By a vote that ultimately came down to the most narrow possible margin—one vote—Broadway United Methodist Church, home of the Rev. Gregory Dell, elected Sunday not to leave the Methodist denomination but to work within the church for change.
"This was a terrible and a wonderful day for Broadway United Methodist Church," said Dell, who made national headlines nearly two years ago when he was suspended by the church for conducting same-sex holy unions at Broadway.
At Sunday's vote he wore the same suit he donned during his trial before UMC officials.
The vote came as a surprise to many in the congregation, who visibly and audibly balked when the decision was announced.
"I would say that it wasn't my first choice," said Terry Vanden Hoek, one of the last people joined in a holy union
By a vote that ultimately came down to the most narrow possible margin—one vote—Broadway United Methodist Church, home of the Rev. Gregory Dell, elected Sunday not to leave the Methodist denomination but to work within the church for change.
"This was a terrible and a wonderful day for Broadway United Methodist Church," said Dell, who made national headlines nearly two years ago when he was suspended by the church for conducting same-sex holy unions at Broadway.
At Sunday's vote he wore the same suit he donned during his trial before UMC officials.
The vote came as a surprise to many in the congregation, who visibly and audibly balked when the decision was announced.
"I would say that it wasn't my first choice," said Terry Vanden Hoek, one of the last people joined in a holy union by Dell before he was suspended by the church. "In that regard I'm disappointed, but I think it's still a good choice."
Before the vote, church members asked questions and aired concerns. It was a good-natured discussion, with Dell, Bishop C. Joseph Sprague and members of the Broadway's Future Task Force giving responses.
Sprague, bishop of the Chicago area, was arrested at the UMC's General Conference last spring for participating in a peaceful resistance against the church's policies on GLBTs. He spoke before Sunday's vote, gently urging the congregation to stick with the fight as he had and not to abandon the church.
The 115 voting church members had four options to choose from, ranging from "constructive" to "radical." They ranked their preferences 1-4, marking only those choices they felt they could live with, church officials said.
The option chosen, Constructive Engagement, is the choice that is closest to where the church now stands.
Option A states, "We the Broadway United Methodist Church ( BUMC ) , shall continue to serve as a catalyst for systemic change within the denomination. We direct the Finance Committee to accept contributions designated for local church support only. We further direct the Reconciling Congregation Committee to support national movements such as the Reconciling Ministries Network."
The other options included: joining forces with a gay-friendly denomination such as the United Church of Christ or the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ to create a new, federated church ( Option B ) ; leaving the UMC completely to join the UCC or the CC/DofC ( Option C ) ; or remaining with the UMC and openly defying its rules by conducting holy unions and directly acting to bring about the ordination of GLBT clergy ( Option D ) .
During the first round of vote counting, Option C was the least popular, receiving just one vote, while Option D received four votes. Option A received 57, and B received 53.
By the third round of tabulation, Option A had 58 votes, one more than Option B. In the end, Option A got 105 votes, leaving 10 people who did not cast a vote for it at all. Dell said the hearts of the congregation's members were heavy with the knowledge that their decision leaves 10 of their brethren behind.
"This congregation will not allow them to leave without reaching out to them," he said.
With a population that is between 30 and 40% gay, Broadway is a congregation clearly committed to gay rights. Before the vote, the meeting's opening hymnal included the verse, "Through the years of human struggle, walk a people long despised/gay and lesbian together fighting to be realized."
"It is a unified congregation," Dell told reporters after the vote. The congregation effectively committed not to rest while GLBT people suffer by a church "with a smile on its face and a dagger in its heart," he said.