Broadway Methodist joins Global Methodist Church
Pastor Harley Wheeler
The Broadway Methodist Church of New Philadelphia has joined the new Global Methodist Church.
The Broadway congregation, which has been an outpost of Methodism on the south side since 1870, voted in May to align with the new, theologically conservative denomination and separate from the United Methodist Church.
“We are excited about the possibilities of working in fellowship with an expression of Methodism that is faithful to its roots in the Christian movement planted by John and Charles Wesley in the 1700s,” Pastor Harley Wheeler said. “We will have unity around the authority of scripture, a truly global church, with many related congregations outside of the U.S., and avoid the burden of the large bureaucratic structures that old, mainline denominations like the UMC have supported for years.
“Damaging debates about the authority and reliability of scripture have gone on in the UMC for all my 32 years of ministry. Tough, as a member of evangelical renewal groups, I can say that we usually won legislative votes about various issues. The rancor itself has finally convinced us that it was time to stop arguing and move peacefully on. We are not dividing so much as we feel we are rejoining the historic Christian faith.”
The church leadership explained at a congregational meeting that a sizeable payment was required to comply with the current UMC disaffiliation policy. The Broadway congregation voted to proceed, and the new denomination alignment is effective July 1.
Many in the congregation expressed hope that soon more gracious exit terms can be offered because a great number of congregations in the UMC desire to be in a theologically conservative and biblically obedient church.
Broadway Global Methodist Church is located at 120 Church Ave. SE in New Philadelphia. Worship times are 8:30 a.m. for traditional worship, 10:45 a.m. for contemporary worship and 9:45 a.m. for Sunday school. The website is at www.thebroadwaychurch.org.