Sunday, July 24, I had the privilege of ministering with Dr. Keith Loy and his team at Celebrate Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Keith and I have been friends for 25 years, since he first joined our staff team at New Hope Church in Williston, North Dakota in 1998. Pastor Keith and Kay stepped out in faith to plant Celebrate Church in 1999 and today it is one of the 10 largest Wesleyan churches in North America.
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But Dr. Loy is not content for Celebrate to just grow bigger. He’s committed to Celebrate Church becoming a multiplication center for launching church planters. When Pastor Keith first cast this vision to the church, more than 80 lay people stood up to declare their willingness to prepare and go to plant as God called. In the last few years, God has enabled Celebrate to launch 40 home churches and church plants in their region.
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A key component of their multiplication center is education, now in partnership with Southeastern University. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon was the guest lecturer for the first day of their Wesleyan Church History and Discipline class in June and I was invited to teach the second session on Saturday, July 23. We had a great group of students, several of whom are preparing to plant new churches. Sunday, July 24, I was blessed to preach in both of Celebrate’s morning services. I’m grateful for 25 years of friendship and partnership in ministry.
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Fairmount Family Camp just wrapped up another successful week. I was able to drop in on the evening services to hear Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS and pastor of Lakeview Wesleyan Church, preach on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Pastor Chris did a great job presenting God’s call to holiness and missional living. Pastor Johnnie Blair and his many friends blessed us with their anointed worship leading. It was also fun to sit in on Dr. Matthew Stewart’s Bible study on Tuesday morning, and then to check in with Rev. Carla and Rev. Zack Working on Wednesday morning for their young adult Bible study. Congratulations to Rev. Angela Spangler and her team for another successful year of Family Camp. It is so encouraging to see this historic multi-generational ministry flourishing in this new season.

I met with Rev. Eric Roemer in Greentown for our annual coaching conversation on Tuesday morning and then joined our office team for a lunch meeting at The Branch Coffeehouse in Fairmount. Tuesday afternoon, Rev. Matthew Trexler, our new district treasurer, and I took care of some details with our banking. Tuesday evening, I shared our church planting video and a district update in the family camp service.
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Wednesday, I met with Rev. Marcus DePeal in Noblesville and then connected with Rev. Jon Wiest over lunch to learn more about Groundswell, the discipleship multiplication ministry he leads. Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Steve McVey and I met via Zoom to work on our next steps to offer a pastors co-op (cohort) through Dirt Roads Network. I’m excited about both of these opportunities being available to our pastors this fall. Pastors will receive direct correspondence on how they can join one of these cohorts.

Wednesday evening, Sherry and I hosted Rev. Gale and Janet Janofski for supper before heading over to Family Camp. Pastor Gale has retired back here in Indiana after his most recent assignment in Virginia and he will be available to preach and supply pastor. Some of you may know Pastor J from his ministry at Brookhaven and Warsaw Wesleyan churches. He and Janet have relocated to the Mishawaka area and you can reach him through the district office.
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Thursday morning, Rev. Terry Vaughn and I connected in South Bend for an update on The Bridge Urban Church project. I’m grateful for the good work that Terry and Lennaire are leading in South Bend. Thursday over lunch, Rev. Matt Ohime and I met in Plymouth for an update on the ministry at Davis Wesleyan Church. Pastor Matt is doing creative and compassionate work serving the Stark County region. Thursday afternoon, I had the joy of welcoming Hartford City Wesleyan Church’s new pastor Rev. Josh Fox and Candie, his wife, as they’re getting settled into their new home. My final appointment of the day was for pre-marriage counseling for a wonderful couple who just graduated from Taylor University.

​I received an encouraging report from Sunday at Muncie Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church. Pastor Eric George was blessed to baptize two new followers of Christ, including his own daughter. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew by the grace of God!
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Our prayers and sympathies are extended to Rev. Scott McDermid, pastor of Sheridan Six Points Wesleyan Church, on the death of his father, Mr. Gary McDermid, on Saturday, July 23. Funeral arrangements will be communicated to our pastors as soon as they are announced. 

Mark your calendars and plan to bring a carload to join us for the Celebration of Holiness at College Wesleyan Church in Marion on Friday, September 30. You’ll need to register in advance so we can arrange for your lunch and the book that will be included with each registration. Here’s the link with more info and the form for your registration:
​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/holiness

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

​Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. This coming week, Sherry and I will be in Birmingham at Church of the Highlands for their GROW Conference. Rev. Carla Working will be available by phone and can reach me in case of emergencies.

