Weekly we love to affirm the ministry of pastors who serve selflessly. The following links are for the purpose of promoting the weekly induction of our Pastor of the Week articles and features.
Steven DeWitt is the Senior Pastor at Bethel Church in Indiana. DeWitt believes that the calling he received into ministry is affirmed in small ways. He said, “The best is way is when one of my people affirm the impact my ministry to them has had over the years. I also think this is one of the blessings of longevity in one place, you get to see long term fruitfulness.”
DeWitt is humble is in position as a pastor at Bethel. “We [his church] have had many difficulties and many blessings. Our difficulties typically relate to times when I lead selfishly or didn’t have the best interest of the church or individual in mind.”
DeWitt and his familyDeWitt’s congregation has given him grace and support, no matter his situation. “My congregation was kind to look to me as their pastor for 15 years as a single man,” he said. “While not technically a difficulty, their grace to me was so very special. When I got married in the church 5 years ago it was a total party for the congregation.”
Bethel Church is a non-denominational multi-site church with four campus in Northwest Indiana. Three of their four campuses are similar in demographic, but their fourth location is in downtown Gary, Indiana. “We are rejoiced to see God work through our church to reach many urban teens with the gospel,” said DeWitt. “We love the diversity it brings us. If you are ever in NW Indiana, come by and visit!”
Steve DeWitt is author of the book, Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything. This book explores how to understand God’s purpose for our joy and wonder. “I have enjoyed reading this book and find it inspiring and practical,” says Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement. He recommends that everyone should read it and enjoy God is everything.
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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a sophomore Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU Dezaray is involved in PRSSA leadership and runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website atwww.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.
Matthew Schwarzentraub, the Connections Pastor at Croswell Wesleyan Church in Croswell Michigan, graduated from IWU in 2012 with bachelor’s degrees in Christian Ministries and Biblical Literature. He graduated just this last year from Wesley Seminary with his masters of divinity from IWU as well.
Schwarzentraub has been a pastor of Croswell Wesleyan five years this June. He began as an intern in the children’s ministry. In the fall of 2013 he resigned, but just a few weeks later he was called back by the senior pastor to be the connections pastor.
“My job is to serve as the connections pastor, focusing on hospitality, connections and life groups,” Schwarzentraub said.
While a student at IWU, Schwarzentraub was involved in the young adult ministry at College Wesleyan Church and was a senator in IWU’s Student Government Association. Both involvements and his friends at IWU affected him in large ways.
Schwarzentraub said, “I believe that, even though I did not see it at the time, those two activities shaped the way I minister to this day. Another equally influential factor is the close-knit friendships that I made at IWU. I learned more about God and more about how he created me through my friends. We encouraged each other to lean into who we were made to be.”
Schwarzentraub favorite professor during his time at IWU was Dr. David Vardaman who taught Church Leadership and Wesleyan Church History. “What I love about him is that he is real, and he cares deeply about his students. I could sense that he wanted to teach knowledge, but he also wanted to teach character,” Schwarzentraub said. “I always knew that he cared about me personally.”
Matthew Schwarzentraub during his time in children’s ministry
One of Schwarzentraub’s favorite people at IWU was Dr. Keith Newman. “I’m not exactly sure how I got connected with him in the first place. It was probably through SGA,” Schwarzentraub said, “but I remember sitting down with him and discussing options for seminary. I had my mind on an established, more prominent program. He told me a story about a surgeon and a family doctor. The surgeon sees people, operates on them and doesn’t see them again. The family doctor sees patients, knows them and checks on them frequently throughout their lifetime. Dr. Newman then asked me to think about being a professor or a pastor. The more prominent seminary will train you to be a professor and you will know students for a semester and then send them off. This other newer seminary will help you continue to develop the heart of a pastor and you will know people for a lifetime. Which one do you want?”
Schwarzentraub knew his calling to be a pastor was real as a child. “One of the most distinct experiences came from my senior pastor when I was younger,” Schwarzentraub said. “It was at North Lakeport Wesleyan. I was involved in the Wednesday night CYC (youth) program, and we had to interview the pastor. As I finished my interview with Rev. Steve DeNeff, he asked if he could ask me a question. ‘Matt, what do you want to do with your life?’ I replied, ‘I want to be a pastor.’ He smiled, and later he was talking to my parents and recalled the conversation. After telling them what I said Pastor Steve said, ‘If he would have said anything else, I would not have believed him.’”
If Schwarzentraub could give current IWU students one piece of advice, it would be, “Put people first. It is easy to get distracted and be focused on results,” Schwarzentraub said, “but people need hope and the best way to show them hope is by listening, encouraging and caring.”
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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a sophomore Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU Dezaray is involved in PRSSA leadership and runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website atwww.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.
Rev. Aaron Gross graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2012. He became an adjunct faculty for Wesley Seminary in the fall of 2012 teaching a spiritual formation class for pastors. In addition, Gross is going to begin in the Doctor of Ministry program with a concentration in preaching in the upcoming summer of 2017.
Currently, Gross is the Senior Pastor of the Logansport Church of the Brethren.
For Gross, being an IWU student was a very rewarding journey which he is very thankful for. Gross began his journey at IWU as an adult student taking night classes in Fort Wayne to satisfy his General Studies. From there, he transferred those credits to IWU’s Marion campus to begin his Christian Ministries degree.
Becoming an adjunct faculty was a blessing which came through a very important conversation Gross had with Wesley Seminary’s Dr. Smith.
