Warsaw Pathway, Transitions, and Youth Events

Sunday morning, February 9, I had the privilege of preaching in both of the morning services at Pathway Community Church (formerly Warsaw Wesleyan). Pastor Jarod Osborne was away but Assistant Pastor Samantha Freds is doing a great job leading the team in his absence.
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The ice storm had resulted in area churches cancelling services but Pathway was able to meet. It was also good to connect with Assistant Pastor Esther Osborne and other members of the Pathway team. The church is rolling out a vision campaign in March with exciting plans for expanded ministry impact and facility remodeling.

On Sunday afternoon I met with the LBA at Hope Rising Church in Huntington for the quadrennial review of the pastor’s extended call. Hope Rising recently completed their 21 Days of Prayer focus and are now working through a sermon series on spiritual warfare.
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My last stop of the day was at Rising Hope Church in Muncie. Pastor Mike Hewitt and his team were hosting a Super Bowl party with a special half-time show of their own. Some of you know that Pastor Mike is well known in the pool world as a trick shot artist. His mentor is evangelist Dr. Cue who travels the world using pool artistry as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
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Other members of this pool evangelism team from South Africa shared in the worship service yesterday. Their next door of opportunity for outreach is next year at a tournament in the largest communist country. They put a whole new spin on being marketplace multipliers.

Pastor Rob Tippey and the team at New Journey Church in Wabash celebrated their 15th anniversary. We’re grateful for Pastor Tom and Sarah Cochran, the pioneers who stepped out in faith to launch this new ministry. Pastor Rob is doing a great job carrying on their legacy of passionate, creative, evangelistic ministry to Wabash.
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I continued my church planter recruiting tour of our Wesleyan colleges last week with a visit to Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina. It’s been over 40 years since I graduated from SWU and the campus has undergone significant transformation, most notably under the leadership of President Todd Voss. This was Spiritual Emphasis Week at SWU so I was also blessed to sit under the teaching ministry of Rev. Rupert Charkham, former Vicar of St. Michael’s Cathedral in London and Chaplain to the King of England.
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It was great to connect with SWU’s ministry professors, including Dr. Mark Wilson and Dr. Brent Dongell, who welcomed me into their classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was also invited to present to students and faculty in two separate sessions, one focused on church planting and revitalization and the other on lessons from my book “Lead Like Wesley.”
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Wednesday evening, I dropped in on youth ministry at ALIVE Church and was able to catch up with Reagan (Tippey) Ott, one of our own Crossroads’ team members, who is serving there as a ministry resident. Reagan and Steve, her husband, are having a great year in South Carolina but I reminded her that we’d love to welcome her back home to the Crossroads District.
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I traveled back home on Thursday and then worked from home on Friday catching up on correspondence. Saturday morning, Dr. Chris Williams (Assistant DS) and I met in Gas City in preparation for our upcoming District Board of Administration meeting. With the approaching storm, Pastor Mike Colaw (Indianapolis Trinity) and I opted to meet by video on Saturday afternoon, in preparation for his upcoming quadrennial review.
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Dr. Theo Griffin announced his resignation yesterday as lead pastor at Brown’s Chapel Wesleyan Church in Greenfield. Among the advances made during Dr. Griffin’s ministry, the church was able to pay off a significant debt load. We have appreciated Dr. Griffin’s leadership as a member of our Crossroads District Board of Administration. He will continue to serve the church through the remainder of this conference year.
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​The time is now! Youth leaders, don’t miss the opportunity to bring your students to this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter, February 21, in Fort Wayne. I hope to see you there! You can find all the information and registration at this link:
https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/calendar/event/174593782
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And it’s not too early to make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event is scheduled for May 2-3.) https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/
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Rev. CK Chitty, Senior Adult Ministries Director, invites all senior adults (55+) to this year’s trip to Branson, May 13-16, 2025! Enjoy great fellowship, top-tier entertainment, delicious food, and deluxe accommodations—including exciting shows, a scenic dinner cruise, and classic Branson attractions. Register by March 1 to save $25 per person! Help spread the word to the senior adults in your church. More details and registration are available at this link:
https://crossroadsdistrict.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2680279

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

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Save the Date – The 2025 Ordination Service and Celebration of Ministry will be held on Friday evening, June 27, followed by the Crossroads District annual conference on Saturday, June 28. With General Conference delegates to be elected and memorials discussed for 2026, we anticipate a full day of conferencing. Both events will be held in the Marion area.