Brown’s Chapel, Prison, and Baptisms!

Sunday morning, March 1, Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Theo and Randy Griffin and the congregation of Brown’s Chapel Wesleyan Church in Greenfield. There was a positive spirit in the service and they are looking forward to interviewing an assistant pastor next weekend. The LBA and I met briefly after the service and then Sherry and I hosted Pastor Theo and Randy for lunch. It was a joy to get better acquainted with these newest members of our Crossroads District pastoral family.
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Monday, I met with my Heartland Region DS colleagues via Zoom. We’re looking forward to a great time together with more than 300 pastors and their spouses in Pigeon Forge, March 10-12. Monday evening, I was back in Lancaster to meet with their LBA as they move forward in their pastoral search process.

Tuesday morning, our district office staff met for planning and prayer. Pastor Steve Arnett (New Castle Mount Zion) and I met for our annual coaching conversation over lunch. These are exciting days at Mount Zion with major updates to their facility and stories of lives being changed. I was back in Marion later that afternoon to meet with a prospective church planter who is exploring next steps in leading a bi-vocational micro-church network. Tuesday evening, I met with the LBA at Nelson Street Wesleyan Church as they begin their pastoral search process.

Pastor Tony Bye (Brookhaven Wesleyan) and I met for our annual coaching conversation on Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon, Pastor Ben Capshaw (Elwood Central Wesleyan) and I connected for our coaching conversation. I love hearing the stories of community outreach and life change in our congregations.

Thursday morning, I drove over to meet with Pastor Daniel Clark (Monon Wesleyan Church) for our annual coaching conversation. This is Pastor Dan’s first year at Monon and he’s looking forward to graduating from Anderson Seminary this year so he can give even more focus to the revitalization ministry in Monon. On the way back from Monon, I dropped in on Pastor Zach Szmara and the team at The Bridge in Logansport. Their Immigrant Connection staff was having a great time hosting staff from the Mexican consulate in Chicago this week. God continues to open incredible doors for Zach and his team as they are reaching out to meet this growing need in our communities.
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Friday morning, Assistant DS Chris Williams and I met for planning before I headed over to Muncie to meet with Pastor Lee Miller for our annual coaching conversation. Pastor Lee is recovering well after a recent surgery and is encouraged by recent worship attendance increases at Memorial Drive Wesleyan Church.

Friday evening, Pastor Eric & Diane George (New Castle Memorial) and I joined Pastor Bernie Haddad to connect with our newest Kingdom community that meets in the L Building at the prison in New Castle. Pastor Bernie and her team have been consistently ministering here with discipleship groups meeting on Wednesdays night and a worship service on Friday evenings. It was a blessing to worship with these men and to present a Wesley Study Bible from our Crossroads District team to Danny, their lay leader. Please pray for these brothers in Christ as they stand for God behind prison bars.
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Heaven rejoices with us in the celebration of lives made new by the grace of God. I’ve already received word of baptisms this past week from Pastor Scott McDermid at Sheridan Six Points Wesleyan Church, Pastor Danielle Freed at Waterline’s Pendleton Campus, and Pastor Marc Watkins at the Kokomo campus of Tipton Trinity. There’s still time to schedule a baptism service at your church before the end of this conference year. Remember that we’re praying, believing, and working to see 1000 new believers baptized this conference year.
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​Several of our team members and I will be in Orlando this week for the annual Exponential Conference. Dr. Wayne Schmidt and the HQ team host a Wesleyan pre-conference event on Tuesday. Last year, there were approximately 400 Wesleyan leaders who gathered for this event focused on multiplying disciples and churches.

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent