Back in 2015, when the Indiana North District conference voted to set Fairmount Camp up as a distinct nonprofit corporation, some were concerned about what that would mean for the future. Not only has this camping organization survived (even through a pandemic) but, judging from the ministries happening there this summer, Fairmount Camp, Inc., is thriving. The youth camp earlier this summer under the leadership of Rev. Andrew Kinney was at maximum capacity and will be split into two sessions next summer (one for middle school/junior high and a second for senior high). The children’s camp under the leadership of Rev. Michele Henry broke through the 200 mark with an amazing week of ministry. And just the past week, the historic Camp Meeting (dating back to 1895) led by Rev. Rob Tippey, Rev. Jeff Luedtke, and Executive Director Krista Brown, drew strong crowds from the first Sunday evening rally with Dr. Jim Dunn to the closing service last evening with Rev. Moe Diggs. God moved among His people once again! This year’s Crossroads District conference voted to formally recognize the relationship with Fairmount Camp, Inc., as an affiliate corporation. In this structure, the Board of Directors is elected by the DBA of the Crossroads District (from nominees recommended by the camp) and changes in the camp’s corporate bylaw must be ratified by the DBA before filing with the state of Indiana. The Board of Directors is empowered with full operational control of this vital ministry and, going forward, holds full title to the property. (If the ministry were to ever cease, the property title does revert back to The Wesleyan Church.) This gives the camping leadership maximum freedom and control for programming and facility development while maintaining doctrinal fidelity and historical connectedness to The Wesleyan Church. Crossroads District doesn’t select speakers, approve budgets, or manage operations. We can celebrate the ministry without controlling the ministry. As a district comprised of more than 100 local congregations, each with unique contexts, we understand that local church leaders must make decisions that are best for their ministries. In fact, more than 700 teenagers from district churches participated in a variety of camps last summer. We affirm that the more students engaged in Christian camping experiences the better, no matter how many different options that will involve. One size or style doesn’t fit all but the important thing is that we minister to as many teenagers and children as possible. Fairmount Camp is a great option to consider for you and your students and is certainly worthy of your financial support. We celebrate the life-changing impact of this ministry in the past and pray for God’s continued blessing in the years ahead. Click here to read the most recent camp newsletter. I was able to attend several Family Camp services last week. Also, from Tuesday to Thursday, I joined more than 30 pastors and leaders from our district who participated in this year’s GROW Conference at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. Hosted by Pastor Chris Hodges and sponsored, in part, by the Wesleyan Investment Foundation, this event gathered more than 5000 leaders from across the USA and 30 other countries to focus on leading our churches in more effective disciple-making. One of the highlights of GROW each year is the Wednesday evening service with Dr. John Maxwell as the keynote speaker. Dr. Maxwell has been a coach/mentor to Pastor Chris Hodges for more than 15 years and continues to come to GROW each year. He sits on the front row, takes notes to keep learning, and then provides the main session address on the second night. This year, he and Pastor Chris gave every attendee a copy of their latest book, Jesus, the High Road Leader. For those leaders who would like to attend the next GROW event, the full conference is scheduled for July 29-31, 2025. Tickets become available on October 30, 11:00 EST, and last year the conference sold out to full capacity in less than 30 minutes. Sunday morning, July 21, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Johnnie Blair and the team at Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church. Pastor Johnnie’s message was anointed and the service concluded with three new believers publicly professing their faith in Jesus as Lord! Sunday afternoon, I joined Pastor Zack Working and the team from Huntington Hope Rising Church as they baptized 7 new believers in an outdoor setting followed by a fellowship meal. Emma, teenaged daughter of Rev. Carla Working and Pastor Zack, had discipled two of the baptism candidates and had the joy of baptizing them. Pastor Zack and his team were one of the groups that attended GROW with us last week. God is on the move at Hope Rising! I also received word from Pastor Lyle Breeding that they had another great day at Bluffton Sonlight Wesleyan Church. Last year was