“I sat with him in Baldwin one day during my undergraduate degree and asked him, ‘How do I know if God wants to me to teach at a college level or continue to preach in His church?’ Dr. Smith said, “‘Is one of them wrong? Is it wrong to teach pastoral ministries or to preach God’s word? This is not a right or wrong answer. Could it be that God just wants to give you the desires of your heart?’” Gross explained.
It was a few years later when Gross was walking across IWU’s campus that he expressed to the Lord what his desire was.
“I remember saying, ‘God, if it is okay with you, I would love to teach young men and women at this campus how to be good pastors,’” said Gross. “It was just days later that Dr. Schenck asked if I would lead one of the cohorts for the master of divinity program when I graduated. Dr. Smith was right, God was just wanting to give me the desires of my heart.”
Gross has a pretty powerful story behind his call into ministry. Though he had started out in his family run business straight out of high school, it was while on a men’s retreat that Gross felt God had ministry in store for his future.
Gross said he was nervous to come home and explain this calling to his parents, as this would now cause his father to have to close their family business at the end of his retirement.
“As I told my parents the story, my dad said, ‘Well, I guess it is time to tell him the story.’ I thought to myself, ‘What story?’ My mom started telling of her having rheumatic fever as a child, her struggles with infertility and being told she would never bear a child. She said, ‘Your dad and I were married and continued to hope that the doctors were wrong, but month after month it seemed if they were right. One night, I got on my knees and prayed, ‘Lord, if you will give me a child, I will give him back to you.’ Nine months later you were born,’” Gross said.
Since hearing this story and being in full-time ministry, Gross treasures this story in the midst of difficult times.
“I have thought back to that day many times. When times get tough and I don’t see God’s hand at work, or when I am just tired of the fight ministry always seems to present, I go back to that moment and remember I am a child of a parent’s prayer, and I continue the work God has called me to do,” Gross said.
Even with this confirmed calling to what Gross does on a daily basis, there are still hardships and difficulties that come with it.
“Ministry has had its ups and downs,” Gross said. “There almost comes a time when you are afraid of good days because you know what is coming. But how do you decide if a problem is big or small? It seems that big problems have a way of diminishing in size and small problems grow into great difficulties.”
Through the difficulties that ministry brings, Gross said he is blessed to serve a growing congregation in a dying city.
“Our town has gone from 22,000 people to 16,000 people in twenty years. But the church has gone from 34 in worship to over 200 on a Sunday morning in that same amount of time,” Gross said.
The church has also added a Friday night service called “Hurts, Habits, and Hang-ups,” which brings in 70 people who are recovering addicts and their families. The church also has a ministry called “Prayer and Share”, in which they partner with teachers and faculty in their local school systems. The ministry brings them cookies and candies once a month, to let them know the church is praying for them.
The church also started a daycare to provide teachers a place close to their schools to bring their children for child care.
“Eighteen years ago, the church was used one day a week. Now we have room numbers on all the rooms to keep track of what is going on each night,” Gross said. “These rooms are filled with activities like exercise groups, accountability groups and meditation groups.”
As for advice for current IWU students, Gross has something practical to tell students.
“When your time at IWU is over, live your life in such a way that others would want to attend this grand university because of what they see in you,” Gross said.
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Written by Heather Cox, writer for the Alumni Office. Heather is a junior Journalism major at IWU. She is also the Editor of GrantCOnnected.net, a community news site run by IWU students. She is unsure of where life will take her after college, but she knows she never wants to stop writing!
A Savanna is a grassy plain in a tropical or subtropical region, with few frees.
This statement was the vision seemingly given to Jennifer sometime before they were even considering Church Planting. “I had a crazy dream that we had a third daughter and her name was Savanna,” Jennifer announced to her husband, Pastor Joe Jackson on a Saturday morning. This was not just a coincidence. They discovered that God was at work on them years before Joe left his successful sales job with Hershey Company.
A local publication, Resident Magazine.
January edition 2016, provides the backdrop for this feature and announcement about this week’s Pastor of the Week.
The next day at the new church when Jennifer was taking their two very young daughters to the children’s program, a young girl walked right up to her, looked her in the eye, and said “Hi, my name is Savanna.
Later in a restaurant again the confirmation came as the waitress introduced herself as Savanna. A bit later they were surprised to see a license plate with the letters “SAVANNA” on it.
But that day when he walked into the new job the first sentence out of a guest speaker’s mouth that day was this: ‘Today, I’d like to tell you about Savanna.’ Less than one hour on the job and Joe knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
What began in 2005 with a gentle nudge, Jackson began to prepare for ministry. The direction of their call to ministry was seeded by a deep desire to discover and journey in faith to a place of ministry that was confirmed the day they received the invitation to join in a new church plant in Florida. Furthering his studies, he enrolled with Wesley Seminary. Graduating from Ball State in preparation for his successful role with Hershey in Sales and Management, Jackson found himself back at school preparing for a journey of faith that would lead his family a thousand miles from home.
“We didn’t know anyone when we first moved to Wesley Chapel (Florida),” confessed Jackson. It was a journey that God had been preparing he and his family for that now includes a growing congregation in a new building, newly remodeled as a place of worship. The congregation is running at about forty, but the impact of their partnerships in ministry includes serving over 250 families with clothing and providing Bible Studies and weekly worship ministry events.
The ministry has developed to help training and prepare others for ministry. In an article published by Tampa Bay news. (“Path for Savanna Church founder led from Indiana to east Pasco” September 9, 2015):
Savanna Church is a modern Christian church launching in Wesley Chapel. Our mission is to start a community of believers in Wesley Chapel that will lay the foundation for a new church that will offer hope to the hopeless and bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus. We believe that starting new churches is the most effective way to reach people for Jesus. We want to reproduce believers through the multiplication of disciples through apprenticeships in all areas of ministry, in an effort to multiply churches down the road.
