Broadway's History 1995-present

Rev. Gregory Dell came to Broadway on July 1, 1995, leading a Koinonia Congress to revamp the whole committee structure in September 1995.

The church decided in the spring of 1998 to purchase a new organ to replace the failing pipe organ. After much discussion, listening and deliberation, the decision was made to buy a digital organ (one in which each tone is a recording of a real pipe organ). Dana Brown was hired as Music Director at that time. He was familiar with a digital organ.

Pastor Gregory Dell had performed same-sex holy unions when asked over the years. He had a policy of requiring numerous counseling sessions before the ceremony whether for same-sex or different-sex unions. After the trial of Rev. Jimmy Creech in Nebraska, the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church ruled that the sanctions against same-sex holy unions had the effect of church law even though the sanctions appeared in the previously non-enforceable Social Principles section of the Book of Discipline. Pastor Dell, following his own moral and social principles and the posture of the congregation toward same-sex couples, performed a holy union of two male members of the church in September 1998.

Pastor Dell received a letter from Bishop Sprague on October 12, 1998, that a formal ecclesiastical complaint had been filed against him. News spread through the media and Rev. Fred Phelps of Kansas demonstrated against Broadway, which brought forth powerful community support for the church. Over 1500 persons formed a Circle of Care around the church building while members worshiped the day of the demonstration. Media attendance and exposure continued as the day of the trial approached, finally attraction national attention and reporting. The presence of the media was carefully controlled so that the quality of worship was never compromised. Visitors came from all over the world to provide support to the congregation and to our pastor which confirmed the strong support our church gave him.

Pastor Dell was brought to trial in March of 1999 for disobeying the rules stated in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. He was found guilty and was suspended indefinitely. He and his counsel, Rev. Larry Pickens, appealed his sentence and it was changed to suspension for one year, starting July 1, 1999.

Rev. Jenny Weber was assigned as pastor of the church from July 1, 1999, to June 30, 2000. She had previously served as Associate Pastor of the church for two years asp art of her field education work at the seminary. She made her decision not to conduct any weddings or holy unions during her year of service with our church.

Rev. Greg Dell became National Director of an organization called "In All Things Charity" on July 13, 1999. This national movement, which Pastor Dell had helped initiate after the 1996 United Methodist General Conference, now had full-time staff to contact and witness to delegates to the 2000 United Methodist General Conference. The financing and other support for education and promotion was centered at Broadway United Methodist Church.

Broadway contracted in February 2000 with the Mennonite Peace Center for a series of Conflict Resolution Workshops to help in dealing with conflicts expected to arise from the decisions for the 2000 General Conference. In March 2000, members were introduced to the process by letter and then in a workshop, "Conflict in the Church." The facilitator, Jackie Lynn, also held smaller group meetings which were helpful in learning how to handle the expected conflict.

The 2000 Untied Methodist General Conference took place May 2-11 in Cleveland, Ohio. Basically, those who controlled the vote there reflected views more in line with the so-called Christian Right than with the traditionally liberal Untied Methodist denomination. Broadway Church, with over 30 members in Cleveland, gave an impressive and vocal witness, but to no avail. We lost ground, even seeing what  had been social principles made into legal rules.

The decision of the Cleveland General Conference to retain sanctions was very disappointing, leaving many members feeling that to remain in the denomination was to choose to remain in an abusive relationship with no hope of relief for a very long time. They began to consider leaving the church.

The lessons learned in the Conflict Resolution Worships helped the church to deal with these issues. Small and large group sessions were well attended in May and June, 2000, and led to the creation of the Broadway Future Task Force. The task force requested and received many responses from the other church members. It finally presented four options for action to the Church Council on December 12, 2000. (The options were held over for action at the Charge Conference in January 2001.)


The Church voted in the January 14, 2001 Charge Conference, by over a sixty-six percent majority of those present, to adopt Option A. This occurred after a statement by Bishop Sprague that he and the District Superintendent would resist any of the alternatives other than Option A. His statement came as a surprise to church members, influencing them to reconsider their choices, but it is impossible to know certainly what the overall effect was on the vote. Option B received the next most votes, but a run-off was not required. More than sixty percent of the church members were present and voted at the Charge Conference.

Membership grew slowly but steadily from mid-1995 to 2007. It increased more substantially after Rev. Greg Dell's trial in mid-1999, including Rev. Jenny Weber's interim pastorate. Visitor attendance increased, and the sanctuary was often packed for the late Sunday morning service. Membership in the church choir markedly increased during the exceptional ministry of former Music Director Dana Brown.

In September of 2003, the Reverend Vernice Thorn became the first full-time Assistant Pastor in Broadway's history. Rev. Thorn is an ordained clergywoman in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination. Vernice began her work with Broadway as a part-time Field Education student assistant pastor in September of 2001. Her gifts of pastoral care, preaching, personal spirituality and commitment to full diversity have enhanced the ministry of Broadway many times over.  She was made Associate Pastor in 2006.  Although her position became three-quarter time in 2009, Rev. Vernice continues her integral role here as Associate Pastor.

In February 2007, the Reverend Gregory Dell announced to the full congregation that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Rev. Dell remained under appointment through June, performing pastoral duties as able. He was not able to preach of participate in worship from February until June 30th when he went on disability leave. Rev. Vernice Thorn stepped up, along with many laity, to lead the congregation during this time.

Rev. Jenny R. Weber returned to Broadway, under appointment beginning August 1, 2007.  She announced to the congregation in March 2009 that she was taking another call beginning in August 2009.

Rev. Lois McCullen Parr began her appointment at Broadway on August 15, 2009.