amazing at Sonlight with a 21% gain in worship attendance and 12 baptisms. Yesterday morning, Pastor Lyle baptized six more new believers. We rejoice with Sonlight in these lives that are being #MadeNew by the power of Christ! We’re always excited to welcome new leaders to the Crossroads District. Rev. Duncan Prior has accepted the call to become the next pastor at Laketon Wesleyan Church, following the effective ministry of Rev. David and Suzanne Cox. Rev. Prior will be transferring from the International Fellowship of Bible Churches (with historic Wesleyan roots) bringing extensive pastoral, nonprofit, and missions experience. Please join me in welcoming Rev. Duncan and Elaine Prior to our district team. I love hearing stories about district churches impacting their communities with God’s love in tangible ways. I received word that Westview Wesleyan Church in Jonesboro, led by Pastor Ryan Budde, was hosting a back-to-school backpack and resource giveaway. I decided to drop by on Saturday morning to see it for myself. Their team started welcoming and lining up people at 8:30 a.m. for the 10:00 a.m. event. Pastor Ryan shared that they served 548 children from 196 different families. Well done, Westview! Don’t miss the Celebration of Ministry on September 15, 5 pm, at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. The ordained ministers will meet promptly at 4:30 for our group photo and directions for our participation in the service. The service will begin promptly at 5 p.m. led by our General Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Schmidt. We will share in the ordination of twelve persons approved by this year’s district conference. We will also celebrate retiring ministers and those who have achieved decadal milestones in their ministry. The service will be followed by a reception to greet those newly ordained and for a time of fellowship. Plan to join us! Each year, our district conference receives reports from our various ministry champions. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing several of those reports for you to enjoy. Every ministry matters and we’re grateful for the outstanding ministers who generously provide point leadership for these initiatives. This week’s excellent report is from Rev. Michele Henry, district champion for kids ministry. Here’s the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I8DPC1ahtZzJ3OB4g2lskgYzBI6fYI6I/view?usp=sharing Thank you for all you do to make a difference for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent P.S. We’re excited to partner with our friend Shawn Lovejoy and his organization, Courage to Lead, to offer this leadership training event for pastors and business leaders on September 17, right here in Indianapolis. Shawn has been both a successful commercial real estate developer and an effective church planter. We’re grateful for Shawn’s willingness to provide a 30% discount for our district pastors. Registration is limited so sign up early and use the discount code “Wesleyan” when you register and let’s enjoy this day together learning to be more courageous leaders. https://www.couragetolead.com/oneday Sunday, July 21, I drove over to Sheridan to worship with Pastor Scott McDermid and the team at Six Points Wesleyan Church. One of their delegates to the district conference gave an update on our meeting to the congregation with a strong affirmation of the work we’re doing together as partner churches in The Wesleyan Church. Pastor Scott preached the first sermon in a new message series on the life of Gideon. Six Points Church was blessed with six more baptisms yesterday as an entire family publicly professed their faith in Christ. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew! Sunday evening, Sherry and I were privileged to attend the opening service of this year’s Fairmount Family Camp. Led by a great team including Pastor Jeff Luedtke, Pastor Rob Tippey, and Executive Director Krista Brown, the camp opened with the tabernacle nearly filled to capacity. Dr. Jim Dunn, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University (and a proud 1984 graduate of Mississinewa High School) brought the message of the evening from the call of Samuel and the importance of receiving God’s Word. Dr. Dunn will be joined in the preaching rotation by Rev. Moe Diggs. Services begin each evening at 6:30 and I know you’ll be encouraged if you’re able to attend. Sherry and I arrived home from our summer break on Friday. Our time away included visiting Sherry’s brother and his family in Louisiana. Then we traveled to Destin, Florida to welcome our newest grandchild, Isaac. He was born on Monday, July 15, and we were there to hold him on Tuesday, July 16. We’re thanking God that Elizabeth, his mother, and baby Isaac are both thriving. Isaac is grandchild #5! Saturday evening, I was able to attend the last evening service of Frankfort Family Camp. Rev. Tom Schmidt, former