Having to build the church from literally nothing meant sacrifices both physically and financially. The culmination of their vision has now effectively raised nearly $25,000 to remodel the building where they meet weekly.
“We are blessed to have such a great location,” said Jackson. “God has given us a place of worship in a location that provides great parking space on the weekend that meets our needs,” he added.
His focus in not unique, but he is intentional about two key values; “Preach from the Bible and tell others about Jesus,” With enthusiasm, he tells me how God has called him and confirmed over-and-over that his ministry is off to a great start. Even his children have captured the spirit of this ministry. His oldest daughter, who was 7 years old at the time, loved to tell people about the ministry. From Resident Magazine:
…Jennifer was having an unrelated conversation with their oldest daughter Julie…asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Julia responded swiftly that she wanted to be ‘a missionary in Florida.’
Through years of trial and error and experiences, Rev. Jackson has continued to see God’s hand in every circumstance as Savanna Church grows in order to serve the surrounding area. He is meeting community members and the church’s name is becoming known throughout Wesley Chapel. Another couple has also joined the church to serve alongside the Jacksons. Life change continues to occur as ministry opportunities grow.
The ministry is located in Wesley Chapel and you can visit them virtually find more information about the worship and ministries at www.savannachurch.com.
Read more about the interview here:
How did being a student at IWU influence your future?
It helped shape my philosophy of ministry, gave me confidence in God’s calling, and prepared me practically for the challenges that I would face in planting Savanna Church in Wesley Chapel, FL four years later.
Do you have any favorite professors, classes or stories that reinforce your opinion?
Dr. Bob Whitesel was such a huge encouragement to me and still is. In addition, Chris Bounds was incredible at helping shape my theology, and I thank him immensely for it.
Can you illustrate a time when you knew you had chosen the right path in becoming a pastor?
Yes, the moment my wife and I knew where we were called and began the lengthy process to answer that call.
What has been one of the biggest difficulties you have overcome for your congregation, yourself, your family, etc.?
Definitely starting a church from scratch a thousand miles from home, and from relationships, and from support has been extremely challenging. In addition, my wife has blossomed into our worship leader (and is doing OUTSTANDING) and only four years ago taught herself to play guitar. She is the greatest gift from God in my ministry. She truly is my partner in this mission, and God is stretching her into what He has planned for her too. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.
Tell us about your church and congregation.
IWU Grads, Daniel & Tori Vegueria
We have finally purchased our first building and are growing into this great place. We are made up of families that originate from all over the country. Most of our people are transplants from somewhere else up north, but are young and working. Our youth pastor Danny Vegueria and his wife Tori have started our new youth group called Elevate Student Ministries and we are expanding and growing our children’s ministry too.
What makes your job, church, etc. unique?
A parachute drop church plant a thousand miles from our families that has been able to secure our first building is very unique.
Any stories or illustrations on this point?
The very week I arrived here, living in a camper temporarily, I met leaders from a new developer (at a Chamber of Commerce event) that later allowed us to begin services in the clubhouse of that residential development for our first year. That location was right by the place God had told us to come to “the savanna”. That was confirmation that God was leading us.
Any words of wisdom for current IWU students?
Don’t be afraid to follow God into the deep weeds. He has you in the palm of His hand and you can trust Him.
Written by Rev. Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement, Indiana Wesleyan University.
By Rick E. Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement
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It was in mid-80’s that I first became acquainted with Dave who was speaking at an event that students of Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University). I was immediately impressed by his personal interest he took in speaking with me. His reputation as a Wesleyan Churchman and pastor had already impressed me for his commitment to serving and leading pastors.
Today I invite you to celebrate with me and congratulate David E. Holdren as Pastor of the Week, highlighted by Indiana Wesleyan University Office of University Relations, Church Engagement.
Holdren graduated from Owosso College in Michigan and completed his seminary degree at Asbury Theological School in Wilmore, Kentucky. According to West High Alumni article,
Along the way, Indiana Wesleyan University and Houghton College both presented Dave with honorary doctorate degrees. Since Dave could not get his wife to call him Dr. Dave, he suggested that with two master’s degrees, maybe she could refer to him as…well, that didn’t work either.
In 2000, Holdren elected him to be one of the General Superintendents of The Wesleyan Church World-wide. He was the only one at this top level to ever be elected directly from the role of a pastor at that time.
Holdren is now serving the Daybreak Community Church in Marion, Ohio. He is the lead pastor of a growing church that is intentional about reaching out to their community. From Dayspring Wesleyan Church’s website,
He loves pastoral work because, “you have the honor of going through life with people”. He and Marlene led the Cypress Wesleyan congregation in Columbus into a long period of campus development and growth that included a 2,000 member congregation, school, preschool, daycare and a wide ranging, large sports ministry, all on a 110 acre campus.
In the 80’s, Holdren served as a churchman at the Wesleyan Church Headquarters as its Executive Editor of Curriculum and Director of Leadership Development. He served as General Superintendent beginning in 2000 for a few year’s. He began his ministry as a child while at Cypress Wesleyan Church. He worked as a janitor when he was only thirteen years old. From 1985 to 2000 the Holdrens gave leadership to the Cypress Wesleyan Church, a ministry on the West Side of Columbus, Ohio as the church attendance grew from 250 to over 1,700.
I caught up with Pastor Holdren in Brooksville, Florida. He is currently speaking at the Brookville Wesleyan Church during their annual Bible Conference. His depth of Biblical insights and art of storytelling sets him apart from his peers. He is well-received by people and personally loves teaching the Word of God.
His ministry of writing, preaching, and leading Bible Conferences and Camp Meetings has been a service to the Church at-large. His desire is to disciple and train church leaders. Author of Bible Commentaries and many articles, his influence extends beyond his local church. From the Commentary article by Wesleyan Publishing,
This commentary explores key issues that may explain why 2 Peter is one of the least read books of the Bible. The relationship between 2 Peter and Jude is given special attention, and five major objections to the Christian message, as presented by false teachers, are presented and Peter’s rebuttal to each is noted. 1, 2 & 3 John and Jude are written with pastors and local church teachers in mind. Drawing on biblical scholarship, this commentary offers clear applications that impact the daily life of followers of Christ, providing insight on the nature of Christ, the dynamic power of love, and the essence of holy living.
Some of his sermons are available on Wesleyan Sermons. Holdren is a pastor to the Called. He encouraged church leaders, “Be encouraged because God does not just call the gifted he gifts the called.”
Pastor Holdren is married to Marlene and has two grown daughters, six grandkids and a great granddaughter.
Congratulate Pastor Dr. David Holdren as this week’s Pastor of the Week.
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Written by Rev. Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement, Indiana Wesleyan University.
Chris Conrad graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in 1988 and from there earned his MA from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2009. In addition, Conrad is currently in Indiana Wesleyan’s DOL program to earn his PhD.
On top of studying at IWU, Conrad is also the District Superintendent for the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church.
While studying at IWU, Conrad said he has been influenced by wonderful professors. His MA program was directed by Dr. Bob Whitesell, who Conrad said has written many books and highly enjoys interacting with students about their ministry experiences.
“Todd Guy was also a delight to have as a professor during my M.A. program – I appreciated his insights and his winsome spirit,” Conrad said. “There’s no doubt that the interaction I had with my fellow students, both during my M.A. program and now in the DOL program have been life-giving.”
Conrad said he has also enjoyed the professors he has had during his current DOL program. This includes Patricia Johnson, Dr. Vern Ludden, Dr. Boyd Johnson, and Dr. Tim Beuthin.
“Each professor has a wonderful commitment to learning and to do so from a perspective of a life that is in full pursuit of Jesus. That’s a great combination!” Conrad said.
For Conrad, life spent ministering to churches has been a call he has always felt. He first felt a call to ministry at the young age of five, and God continued to confirm this calling the rest of his life.
“When I was 12, I had a renewed sense that this was what I was going to be doing with my life, and when I was 16 I went public with that decision at a Wesleyan Youth Convention in Urbana, Illinois, in 1980,” Conrad said. “I was blessed to grow up in an incredibly healthy family and church in Southern California, both of which afforded me opportunities to ‘get my feet wet’ in ministry from early on– something I was incredibly grateful for.”
An example of a confirmation to his call to ministry was when he and his wife Mary launched a church they had planted in Spearfish South Dakota. Conrad said 130 people showed up for the first service, and the church continued to grow and prosper after that.
Chris Conrad, photo obtained from Facebook
“That’s when I knew deep in my soul ‘I was made for this,’” Conrad said.
Though Conrad considers each ministry he has been a part of a blessing, difficulties and obstacles inevitably present challenges along the way.
After planting another church in Madison, Wisconsin, the church never reached a high attendance rate. Conrad said they had done everything they could to get the church lifted off the ground to grow, but it simply did not get there.
“Yes, people came to Christ. Yes, good ministry took place. But to never break the 100 barrier in average attendance after six years of putting our heart and soul into the venture, when our first church broke the 100 barrier on the very first Sunday… that was discouraging!” Conrad said.
In addition to this difficulty, Conrad and his wife experienced personal struggles when facing infertility, as well as hopeful adoptions falling through over the course of 16 years. Not only did infertility cause discouragement, four adoptions falling through produced much hopelessness as well.
“Eventually, after 13 years, my wife did some research on international adoption. At the time, Ukraine seemed like the best choice because you could adopt multiple children (sibling groups) at the same time. Usually the process took about six months,” Conrad said. “For reasons out of our control, ours took three years. Three years doesn’t sound like a long time, except when it is stacked on top of a previous wait of 13.”
At the end of 2006, Conrad and his wife were able to bring their two new Ukrainian daughters home to the United States after a long adoption process, praising God for his faithfulness.
Chris Conrad and his family, photo obtained from Facebook
“In it all, both on the ministry side and the personal side, God has been faithful – to Him be all the glory!” Conrad said.
With his job working for the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church, Conrad considers those he works with to be some of the world’s best leaders.
“I am blessed to serve some of the most outstanding leaders and pastors in the entire world. When I think of the stellar team of individuals God has blessed us with, as together we attempt to reach the one million plus individuals who have yet to come to a relationship with Christ in West Michigan, I am simply blown away,” Conrad said.
Conrad said they have pastors doing work in inner-cities, as well as leaders working hard in the suburbs. On top of that, they also have pastors and leaders in the process of planting more churches.
“Each of these leaders and those who serve shoulder-to-shoulder with them in our District care deeply about bringing people to Jesus, developing themselves and those around them as leaders and are committed to leading from a well-ordered soul,” Conrad said. “My job is simply to resource them the very best we can, to cheer them on, and to help them raise up the next generation who will join with them in Kingdom advancement.”
Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement for IWU, said Conrad is a leader in church growth and development, and continues to make a difference through his service.
“Through his role with the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church, he has given positive and influential leadership to his pastors he is charged with leading,” Carder said. “I have personally seen how he makes every effort to guide and provide helpful advice through his servant’s heart. He is an enthusiastic & passionate leader that never grows tired of helping his team develop personally and pastorally.”
Since starting his PhD program at IWU, Conrad said he feels as though he is keeping up with two full time jobs–serving pastors and leaders of his district, and the job of being a student. In addition to those two jobs, he said he remains dedicated to his relationship with Christ, his marriage, and his daughters. Through becoming dedicated in so many different directions, Conrad said he began to realize he needed to give something up. For him, this meant cutting back on something he loved to do.
“In 2000, I ran my first marathon and since then I’ve run a total of 25 more. Typically I run a couple of them a year. Running is how I unwind and get refreshed,” Conrad said. “I recognized that multiple marathons each year might not be possible while pursuing my PhD. So, instead of running 6-8 miles at time, I have to settle for 3-5 miles, and on ‘special days’ I might get a six-miler in, but that’s rare. I’ve had to learn to be satisfied with this new balance.”
That being said, Conrad’s advice to other current IWU students is to realize and accept that we cannot have it all. Conrad said life is about choices, meaning we have to choose what is the most important, and what may be less important.
“Sometimes this takes discernment from the Holy Spirit about what to cut out of our lives. It might even mean talking to a friend or two who can help us discern what God is saying to us about this,” Conrad said.
Lastly, Conrad also expressed his love for education. He said all education points us to God, and we can find him in every part of our studies.
“When we sit down to study, before we start writing our paper or reading our text book, how about saying a prayer and inviting the Holy Spirit into the teaching process? We don’t have to live divided lives. He actually cares about every aspect of our lives, so why not invite Him into our studies with us?”
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Written by Heather Cox, writer for the Alumni Office. Heather is a junior Journalism major at IWU. She is also the Editor of GrantCOnnected.net, a community news site run by IWU students. She is unsure of where life will take her after college, but she knows she never wants to stop writing!
Rev. John W. Wickstrom III graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2004 with a B.S. in Youth Ministry.
Wickstrom credits his years at IWU as some of the greatest and most formative years of his life and ministry. Reflecting back on his time as a student, Wickstrom had quite a few classes and professors who heavily influenced him and his experience at IWU.
This list includes his very first class at IWU, Old Testament Survey with David Smith.
“I’ll never forget Dr. Smith’s focus from day one to show students the grace and love of God the Father evident in the pages of the Old Testament,” Smith said. “I ended up taking every Bible class I could fit in my schedule the next four years with Dr. Smith, and have been greatly impacted by his love and passion for God’s Word, something I hope to instill in those I have been fortunate enough to lead in ministry ever since.”
Other classes that were Wickstrom’s favorites included Post-Reformation Church History and History of the Wesleyan Church, taught by Dr. Bud Bence. Wickstrom said he had never met someone who could make history, issues, and trends come alive with such heart and intensity.
Wickstrom was also able to learn from and work with Pastor Steve DeNeff.
“I also consider myself very fortunate to have been able to learn from and refine the gift of preaching under Steve DeNeff,” Wickstrom said. “Both the opportunity to sit under his leadership as the pastor at College Wesleyan Church, and to learn directly in Homiletics class have been an immeasurable asset to finding my own style in teaching God’s Word to a congregation, whether they were teenagers or adults.”
Overall, Wickstrom said he loved the religion faculty as a whole, as he learned a lot from each of them.
In addition to being taught in his classes, Wickstrom also loved his campus job, working with the maintenance department. Even this job gave him important life lessons and lessons to remember as a pastor.
“It allowed me to meet a lot of people, see a lot of the ‘behind the scenes’ areas of the college, and change a whole lot of light bulbs…including spending one Christmas break changing the bulbs in the ‘star ceiling’ of the PPAC,” Wickstrom said. “In some ways, the job gave me a greater appreciation for men and women who serve God and the Kingdom from a different angle than those with college degrees. It gave me an appreciation for tradesmen and skilled laborers.”
After graduation, while he was serving in the Florida District leading the District youth ministry, Wickstrom knew he had chosen the right path in becoming a pastor.
Wickstrom said he will always treasure memories of listening to students’ testimonies around the campfire on the last nights of youth camp, because it was in those moments when God confirmed Wickstrom’s calling and His involvement in Wickstrom’s ministry.
“It is so exciting to watch God reproduce ministry in the next generation of leaders who are carrying the church forward,” Wickstrom said. “It’s been such a delight to help them understand their calling, get involved in ministry, explore education options, and begin preparing for the future God is leading them towards.”
Wickstrom and his family
Today, Wickstrom is the Lead Pastor at Wesleyan Community Church located in Oak Lawn, Illinois and has been since August 2015. There, he also serves alongside his wife, Kristia– also an IWU alumna– who is the church’s assistant pastor.
Wesleyan Community Church neighbors the southwest side of Chicago, putting them in a unique place demographically, allowing their church community to be immersed into a variety of cultures and nationalities, such as Polish and Middle Eastern families. Even socioeconomically, the church is near both oppressed neighborhoods from the southside of Chicago, and affluent suburban communities in the opposite direction.
“We have taken on the challenge of trying to build relationships with our neighbors and build bridges of helping our neighbors connect with one another, break down fears and uncertainties of people who are unlike themselves, and do it all in the name and love of Jesus,” Wickstrom said. “It is definitely both a challenge and exciting for our family.”
The church also has a wide age range from a more elderly side, to the six infant dedications Wickstrom has been a part of in his year and a half of pastoring the church.
“We are very blessed with a wonderful church family who continues to be supportive and welcoming to all who enter through our doors. We are known as a very friendly church, praise God!” Wickstrom said. “Our goal is to get all people connected at whatever stage they are at in their faith journey, disciple them, live life alongside them and lead them to make a greater impact in our community for Christ.”
However, being a pastor does not come without difficulties. Throughout this process, Wickstrom has learned a lot about himself.
Wickstrom has had to learn to know and accept that not everything has to be perfect in both life and ministry–including himself.
“Growing up, I was pushed to excel, especially in the area of academics. For the most part, it has served me well in life. One drawback however is a general fear of failure. Having a personality and temperament that leans towards the analytical exacerbates that difficulty, as I really like to think through issues and situations and try to make the best choice possible,” Wickstrom said. “So while I’m still a work in progress in that area, I am continuing to let God refine me, to offer him what I have, and to try to be involved and active before always having the perfect answer or plan for every problem or situation in life and ministry.”
As far as advice for current Indiana Wesleyan students, Wickstrom encourages students to continue seeking God.
“No matter what major you choose, allow God to call you to a community, and place a priority on being used by Him in partnering with a church and pastor in that community to build the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and bring transformative hope and restoration within it,” Wickstrom said.
Wickstrom said he believes wonderful Christian men and women graduate from IWU in a variety of different majors, but students will often graduate and simply try to find a job, rather than dedicate themselves to the “Great Commission” calling.
“The Kingdom isn’t just built by religion students, but by men and women of every field of study working together to bring hope and transformation that reflects God’s heart and brings glory to Jesus Christ,” Wickstrom said. “Not everyone is necessarily called to be pastors, but people are needed to come alongside pastors, to engage with the community at large, and to place a Kingdom building mindset as the priority of life. As someone has once said, ‘seek to make a life, rather than just to make a living.’”
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Written by Heather Cox, writer for the Alumni Office. Heather is a junior Journalism major at IWU. She is also the Editor of GrantCOnnected.net, a community news site run by IWU students. She is unsure of where life will take her after college, but she knows she never wants to stop writing!
Don Corder graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1991, after attending the University for his MBA.
While working toward his MBA, Corder was also working for General Motors. Following graduation he went into business until 2000, when he experienced what he described as a burning bush moment, and began working in a mega church.
“In 2000 I had my own consulting business, and I had a little consulting role they asked me to fix something for them and it was a real simple fix for a professional operations manager,” Corder said. “I went in and thought I was just gonna do a little consulting gig.”
However, six months into working at the church, Corder was named the Chief Operating Officer over the 50 million dollar ministry which employed 500 people, and was affiliated with 1200 churches across the nation.
“I left there in 2010,and I was about 50 years old so I thought, ‘Good! I have just enough time to get back in the industry to make some money so I can retire!’” Corder said. “God had a new plan for me. So I went and did a little administrative gig for a big methodist church.”
This church was in the process of hiring a new Executive Pastor, so in the meantime they had Corder temporarily sit in that position. When the Executive Pastor was hired, he had a vision for a shared services plan which would help neighboring churches as well. In this process, the church realized their family of churches was overpaying positions and unnecessarily replicating administrative functions.
“I began working with the church to develop something that would be effective and save our family of churches money,” Corder said. “Shortly thereafter, however, the church went through a few changes and essentially asked me if I would like to run with this new initiative separately from the church. I agreed, and that was the day that The Provisum Group was born.”
The Provisum Group offers business services such as Accounting & Financing, IT Administration & Support, and Communications & Marketing to church and non-profit ministry leaders.
Over the past three years since The Provisum Group began, Corder said they have grown tremendously without trying.
“It excites me to know that when a new church signs up for our services we are literally saving them money and helping to put more dollars to use towards the mission and vision,” Corder said.
Don Corder, photo obtained from Facebook
Through working in both business and churches, Corder eventually ended up writing a book, titled “Minding His Business,” (reminder to ink) which was published in 2015.
“In business I did mergers, acquisitions, and turnarounds for years. Hardest, coldest, most analytical, relationship void part of business and then all of a sudden I’m managing churches,” Corder said. “I’m able to be able to cross that bridge, and I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’m passing on experience or wisdom and people have said to me ‘You need to write a book!’. And my response to that was, ‘Well, if God wanted me to write a book he wouldn’t have made me hate writing so much!’”
Eventually, Corder was introduced to a ministry that desperately needed a business plan but was unable to pay him for his work. Corder said he made a covenant with God years ago that he would treat each meeting with pastors as a divine appointment, so he knew he had to help with the ministry. It was then he found out there was a ghost writer who was a part of this ministry.
“It was just the Holy Spirit who said ‘Well, time to write the book!’ so I swapped them a business plan for a book,” Corder said.
Written specifically for those who are right brain thinkers, “Minding His Business” is essentially a business primer written similarly to a devotional and was purposefully written in a language that pastors can understand.
“My calling in my life is to take stones out of pastors shoes, and the book was written to take stones out of pastors shoes,” Corder said. “I don’t care how well any pastor runs his church. I couldn’t imagine a pastor reading that book and not finding one thing that could make his or her life easier. That’s the purpose of the book.”
Corder said his mission is to help churches do their business. “I get so much feedback from pastors and ministry leaders– how they both laugh and they cry because they see themselves on the pages,” Corder said.
“You see, experience and wisdom are different,” Corder said. “Experience can be painful. Experience is what you gain from something going well and/or when something goes wrong. Wisdom is what you gain from the experiences of others. It is just as helpful but less painful.”
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Written by Heather Cox, writer for the Alumni Office. Heather is a junior Journalism major at IWU. She is also the Editor of GrantCOnnected.net, a community news site run by IWU students. She is unsure of where life will take her after college, but she knows she never wants to stop writing!
Rev. Brian V. Bradford graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in April 2000, after studying Political Science/Pre-Law and Religion and Philosophy.
Six months ago, Bradford began serving as Lead Pastor at Wheaton Wesleyan Church, and said it is because of Indiana Wesleyan that he is in full-time vocational ministry in the first place.
Bradford said it was while he was a student at IWU that he grew to become a man of confidence, and experienced many positive “firsts.” These “firsts” include raising his hands and singing aloud in worship, being mentored by an upperclassman, creating his own group for mentoring underclassmen, academically working harder than ever, and traveling to unfamiliar places.
There were many professors and other individuals Bradford developed a relationship with during his time as a student, and each of them has greatly impacted who he is today. These individuals include David Bartley, Glenn Martin, Keith Drury, Bud Bence, Scott Turcott, B.J. Fratzke, Rob Thompson, and Robert Otis.
“I will never forget Dr. Turcott taking prayer requests in class. I will never forget Dr. Martin teaching me more about how to think biblically and critically than simply sharing historical facts and world events. I will never forget Chaplain Gary Swyers believing in me enough to ask me to speak in chapel,” Bradford said. “However, one person who stands out above so many was Gale Richmond. Gale wasn’t a professor. He was an administrative staff member. However, he would frequently take me and a few other hungry college guys out to lunch and speak truth into our lives.”
Bradford also referenced Dr. Barnes (the president at the time), Keith Roorbach in transportation services, and Bonita Wuertley in the religion office. Bradford said each person modeled Jesus to him and with him.
Though Bradford is leading a church today, it was not where he had always pictured he would be. Even though Bradford led Bible studies in Bowman house at IWU, served in churches during his sophomore and junior years, and had preached several times before he graduated, he still struggled with his call to ministry.
Originally, Bradford felt called to be a lawyer. However, while studying for the Law School Admission Test during the second semester of his senior year, he began to realize if he were to be truly obedient to God, he needed to apply to seminary.
Even still, the process and the journey has not always been easy– there have been obstacles to overcome, as well. Bradford said his biggest difficulty has been to overcome his lack of faith and fear of failure. He said throughout high school, college, and even in seminary, he often succeeded but had to learn that his success was no what it was all about.
“God longs for us to have faith in Him, not in our own abilities, talents, and gifts. Early on, I errantly believed ministry was about my work ethic and the people I knew,” Bradford said. “Over the years, God has stripped away my pride and rebuilt faith in its place. Instead of fear, now I pray and step back and watch God work. He always shows up, time and time again. Whether raising money for missions trips or reaching out to our local community, God always provides, and builds our faith in the process.”
Brian Bradford
Today, Bradford said the congregation of Wheaton Wesleyan Church has a wide range of ages. The church got its start 60 years ago and is just west of Chicago, 8 blocks away from Wheaton College. Even still, the congregation did not have college aged students when Bradford first arrived 6 months ago, though that has started to change. Today, they have 10-20 college students regularly attending.
“On the other end of the age spectrum, we have Ms. Merle. She is 109 years old and can likely out run you with her walker! Merle is definitely the oldest living Wesleyan on the planet!” Bradford joked. “The challenge of being a pastor is figuring out how to relationally and pastorally connect with Merle, who has attended WWC for 50 years, and yet love on college students, who are simply trying to pass their statistics exam next week.”
Bradford said this generational gap is why he loves the local church, and Wheaton specifically.
“The body of Christ brings together people from all walks of life to accomplish one purpose, the glorification and edification of our Lord,” Bradford said. “Because we have been blessed with these students, as well as a large contingent of seniors, God has given us a task. Pass on wisdom, faith, and leadership to the next generation. Mentor them. Encourage them to become all God longs for them to be. And in the process, us older folks may just grow and learn as well.”
As for advice for current IWU students, Bradford said not to wait until after graduation to begin ministry; instead, start now.
“Become a Big Brother or Big Sister at the YMCA in Marion. I did, and I am better for it. Serve in a local church’s children’s ministry or on their worship team. Seek out a mentor and meet with them regularly. Start a midnight bible study in your dorm. Do whatever God challenges you to do,” Bradford said. “You’ll never be in college again. You’ll never have this opportunity again to surround yourself with Godly professors, administrators, friends, and coaches. Take advantage of this time.”
“My collegiate days at IWU taught me so much, but above all, they taught me to be faithful to the task to which we’ve been called,” Bradford said. “Thank you for highlighting my story, and my ministry. I am truly honored and humbled.”
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Written by Heather Cox, writer for the Alumni Office. Heather is a junior Journalism major at IWU. She is also the Editor of GrantCOnnected.net, a community news site run by IWU students. She is unsure of where life will take her after college, but she knows she never wants to stop writing!
Neftali B. Lopez is the Pastor of Iglesia Wesleyana Amistad Cristiana in Carmel, Indiana. Lopez is a graduate of National Bible College with a degree in theology in 1996. He went on to receive his M. Div. of Chaplaincy and Ed. S. in Leadership from Liberty University in 2011.
Rick Carder, IWU’s Director of Alumni and Church Engagement said, “When I first heard of Pastor Lopez, I was excited about the opportunity to meet him and to hear about his ministry. His efforts to reach out to people that are in need & connect with a ministry of care is exciting. Ministries that reaches out to first generation immigrants is challenging. Pastor Lopez demonstrates the compassionate kindness that is needed to meet the needs of these families.”
Lopez felt called to serve in 1986, but was unable to discern specifically where or in what role he was called to serve God. Lopez said, “Since my dad was a pastor, I dreaded the headaches I saw he had with that responsibility.”
Naftali Lopez and his wife
However, Lopez followed God’s calling for his life. “I interviewed with a church and out of three pastors I was selected,” Lopez said. “While I was going through the process there was a peace both my wife and I were feeling, knowing that if it is God behind all this, He will bring us through. That is when I knew all these years serving at different churches had been preparing me for this time. I let the river of God’s direction flow through its course and let Him, the Shepherd of His church, be in charge of this process as we became obedient to follow where he leads us.”
Lopez’s current church, Iglesia Wesleyana Amistad Cristiana in Carmel, Indiana, began in 2000. It was sponsored by Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis. Every service is offered in Spanish and also provides instantaneous translation to English for those who do not understand Spanish.
Lopez said, “For many who are far from their native home, our church is their piece of home. If you come to our church, there are a lot of friendly smiles, hugs and the warmth and humble welcome that characterized a redeemed person. The name: Amistad Cristiana is what we really are: Friendly Christians worshipping God and welcoming others to join.”
Lopez also currently serves as the IWU chaplain in the Adult Non-resident program at the West Indianapolis and Greenwood, IN campuses. Lopez encourages current IWU students to remember, “You can rise up, you and God are majority. Get up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a sophomore Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU Dezaray is involved in PRSSA leadership and runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website atwww.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.
Spanish Translation:
Neftali B. Lopez es el Pastor de Iglesia Wesleyana Amistad Cristiana en Carmel, Indiana. López es un graduado del Colegio Nacional de Biblia con un grado en teología en 1996. Él continuó recibiendo su M. Div. De Capellanía y Ed. S. en Liderazgo de la Universidad de la Libertad en 2011.
Rick Carder, director de Alumni y Church Engagement de IWU, dijo: “Cuando escuché por primera vez al pastor López, estaba entusiasmado con la oportunidad de conocerlo y escuchar sobre su ministerio.Sus esfuerzos para llegar a las personas que están en necesidad y conectarse Con un ministerio de cuidado es emocionante.Los ministerios que llega a los inmigrantes de primera generación es un desafío.El pastor López demuestra la bondad compasiva que se necesita para satisfacer las necesidades de estas familias “.
López se sintió llamado a servir en 1986, pero fue incapaz de discernir específicamente dónde o en qué papel debía servir a Dios. Lopez dijo: “Como mi papá era pastor, temía los dolores de cabeza que veía que tenía con esa responsabilidad”.
Sin embargo, López siguió el llamado de Dios para su vida. “Entreviste a una iglesia y de tres pastores fui seleccionado”, dijo López. “Mientras yo estaba pasando por el proceso había una paz que tanto mi esposa como yo estábamos sintiendo, sabiendo que si Dios está detrás de todo esto, Él nos llevará a través.” Fue entonces cuando supe que todos estos años sirviendo en diferentes iglesias había sido Preparándome para este tiempo, dejé que el río de la dirección de Dios fluyera por su curso y que El, el Pastor de Su iglesia, estuviera a cargo de este proceso a medida que nos volvíamos obedientes a seguir donde él nos conduce “.
La iglesia actual de López, Iglesia Wesleyana Amistad Cristiana en Carmel, Indiana, comenzó en 2000. Fue patrocinada por la Iglesia Trinity Wesleyan en Indianápolis. Cada servicio se ofrece en español, y proporcionan traducción instantánea al inglés para aquellos que no entienden español.
López dijo: “Para muchos que están lejos de su hogar natal, nuestra iglesia es su pedazo de hogar.Si vienes a nuestra iglesia, hay un montón de sonrisas amistosas, abrazos y la calidez y humilde bienvenida que caracterizó a una persona redimida. El nombre: Cristiana Amistad es lo que realmente somos: Amistosos Cristianos adorando a Dios y dando la bienvenida a otros a unirse “.
López también sirve actualmente como el capellán de IWU en el programa no residente adulto en las escuelas de West Indianapolis y Greenwood, IN. López anima a los estudiantes actuales de IWU a recordar: “Ustedes pueden levantarse, ustedes y Dios son mayoría. ¡Levántense, recojan su alfombra y caminen!”
![SteveFamily[1462]](http://iwualumniblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/SteveFamily1462.jpg)
This statement was the vision seemingly given to Jennifer sometime before they were even considering Church Planting. “I had a crazy dream that we had a third daughter and her name was Savanna,” Jennifer announced to her husband, Pastor Joe Jackson on a Saturday morning. This was not just a coincidence. They discovered that God was at work on them years before Joe left his successful sales job with Hershey Company.
The ministry has developed to help training and prepare others for ministry. In an article published by 
“We are blessed to have such a great location,” said Jackson. “God has given us a place of worship in a location that provides great parking space on the weekend that meets our needs,” he added.
How did being a student at IWU influence your future? 
It was in mid-80’s that I first became acquainted with Dave who was speaking at an event that students of Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University). I was immediately impressed by his personal interest he took in speaking with me. His reputation as a Wesleyan Churchman and pastor had already impressed me for his commitment to serving and leading pastors.
