Rising Hope, Elwood Central, and Baptisms!

Sunday, April 21, I was able to drop in to worship with Pastor Michael Hewitt and his team at Muncie Rising Hope for their 9:00 am service. Rising Hope is leading the way in their church planting residency program. They celebrated five baptisms last weekend and Pastor Mike shared the news that others had approached him about next month’s baptism.
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Rev. Cary Sanders preached his candidating message on Sunday morning, April 21, at Elwood Central Wesleyan Church. I was privileged to chair their Local Church Conference and am pleased to report that the church voted 98.6% to call Rev. Sanders as their new pastor. Pastor Cary accepted the call and will begin his ministry as lead pastor next month. Pastor Mark Atkinson has been a blessing to Central Wesleyan serving as interim pastor in this time of transition and Mark will continue to serve as a ministry coach in the new conference year.
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Last week’s schedule provided the full spectrum of district ministry. I was able to jump in on the leadership cohorts meeting at The River Church on Monday. Rev. Carla Working, chair of the DBMD, leads a monthly cohort for women in ministry. Carla has agreed to lead a new session of this cohort beginning in the fall. If you’d like to be included in this new session, please reach out to Rev. Working in the next few weeks so she can plan accordingly.
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Pastor Matthew Trexler has been leading a Monday morning cohort for lead pastors and agreed to offer an afternoon session this conference year. Both groups are yielding positive results. They compiled their ministry statistics from Easter and celebrated the fact that over 7700 worshiped in the churches led by these pastors. They also reported approximately 200 professions of faith for that weekend!
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Tuesday, I was back on the road for coaching conversations with Rev. Ryan Budde (Westview Wesleyan), Rev. Rob Tippey (Wabash New Journey), and Rev. Jerry Alexander (Anderson Living Hope). I wrapped up the day meeting with the Local Board of Administration (LBA) at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. Dr. Matthew Stewart has resigned so we took the first steps in organizing the pastoral search process.
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Coaching conversations on Wednesday included Rev. Josh Bowlin (Marion Chapel Pike), Rev. Duane Cragun (Marion Brinker Heights), and Rev. Claudia Ruiz (Richmond Casa Network). I love hearing how God works in each of these diverse settings when we stay focused on the Great Commission.

The Crossroads District Board of Administration (DBA) met at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers on Thursday. We received a special presentation from Rev. Jeff Luedtke, chair of Fairmount Camp. The DBA approved the recommendation from Fairmount Camp to be reclassified as an affiliate corporation (previously a subsidiary). The DBA voted unanimously to recommend that the district conference gift the campground property title to the board of Fairmount Camp.

We also heard from Janiel & Leana Caraballo, appointed to be church planters for EXIT Church in Anderson. Dr. Craig Thurmon, District Secretary and a church planter, led us as we prayed God’s blessing over the Caraballo’s in this new ministry assignment. I am grateful for the members of our district board. They represent churches of all sizes and styles as we seek God’s wisdom together. We are looking forward to the district conference on June 29.

Friday, I attended the visitation for Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Ricker, wife of Rev. Jim Ricker. Rev. Ricker shared a moving tribute to Peggy that included the song “Come Home, It’s Supper Time.” Rev. Ernest Batman, our retired district superintendent, was also in attendance and had been faithfully ministering to the Rickers during Peggy’s illness.
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Rev. Michele Henry, our district KidsMin champion, hosted a training and networking event for children’s ministry leaders from around the Crossroads District. Rev. Stephanie Rhyne (content creator for David C. Cook Publishing and Kids Ministry Catalyst for The Wesleyan Church) was the keynote presenter. One of the greatest contributing factors to a healthy growing church is a dynamic ministry to children. We are indebted to these wonderful leaders!
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Later that morning, I attended the funeral for Rev. Nick Wilson, assistant pastor at Anderson United Wesleyan Church. Our prayers are with Brenda, his wife, and their children as they grieve this loss. Rev. Matthew Hines, Nick’s friend and former ministry colleague, brought a timely message about what it means to grieve with hope. Rev. Joe Jackson and Rev. Jeremy Armiger assisted with the service. Please keep this family and United Church in your prayers.

Baptism reports keep coming in and we can’t stop celebrating these stories of lives being #MadeNew! Pastor John Hannan and the team at CrossRoads Church in Union City baptized six new believers yesterday morning!
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Pastor Terry Vaughn and the team at The Bridge Urban Church in Mishawaka celebrated with 8 people who publicly confessed Christ as their Lord and Savior through baptism on April 21. They are anticipating as many as 6 more being baptized next Sunday at their Bless the Block outreach event!
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Rev. Lilly Kurker, senior pastor at Carmel Amistad Iglesia Wesleyana, shared the encouraging news that four of these young people publicly declared their faith in Jesus through baptism yesterday. It’s wonderful to see young people taking this step of obedience to Christ!
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Dr. Tom Kinnan has been effectively serving as interim pastor for The Branch in Lafayette. They celebrated six baptisms yesterday, the most in recent memory. Anticipation is building for their 100th anniversary coming up next Sunday, April 28. Special guests will include Rev. Tom Schmidt and Dr. Ed Hoover. Pray with The Branch as they continue to seek their next pastor.
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God is on the move at Eastview Wesleyan. Pastor Noah Farmer reported that they have celebrated baptisms for three Sundays in a row for a total of 9 baptisms so far this month.
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Rev. Johnnie and Rachel Blair were united in marriage at Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church on Saturday. Michael Wood, assistant pastor, led the ceremony and shared the message from God’s Word. I was able to represent our district team at the service. It was good to connect again with Trinity Church lay leaders before and after the service. We pray God’s best for Pastor Johnnie and Rachel as they continue to minister at Trinity Wesleyan.
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Congratulations to Dr, Jim Lo and Dr. Keith Springer. This graduation will mark their official retirement from faculty appointments at Indiana Wesleyan University. They have both made a profound impact on an entire generation of ministry students. We are confident that they will continue to bless the church in this new season of ministry.
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There’s still time to register for Never2Young! Don’t miss this opportunity to bring your middle school students to Indiana Wesleyan University for what can be a life-changing experience! For more information and registration, click here.
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​I’m looking forward to some time away from the office this week attending the ARC Conference at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. Michael Wood will be anchoring the district office for those who may need assistance in completing their ASR (annual service report). In cases of emergency, lead pastors can always reach me directly via text.

Thank you for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,
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Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent