined a gathering of members and friends at Tipton Ash Street Wesleyan Church as we celebrated the ministry of Rev. Logan and Nancy Westrick. Pastor Logan is retiring due to health limitations but has served the church faithfully for over 31 years. Rev. Amanda Blair, DBA member, and Rev. Johnnie Blair, who lead the Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church, have served in the same town for the past decade. It was heartwarming to see the mutual love and respect between these pastors of a different generation. Rev. and Mrs. Westrick are moving to be closer to family near Cincinnati, Ohio. Sunday evening, I joined Rev. Matthew Trexler and the team at The River in Marion for their local church conference. God has been blessing The River in unusual ways. Attendance is up 36% over the previous year and they broke 2000 in attendance for the first time on Easter. They recorded 231 professions of faith and had the privilege of baptizing 39 new believers. Pastor Matthew and the team would agree that the greatest factor in the explosive growth they’ve experienced would be their deepened commitment to prayer and fasting. Last week began for me in Nashville, TN, on Monday with a roundtable of Wesleyan district superintendents. While several could not join us this time due to scheduling conflicts, the group that gathered shared in energizing conversations about how we can more effectively serve our local churches. It was fun to hear how God is on the move across our denomination when we stay focused on making disciples and multiplying churches. Tuesday and Wednesday, I was in Birmingham at Church of the Highlands to attend my first ARC (Association of Related Churches) Conference. I’ve previously attended the GROW conference and appreciated the focus it gives to church systems and growth. This conference focuses on the heart of the leaders and fueling the vision of the ARC multiplication movement. Some of you will know the story of two churches invested in two more church plants 22 years ago. Since then, ARC has planted 1077 churches. Combined, those churches have now invested $71 million in church planting. The average church plant that launched with ARC last year had 427 people in attendance on their first Sunday. Yes, I took lots of notes! Friday morning, I had the privilege of hosting our retired pastors and their spouses for our spring fellowship gathering at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers. In addition to an informative and inspiring presentation from Dr. Bud Bence on the 180-year history of the Wesleyans in Indiana, we were also honored by a special visit from Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent. Dr. Howard Castle led us as we lifted Dr. Schmidt and our General Board in prayer for their meetings this week. Rev. C. K. Chitty, who is leading the charge for seniors ministry in the Crossroads District, brought an update from their luncheon last Saturday in Indianapolis. Plans are in the works for more gatherings this coming year. I love connecting with these senior saints who continue to serve the Kingdom in a variety of ways, especially with their fervent prayers. Saturday morning, I joined Rev. Grace Lopez at Carmel Amistad where she was hosting the FLAMA class on the Old Testament led by Rev. Ingrid Martinez. We had another strong registration with students joining from Warsaw and Richmond. The next FLAMA class is Christian Education (C-23) scheduled for July with Rev. Ileana Flores teaching. What a blessing to share stories of changed lives as God is blessing around the Crossroads District. Pastor Marc and Heather Ulrich lead ReThink Church, one of our newer congregations, in Merrillville. They’ve been seeing a new wave of growth this spring and celebrated two more baptisms this past Sunday! The River Church has taken on the responsibility of developing a campus in Chesterton where we had a building but the church needed to be relaunched. Campus pastor Andy Hammonds has been encouraged by recent growth from 47 last year to averaging 65 this year with 109 present on Easter Sunday. The River Church team in Chesterton celebrated two more baptisms yesterday! Rev. Noah Farmer and his team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church are rejoicing as they celebrated another six baptisms yesterday. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew! Dr. Joe Harmon has been doing a terrific job leading the turnaround at New Castle Memorial Wesleyan Church. While he’s making plans to retire eventually, he’s still enjoying ministry and had the privilege of baptizing five new believers yesterday morning! Pastors Johnnie and Amanda Blair continue to celebrate how God is on the move at Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church. Yesterday was another high point as they five more new believers! You may already know that Rev. Angela Spangler has resigned her role as Executive Director at Fairmount Camp and has joined the ministry staff at Hope Rising Church in Huntington. Rev. Jeff Luetdke is chair of the board for Fairmount Camp and would welcome applications or referrals as the board seeks their next leader for this key role. Here’s the link for more information and how to apply: https://secure.wesleyan.org/job/frame/8989 The FY2023 conference year concluded on April 30. Pastors have access to their online LCSR (local church statistical report). While the fiscal year closed on April 30, USF (United Stewardship Fund) contributions for that period can be received and credited until May 10. The Annual Service Report (ASR) required for continued appointment as a minister in the Crossroads District is now available online. Many have already completed their reports and you can finish yours today in about 15 minutes. Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub Please remember that only the Local Church Conference can elect delegates to district conference and it is prudent to elect at least 1 alternate delegate for each one allotted. For friends and family of the ordination candidates who want to join us for the celebration of ordination, please note that seating will begin at 10:15 and the service will begin promptly at 10:30. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will be helpful seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! |
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