pastor of The Branch Wesleyan Church in Lafayette and retired DS of North Michigan District, and Dr. Mark Wilson, longtime friend and professor of religion at Southern Wesleyan University, were the camp evangelists. Dr. Wilson preached from Psalm 84 on our pilgrimage with God. Pastor Allen and Grace Gross (Cicero United Wesleyan) led the youth ministry track. Our friends Phil and Rhonda Foley do a great job leading this ministry. I’ve heard great reports from Fairmount Kids Camp. Rev. Michele Henry (Brookhaven Wesleyan Church) led an amazing team of volunteers in providing this life-changing experience for children. They registered more than 200 campers this year. Special thanks to several of our district pastors who volunteered to serve at this camp! Baptism reports continue to come in from across our district. Plymouth Wesleyan Church baptized 8 new believers on Sunday morning, July 14! Marion Lakeview Wesleyan Church baptized five new believers on that same Sunday, July 14. They also had another believer who reaffirmed their baptism. Praise God for life change! Pastor Sam Maddox and the team at Albion Wesleyan Church hosted another community block party distributing backpacks with school supplies for neighborhood children. They also celebrated two more baptisms in the parking lot! Pastor Terry Vaughn and the team at The Bridge Urban Church in Mishawaka celebrated three more baptisms on Sunday, July 21. These were three young men off the streets who had been reached by another young man that Pastor Terry has been discipling. God is on the move! Mark your calendars and plan to attend the Crossroads District “Ordination and Celebration of Ministry” on Sunday, September 15, at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. Ordained ministers will meet at 4:30 pm for the group photo with this year’s ordinands and final directions for the service. The service will begin promptly at 5:00 pm with a celebration of our retiring ministers, decadal years of service awards, ordinations, and a reception for all. We’re excited to partner with our friend Shawn Lovejoy and his organization, Courage to Lead, to offer this special leadership training event for pastors and business leaders on September 17. Before launching his coaching and consulting ministry, Shawn was both a successful commercial real estate developer and an effective church planter. We’re grateful for Shawn’s willingness to provide a 30% discount for our district pastors. Use the discount code “Wesleyan” when you register and let’s enjoy this day together learning to be more courageous leaders. https://www.couragetolead.com/oneday Our prayers and condolences are extended to Rev. Theo Griffin (Brown’s Chapel) on the death of his brother last week and to Rev. Scott Rhyno (Waterline Church) on the death of his father yesterday afternoon. Both of these men who died shared our hope in the triumphant resurrection of Christ, but we do pray for their families who grieve their loss. Thank you for all you do to advance God’s Kingdom!! What you do matters for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent P.S. Pastors, you received direct communication from Michael Wood earlier this month about special events for you and your spouse. That email also contained the information for property improvement projects matching grants. Remember that the application deadline is August 31. More than 400 lay leaders and clergy gathered at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion on Saturday, June 29, for our Crossroads District annual conference. This was the highest attendance since our merging conference in 2016. What an exciting day! *** Just a reminder that our Crossroads District “Ordination and Celebration of Ministry” will be held on Sunday, September 15, at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. Ordained ministers will meet at 4:30 pm for the group photo with this year’s ordinands and final directions for the service. The service will begin promptly at 5:00 pm with a celebration of our retiring ministers, decadal years of service awards, and a reception for our newly ordained ministers. We began our time together led in musical worship by church planter Janiel Caraballo and a team including vocalists and musicians from Exit Church in Anderson and Rising Hope Church in Muncie. It’s inspiring to be in a room full of Wesleyans lifting their voices together in praise! We continued in worship together through the sacrament of communion. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS and our host pastor for the day, along with Circuit Riders Rev. Mark Atkinson, Rev. Neftali Lopez, and Dr. Jim Lo, led us in celebrating The Lord’s Supper. We received special reports from honored guests including General Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Schmidt, Kingswood University’s President Steve Lennox, and Global Partners’ representative Rev. Ian Swyers. Dr. Kulaga, president of IWU, was unable to join us but Dr. Mark McMichael represented the university. We were also delighted to have several exhibitors present, including Marv Miller from American Church Group (Brotherhood Mutual). It was through Marv’s generosity that we were able to award the door prize of a free iPad to Jared Kaufman, Assistant Pastor at Fairmount Wesleyan Church. Statistical highlights for the past conference year included 9% combined growth in worship attendance (12,426, up 1087 from 11,339 last year) with 66% of the churches reporting growth. You invested a near-record 97.6% of assessed contributions toward the United Stewardship Fund. Most importantly, we celebrated 1416 professions of faith and 884 baptisms (the highest in at least 20 years). In answer to our prayers for God to send out laborers into His harvest field, 168 persons expressed their discernment of God’s ministry calling on their lives. Combined with the 156 last year, that totals 324 answering God’s call in the past 24 months. God is on the move! Conference business for the day included DBA elections and two DBA recommendations.
The conference concluded with a challenge to stay focused on our mission that matters for eternity. We still have 3 million unreached people in the growing state of Indiana. Our church planters gathered at the front as Dr. Jim, our District Prayer Coordinator, led us in a time of blessing these pioneers and praying that God would send even more laborers into His harvest. Thank you again to Dr. Chris Williams, host pastor, and the Lakeview Wesleyan Church team for an amazing job of hosting our conference. And special thanks to Michael Wood, the man so often behind the scenes who really makes the magic happen! The DBA met following the conference and took the following actions. Dr. Chris Williams was re-elected Assistant DS and as Vice-Chair. The DBA also approved the recommendation to elect Rev. Grace Lopez as Assistant District Superintendent for Hispanic Ministries. In addition to her continued leadership of FLAMA (the Spanish-language ministerial training program), Rev. Lopez will visit each Hispanic congregation this conference year and will assist the DS in other initiatives to encourage the development of our ministry with Spanish-speaking leaders. Sherry and I finished an amazing weekend by worshiping at ONE Church in Westfield with Rev. Andy Riemersma and his team. They had already celebrated one baptism midweek in the YMCA pool. That baptism came about as a result of Pastor Andy serving as a chaplain with the Indiana Pacer’s G-League team, the Mad Ants. Then, on Sunday morning, they celebrated another baptism of a young adult lady in their worship gathering. ONE Church grew by 29% last year and the auditorium was packed out for this service. They are excited to have room for growth as they prepare to move into the Westfield YMCA’s new space early next year. Congratulations also to Pastor Andy and Leanza as they celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary yesterday! Speaking of baptisms, Pastor Ervin Webster shared with me that they had celebrated a baptism last month at St. Stephen’s Church in the Warren Park neighborhood of Indianapolis. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew! Pastor Scott McDermid and the team at Sheridan Six Points Wesleyan Church were blessed with two more baptisms. Six Points Church grew last year by 11% (from 175 to 194) and celebrated 25 baptisms last year. God is on the move in Sheridan! In other exciting news, Fairmount Camp reported that they’ve passed their 200 camper goal in registrations for the children’s camp, July 8-12. To learn more about this camp or other upcoming programs like Family Camp (July 21-28) and Legacy Camp (August 14-18), please visit their website: www.fairmountcamp.org. Pray for these important ministries! Sherry will be joining me as I head out now for three weeks of vacation. Our plans include meeting our newest grandson (due on July 12). I’ll be back in time to join a group of our pastors heading to the GROW conference at Church of the Highlands during the last week of July. Thank you in advance to Dr. Chris Williams and Michael Wood (district administrator) for covering the bases in my absence. They can reach me in cases of emergency. I’m praying that you will have an amazing summer of ministry and will take some time off to enjoy our beautiful state of Indiana. I’m believing with you for another blessed year as we pursue God’s mission together here in the Crossroads District. “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received!” – Ephesians 4:1 Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte P.S. Our first Pastors and Spouses Fellowship Brunch will be held in Warsaw at Creighton’s Crazy Egg on Saturday, September 14. Pastors will receive an email to RSVP and there will be door prizes! |
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