New Pastors, Lunch & Learn, and Baptisms!

Sunday morning, October 19, Mt. Etna Community Life Church celebrated the installation of Rev. Jorden Green as their new pastor. I brought greetings on behalf of the Crossroads District and led the installation ritual. CLC is one of our new congregations that came to us after disaffiliating from their previous denomination.
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The church has a wonderful multi-purpose facility on the corner of Hwy 9 and Hwy 124 just south of Huntington. The congregation spans multiple generations with a vibrant children’s ministry. Pray for Pastor Jorden and Lydia as their family transitions into a new community and church family.
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On my way to Mt. Etna, I was able to drop in on Pastor Rick and Cindy Carder at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. God is blessing the ministry to children and their families in the surrounding community. Attendance continues to grow with 68 last week. One of the most exciting reports was that their Faith Promise offering for missions surpassed last year’s goal and the pledges for this year have topped $18,000. We’re grateful for the way that God is blessing the ministry of Rev. Carder in this new assignment!
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Eastview Wesleyan Church welcomed Chad Harbert as their new youth pastor yesterday. Chad (an IWU grad) and Emma, his wife, are excited to join with Pastor Noah Farmer’s staff at Eastview. We are delighted to welcome them to the Crossroads District team!
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Last week was another exciting week of Kingdom advancement. The River continued hosting Freedom Nights at their south campus on Monday and Tuesday night. I was able to be there for the Monday rally. Guest preacher J.C. Worley, pastor of GO Church in Atlanta, brought a challenging message and the service closed with the baptism of three new believers who came to Christ on Sunday.
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I made a quick trip to Atlanta on Tuesday for a WIF meeting and then joined Michael Wood on Wednesday to host a “Lunch & Learn” gathering in Indianapolis. This month’s “L&L” gatherings are focused on the pastor as shepherd. Pastors shared positive updates from their ministries, and we reflected on the leaders who have deeply impacted our lives through shepherding. We have two more “Lunch & Learn” gatherings coming up this week in Lafayette on Wednesday and in Anderson on Thursday.
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Kingswood University has a new president. Rev. Dr. Rick Christman (an IWU alumnus) was inaugurated on Friday night at the Saunders-Irving Chapel with a strong group of denominational leaders attending. I was grateful for the opportunity to be present for this special occasion at the college where I served as president from 2010-2015. Kingswood has a special place in my heart as the college my parents and our four children attended. Dr. Christman is eminently qualified for this new appointment but the challenge of leading a Christian college is daunting, especially in Canada. Please keep President Christman and the KU team in your prayers.
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I flew in on Thursday evening and had the opportunity to hear General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt preach in Kingswood’s Friday morning chapel service. He taught from 1 Thessalonians 5:23 on the impact of living a life that is sanctified “Through and Through.” Listening to Dr. Schmidt preach again brought back wonderful memories from the decade that our family sat under his ministry at Kentwood Community Church. Pray for Dr. Schmidt as he leads The Wesleyan Church toward our 15th General Conference at IWU, May 17-20.
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Nothing is more encouraging that sharing reports of God changing lives through the ministry of churches in our district. Pastor Scott Ferguson checked in with the great news that Harvest Church (McCordsville) celebrated two more baptisms this Sunday. Each of these new believers have just been coming to Harvest for the past several weeks. Dr. David Smith, District Circuit Rider, brought the morning message. Praise God for lives #MadeNew!
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Please pray for our teenagers and their leaders who will be traveling to Grand Rapids this Friday, October 24, for the Wesleyan Youth Regional Gathering. “EMPOWERED” will be hosted by Daybreak Church and will feature ministry by our own Rev. Andy Riemersma (ONE Church) and Kingdom Collective.
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​These Wesleyan Youth events have been blessed by the Lord over the years to see thousands of teenagers surrender their lives to Christ. Many have answered God’s call to pastor ministry and world missions in these rallies. Pray that God will do it again!

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

Your servant in Christ

Mark Gorveatte

​Crossroads District Superintendent

P.S. - Retired ministers and their spouses are invited to join us for the Fall Retired Ministers and Spouses Gathering on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Eastview Wesleyan Church in Gas City. We’re honored to welcome Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, as our guest speaker. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected] or by calling 765-674-8593 and leaving a message with your name and number of guests attending.