Sherry and I had the privilege of welcoming Rev. Jon and Lindsey Noggle as the new pastor and family at Elwood Central Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning, July 17. Pastor Jon brought the morning message on prayer and I represented the Crossroads District by leading the installation service. Pastor Jon, Lindsey, and their girls, Payton and Paisley, are coming to us from serving with the Nazarene Church in Missouri. Lindsey is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and they have family both in Indiana and Ohio. We’re excited to welcome them to the Crossroads District team and encourage you to get to know them as they’re getting settled into this new ministry appointment.
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I enjoyed a great week of vacation with my three siblings visiting our 86-year-old father, Dr. Ken Gorveatte, at his summer home in Canada from July 6-13. DS Peter Moore and the Atlantic District of The Wesleyan Church honored him along with his classmate and friend, Dr. Laurel Buckingham, for more than 60 years of ordained ministry in The Wesleyan Church.
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Joel, my brother, is pastor at Moncton Wesleyan Church where my father was discipled as a teenager and where Dr. Buckingham pastored for 42 years. Ruth, my sister, teaches at a Christian school in Macon, Georgia. Beth, my younger sister, and her husband, Steve Jones, pastor LifeChange Wesleyan Church in Burnips, Michigan. This was the first time that the four of us had been together for Beulah Camp in more than forty years. It was good to be together with family and friends in a place that is so rich with family memories and spiritual milestones.
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I was back on the road here in the district on Thursday meeting with Rev. Seth and Cassidy Bye as they lead the church restart in Avon. Seth has been working diligently in preparing their launch team and their next outreach event is a community festival planned for August 27. If you have friends or relatives in the Avon area looking for a church family, help connect them to 317Church! https://317church.org

Thursday afternoon, I was able to connect with Pastor Andy Riemersma for another exciting update on the ministry of ONE Church in Westfield. They just received unanimous approval from the city for expansion of their parking lot to accommodate their growing church family.
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Friday morning, I met with our new district treasurer, Rev. Matthew Trexler, and we dropped in on Dr. Matthew Stewart at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. Dr. Stewart and the team at Sweetser Wesleyan Church have made significant progress in their revitalization project. The most recent upgrade happened just last week when they replaced their benches with stackable, padded chairs. In addition to being more comfortable, this flexible seating will provide more options for ministry use in their auditorium. (If your church is looking for 80 chairs, one of our larger churches has them available for donation. Reach out to the district office and we’ll help make that connection.)
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I met with Pastor Jon Noggle for lunch in Elwood and then connected with Dr. Joe Harmon on Friday afternoon for an update on the ministry in New Castle and his plans for the upcoming Intro to Theology class he’ll be offering for ministerial students in our district this fall. Friday evening, I dropped in to worship with our friends at Frankfort Camp. Several of our pastors serve in the family camp program and it was good to connect with them. Phil and Ronda Foley have a wonderful ministry through hosting a variety of camps in this facility.
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We’re praising the Lord for more stories of changed lives from across our district family. Rev. Bob McHenry leads the ministry at Marion Nelson Street and shared the exciting news of three baptisms yesterday. Pastor Bob was able to tell me a little about the miracle redemption stories these represent. We’re celebrating with Rev. McHenry and the team at Nelson Street for these lives being #MadeNew!
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Rev. Sam Maddox, Jr., who was recently ordained at our 2022 district conference and who leads the Albion Wesleyan Church, shared exciting news from their ministry. In the month of June, they baptized nine new believers in a congregation that averaged 46 in worship attendance last year (up 26 from the previous year). Praise the Lord for this turnaround church and these lives being #MadeNew!
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Dr. Joe Harmon stepped in to help New Castle Memorial Wesleyan Church on an interim basis back in 2020 and has since accepted the call to lead the church through at least 2024. God has been blessing the ministry with rebounding attendance and faithful financial support. They reported 2 baptisms last conference year, and then celebrated five last month with two more on Sunday, July 17. They’re off to a great start in this new conference year. We’re rejoicing with Dr. Harmon and his team as they see more lives being #MadeNew!
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Congratulations to Rev. Dan Clark and the Colfax Wesleyan Church. Pastor Dan has accepted a two-year call to lead this ministry after resigning from his previous appointment at Monon Wesleyan Church. Pleased remember the Monon church as they continue in their pastoral search process.
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Please join us in prayer for Pastor Scott McDermid’s father, Gary, who has been hospitalized for more than a week with a life-threatening heart condition. And join with us in praying for Rev. Patty Bray who shared her cancer diagnosis with friends and family last week. We serve a God who still hears and answers the prayers of His people!
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Rev. Angela Spangler and her team at Fairmount Camp are hosting their annual family camp this week with some familiar faces serving as the ministry team. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS and pastor at Lakeview Wesleyan Church, is preaching in the evening services through Wednesday night. Rev. Mike McNeil, a faculty member that I served with at Kingwood University, will be preaching on the remaining evenings. Rev. Carla and Rev. Zach Working (Huntington Hope Rising) are speaking in The Bridge venue. Dr. Matthew Stewart (Sweetser Wesleyan) is leading the morning Bible studies. Rev. Johnnie and Rev. Amanda Blair (Tipton Trinity) are leading worship. For a full schedule and more details, visit the website:
​https://www.fairmountcamp.org
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Make plans now to join us for the Celebration of Holiness one-day event at College Wesleyan Church on Friday, September 30. Great preaching, helpful discussions, and current resources to encourage you in proclaiming the message of Perfect Love! Registration is now open:
​https://www.crossroadsdistrict.org/holiness
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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

Sunday morning, July 3, I had the joy of worshiping with Rev. Jeff and Rev. Dr. Amy Luedtke at Fairmount Wesleyan Church. It had been a busy week with Pastor Jeff completing work on the new app for the church and launching it on Sunday morning. I was grateful for the opportunity to preach and to bring greetings from our Crossroads District team.
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Pastor Jeff welcomed their newest staff member, Rev. Jared Kaufman, who will be leading their discipleship and multiplication ministries. Congratulations also to Rev. Kaufman on both his ordination last month in the Northwest District and his wedding to Megan, who leads worship for Fairmount Wesleyan Church.
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Following the service, it was good to connect with members of the Local Board of Administration. The church is rebounding from the challenges of the pandemic with 8 professions of faith and 5 baptisms last year. They are looking at ways to build on the community impact of their coffee shop, The Branch. If you’re in the Fairmount area, you will want to try their coffee and some of Velvet Haisley’s gourmet treats.
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Tuesday, I was in Indianapolis for a lunch meeting with Rev. Chuck Moorer, a wonderful pastor who has been serving on loan to us from the Church of God in Christ. After 20 years of effective ministry, God has opened some amazing new doors into which Pastor Chuck will be stepping.

Tuesday afternoon, I appreciated the opportunity to learn from Dr. Jeff (Coach) Clark in the latest Wesley Seminary webinar. Coach Clark unpacked his compelling doctoral research for praying on offense.

Tuesday evening, I joined Rev. Logan Westrick and the team at Ash Street Wesleyan Church in Tipton for their first “Indoor Camp Meeting” with guest evangelist and musicians, The Isbell Family. It was good to hear from Rev. Westrick about how God has been helping through his cancer treatments and the wonderful report he received. Pastor Logan and Nancy Westrick have served the Ash Street Church for 30 years, since 1992, and he has no plans for slowing down.

Our staff team met on Wednesday morning with follow-up tasks from our district conference and then I connected with Rev. Dr. Ken Schenck for lunch. It’s great to have Dr. Schenck back in our district and he expressed his availability for guest speaking or short-term supply pastor as area churches may need.

My final meeting on Wednesday was with Rev. John and Beth Hannan, our church planters in Union City. It is always encouraging to spend time with them. They were delighted to receive the communion set that had been donated to the district from Global Partners.

Thursday, I had the opportunity to meet over lunch with a pastor and lay leader from a church that is taking steps to disaffiliate with the UMC. They had a series of questions about The Wesleyan Church that I was happy to answer. These are challenging days for our Methodist brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that God will grant them wisdom for the decisions they’re having to make.

I enjoyed a day off on Friday preparing for a delightful visit from our granddaughter and her parents!
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Saturday, I was back in Indianapolis to meet with the LBA (local board of administration) at Divine Direction Church. With Pastor Chuck Moorer transitioning out of local church service, it was encouraging to see the leadership team that he has developed. In addition to their regular services, the church also has a thriving food pantry that has served hundreds of families through the pandemic. Last year, 10 people prayed to receive Christ through their ministries. Ryan Cotham is the vice-chair and will be leading the pastoral search process. They have a prospective candidate identified and are praying together for God’s leadership through this transition process.

​Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Rife on his graduation from the Robert Webber Institute of Worship Studies in Florida. Dr. Rife continues to serve in worship leadership at College Wesleyan Church in Marion alongside Rev. Jordan Rife, his wife, on the staff with Dr. Steve DeNeff.

Congratulations also to Student Ministries Pastor Sam Kauerauf on his wedding to Elizabeth on Saturday, July 2, in Arcadia. Sam serves on staff at The River Church in Marion and his senior pastor, Rev. Matthew Trexler, performed their marriage ceremony.
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Prayers are still needed for Rev. Jim Vermilya who has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks. Mrs. Jeanette Vermilya, Jim’s wife, does share regular updates on her Facebook page. Prayers are also requested from Mrs. Carol McClung, Rev. Ron McClung’s wife. She suffered a stroke on the day of district conference. She has been hospitalized and recovering in Fort Wayne but they are hoping for a transfer back home to Owosso for ongoing rehabilitation. Your prayers are appreciated!

Rev. Angela Spangler and Fairmount Camp are extending an invitation to all churches to join them for the 2022 Family Camp, July 17-24. To learn more about upcoming events at Fairmount Camp, visit their website: https://www.fairmountcamp.org/
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There will be no team update next week. I’ll be visiting my father in Canada at Beulah Camp and returning on July 13. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS, and Rev. Carla Working, COO, can assist you with urgent matters and I will have limited availability for texting.
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​Thank you for all you do to advance the Kingdom! Praying that God will help us discern one more place to GO and two more leaders to GROW over the next three years!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent