Brecksville United Methodist Church sits on the Public Square in Brecksville, Ohio, a suburb roughly sixteen miles south of Cleveland and twenty-eight miles north of Akron. From that spot - the same ground deeded to the Methodist Episcopal Church in the nineteenth century by Ezra Wyatt, the owner of the grist mill across Chippewa Creek - the congregation has worshipped for more than two hundred years. Today it is known as an inclusive and affirming community that gathers Sunday mornings on the front lawn, in the sanctuary, and online, and that lives out a working theology of safe spaces, joyful gathering, and determined service throughout the surrounding communities of Brecksville, Broadview Heights, North Royalton, Independence, Richfield, Hinckley, and Sagamore Hills.
From a Log Cabin to a 1964 Sanctuary
Methodism in Brecksville began in 1814, when the first meetings were held in the log cabin of Lemuel Bourne, drawing sixteen members. In 1823 the first meeting of the Methodist Society was organized in Brecksville as part of the Brunswick Circuit, and the property on which the church still stands was deeded by Ezra Wyatt.
A one-room frame building went up in 1832; the interior was not finished for several years, and worshippers met there in summer and in the Town Hall during winter. Tallow candles in tin reflectors lit the room, and a large stove heated the front of the building. Membership swelled after a revival meeting in 1853. By 1910, improvements added a bell in the tower that harmonized with the Congregational Church bell across the square, and in 1938 a steel-beamed upper room was added above the dining room - work done in part by boys from the 3C Camp on Brecksville Road - along with new pews, lights, and a Hammond organ. Bishop H. Lester Smith consecrated these improvements in 1940.
The church called its first full-time pastor, the Reverend Arthur Maly, in 1933. After the Second World War, rapid growth in the surrounding area led to plans for a much larger building. The Reverend Charles A. Amendt, a former missionary to Korea who served from 1949 to 1962, oversaw this expansion. The original 128-year-old church and the old parsonage were razed in 1960, and worship moved next door into the Town Hall for about a year. Fellowship Hall was completed in 1961 and served temporarily as both sanctuary and gathering space; the rest of the building, including the present sanctuary, was finished and consecrated on November 1, 1964.
Pastor Heidi Welch has led the congregation since the summer of 2019, walking the church through a period of change and growth that began just eight months before the world shut down. She is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, holds a Bachelor of Arts from Youngstown State University and a Master of Divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and serves with her husband, Chef Rasul Welch, and their two children, Jordan and Cornelia.
Three Sunday Mornings, Three Distinct Services
The Sunday schedule offers three options shaped around a single theme: creating safe space to grow with God and one another.
At 8:30 a.m., a contemplative service takes shape on the church lawn from spring through fall. Hymns, weekly communion, and affirmations of faith form the core of the worship. Camp chairs and blankets are welcome on the grass. When cold weather arrives, the same service moves indoors, late fall through early spring, into Fellowship Hall on the ground floor. There it takes the form of a meditative experience rooted in ancient Christian practices - contemplative prayer, repeated phrases, silence, and space to dwell. The service draws on John Wesley's account of his heart being "strang warmed" and invites worshippers into a direct, experiential relationship with the Triune God.
At 9:30, the Joyful Gathering hour fills the building with coffee, conversation, and classes for all ages. Most Sunday morning learning takes place in this window, and newcomers can settle in before the larger service begins.
At 10:30, the Sanctuary fills with the worship band, chancel choir, and congregation for an energetic service with scripture, prayer, a children's moment, and a sermon. After the children's moment, children in preschool through sixth grade are invited to Sprouts, an age-appropriate program on the fourth floor with Bible stories, crafts, cooking, science, games, and sensory activities. The 10:30 service, and often the 8:30 service as well, is streamed live on the church's website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel, with closed captioning available. An online worship host greets newcomers and moderates the Facebook chat each Sunday. A weekly audio podcast carries the message forward on SoundCloud and through other podcast platforms.
Five Values, One Vocabulary
The church describes itself through five recurring words: Honest Worship, Joyful Gathering, Lifelong Learning, Courageous Inclusion, and Determined Service. Honest Worship invites everyone to participate authentically and holistically - heart, mind, soul, and body. Joyful Gathering names an atmosphere of laughter in which the community shares in the life God offers. Lifelong Learning is unapologetically honest about the quest to grow with God and one another. Courageous Inclusion offers a whole-hearted welcome to every person as their perfectly imperfect self. Determined Service sends the congregation outward to meet the needs of the whole person, body and soul.
A formal welcoming statement spells this out: Brecksville United Methodist Church embraces diversity as a gift, celebrates differences of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, faith history, economic status, marital status, ability, and education, and affirms the full inclusion of all people in the life and ministries of the church as it journeys toward reconciliation through Christ.
A Building Designed for Welcome
The present building was constructed in 1953 and has been modified over the decades to accommodate people of all abilities. The Sanctuary sits on the second floor, accessible from the upper parking lot on Stadium Drive. The primary parking lot lies on the lowest level of the property, and a small elevator at the west entrance serves those with mobility needs. ADA-approved automatic door openers, wheelchair-designated spaces in the Sanctuary, accessible restrooms on the first and second floors, wheelchairs and walkers on request, and diaper-changing stations on the second floor are all in place. Large-print bulletins are available at every service.
The church is a KultureCity-certified sensory inclusive facility. Staff and volunteers complete sensory training each year; sensory bags are available on request; and dedicated quiet spaces are set aside for anyone who needs them. The church is also described, in its own words, as a sensory inclusive space and welcomes people with cognitive and physical differences as full participants in its life.
For first-time visitors, the Sunday Welcome Stand on Sunday mornings is staffed by a volunteer who can orient newcomers to the building, answer questions, and offer a welcome bag with information and small gifts. Visitors can also sign an attendance register online, and a separate online form offers a similar connection point for those who worship from home.
Children, Youth, and the Wiggle Room
Family life at Brecksville UMC is built around safe-sanctuary policies that shape every program touching children, youth, and older adults. The Wiggle Room, staffed from 8 a.m. to noon on Sundays, gives the littlest worshippers - infants through early elementary - a safe place to wiggle, play, and be cared for while parents remain in worship.
At 9:30, Spark Your Faith gathers children in preschool through sixth grade for a multi-aged program that uses clips from popular shows and films to talk about how to live out faith every day. Sprouts, after the children's moment at the 10:30 service, leads the same age range through Bible stories using craft, cooking, science, games, and sensory play.
Each year the church presents third graders with their very own Bible, a rite of passage and a gift of love from the congregation. Confirmation is a two-year journey through scripture, church history, prayer, spiritual development, theology, mission, and the structure of the United Methodist Church. Confirmands are encouraged to ask questions and follow their curiosity; those who complete the process are confirmed as members of both the United Methodist Church and Brecksville UMC.
For older youth, a Senior High Discussion Night meets on the first Wednesday of each month in the Youth Room during the school year. Open to ages fifteen through nineteen, the gatherings feature hard topics, documentaries, and debates, along with food, in an environment of total respect, love, open minds, and open hearts. Younger youth programming is led by Shannon Kantorowski, who combines the roles of Youth Director and Finance Manager and works remotely on Mondays while being at the church Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday.
Adult Education, Classes, and Small Groups
Adult education is woven into the 9:30 hour and the wider week. A recurring Podcast Class listens to a selected podcast during the week and gathers on Sundays at 9:30 to reflect, question, and seek where God might be leading. Imaginative Prayer meets Mondays at 10:30 in the Chapel, with one monthly gathering at Chippewa Place; the group rests on one passage of scripture through prayer and guided reflection. A Book Study on Amy-Jill Levine's Genesis: A Beginner's Guide to the Beginning gathers online on the fourth Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Chapel Conversations, built around the book Practicing the Way, meets Sundays at 9:30 to turn everyday moments into spiritual habits. Basic Beliefs, a five-week introduction to the roots of the Methodist movement, is offered from time to time. The Asbury Bremeth Women's Circle gathers on the second Thursday of each month at 9:30 for fellowship and study of Adam Hamilton's Creed.
Beyond the classroom, the church supports ongoing small groups and United Women in Faith circles, with seasonal Bible studies, prayer groups, and sermon-based conversation. The Spiritual Trail Guide offers seasonal resources for individual devotional life.
Music Ministry
Machala Comenschek-Slike directs the music program. A Cleveland native with a bachelor's degree in Music from Cleveland State University, she is a vocalist, music director, and full-time teacher whose work spans classical, opera, and contemporary sacred music. The 10:30 service features a worship band and chancel choir; an organist-accompanist supports traditional worship throughout the year. The church also celebrates seasonal choral events, including a cantata, a Christmas Extravaganza, and occasional Sing for Unity concerts, alongside an annual Big Sing and climate justice concert.
Pastoral Care, Prayer, and Grief Support
The Congregational Care Team and Caring Ministries walk alongside members through illness, loss, and life changes. A Care & Prayer Mail newsletter carries regular notes of encouragement. Prayer requests can be submitted online, and a text-based connection line opens a direct conversation with the church. A dedicated When You Are Grieving page offers resources for those navigating loss. A Memorial Service Hospitality Team serves post-service receptions in the Fellowship Hall or Parlor with coffee, tea, water, and light desserts, along with set-up and clean-up.
The Caring Ministries and Visitation teams stay in regular touch with members who cannot easily come to church, and the Meal Train organizes food during significant life events. The Newsletter keeps the wider congregation connected between Sundays.
Weddings, Baptisms, and Memorial Services
Weddings at Brecksville UMC are described as Christian services of worship in which a marriage begins in the presence of God and is witnessed by friends and family. The church welcomes the celebration of weddings of individuals regardless of sexual orientation. All weddings are conducted by the church's pastor; clergy in good standing in the United Methodist Church may perform weddings by special invitation, and clergy of other recognized denominations may participate at the pastor's discretion.
Couples go through an introductory meeting with the pastor and two to six sessions of premarital counseling using the Prepare and Enrich program. Wedding fees cover sanctuary use, clergy time and counsel, premarital assessment, wedding coordinator, organist, custodian, audio/visual technician, and optional live-streaming; holiday weekends carry an additional 20%. Wedding receptions can be held in the Fellowship Hall, which seats up to 200 and includes tables, chairs, and a commercial-sized kitchen. No alcohol is permitted on the property.
Baptism is recognized as one of two sacraments of the United Methodist Church, the other being the Lord's Supper. Baptism is open to people of all ages, performed by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring, and happens only once in a person's life. In the rite, the baptized person pledges loyalty to the life and ministries of the United Methodist Church and promises to uphold the local church with prayers, presence, gifts, and service. Baptism initiates a covenant of relationship between God and the baptized person and between the church and the person who is baptized.
The church hosts funeral and memorial services for members and non-members alike and does not charge sanctuary use fees. Suggested honoraria are listed for pastors, musicians, audio/visual coordinators, custodians, and funeral coordinators. A recommended list of scriptures and hymns accompanies the funeral-planning pages.
Determined Service: Mission and Community Outreach
Determined Service moves the church well beyond its own doors. A Frozen Food Ministry gathers volunteers each week - nine or more on a typical Tuesday - to sort, cook, box, and deliver meals to the Nehemiah Mission (a UMC urban ministry in Cleveland), B. Riley House (an LGBTQ+ drug and alcohol recovery facility on Cleveland's west side), Trials for Hope (which delivers hot meals to camps for the unhoused in Cleveland), the Elevate Him Worship Center Cafe in Wellsville, the House of Champions after-school program at Urban Community School, and the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland. Two volunteers are ServSafe-certified food safety handlers. Pickups from local businesses and from the Lubrizol facility each Friday have expanded the network of donors and recipients.
A monthly donation drive supports a rotating set of community partners. Recent and ongoing drives have benefited RAHAB Ministries (victims of human trafficking), Journey Center for Safety and Healing (victims of domestic violence), the Nehemiah Mission's school supply drive for J.M. Gallagher School in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank, the Bike Ministry, the Colony Cupboard at Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle and High School, and food pantries supported by the Hunger Network. During the December season, the church fills giving trees with food for Cory United Methodist Church's pantry, hats and mittens for Trials for Hope, gifts for women in recovery through RAHAB and Womankind, and supplies for the Bike Ministry.
Twice a year, teams travel to the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank to sort gently used children's books; a periodic Habitat for Humanity Faith Build has brought volunteers and tools to work sites. The Holiday Giving Trees, the Lights for Lions string-light recycling program, the Bread Tags collection (which funds children's mobility equipment), and the Pop Up Missions approach all carry the same theme outward. Bread On Bridge, the Sew4Good Christmas Bazaar, the Sew4Good mat-making, the Quilters Bring Comfort ministry, and the Stitch'n'Time sewing group each add their own rhythm. Vacation Bible School has taken kids into mission for monarch butterflies.
The Pumpkin Patch, an annual fall fundraiser in the lot at the corner of the Public Square, brings hundreds of pumpkins in many colors and sizes to downtown Brecksville and gives the church a chance to greet its neighbors during the autumn season, with games, treats, music, and photo opportunities for families.
The Green Team leads the congregation in caring for God's creation: a paper and cardboard recycling partnership that has been running for more than a decade, a long-standing ban on styrofoam at church functions, washable coffee mugs, a phone-recycling drive, weekly creation care tips, and advocacy for climate justice policies at the local, state, and federal levels.
A Bike Ministry refurbishes bicycles for those in need of transportation. A Scout Troop 175 calls the building home. The church maintains a long-standing partnership with Re:Source Cleveland; in one recent year, the Missions & Community Engagement team funded camp scholarships for twenty-two girls from refugee and asylee families so they could attend an East Ohio UMC camp. Periodic climate justice mission journeys send teams of volunteers to assist with disaster recovery, and a wider advocacy effort supports pretrial justice, domestic violence prevention, creation justice, and Just Energy 4 All campaigns.
A Year on the Liturgical Calendar
In addition to its Sunday worship, the church marks Ash Wednesday with an evening service open to all; child care is provided in the Wiggle Room for that service. An All Saints Sunday observance, a Lessons and Laughter worship on the day after Christmas, a Community Big Sing and Climate Justice Concert, and other seasonal services round out the year. A monthly newsletter, The Good Word, carries the bulletin and announcements; a Thursday e-blast shares resources for the week ahead.
The Big Dream: Connection and Belonging
The church has been articulating a long-term vision - what it calls the Big Dream - of saturating its community with connection and belonging, on the Square and everywhere. Three priorities shape the path forward: investing in people through new staff roles, building a digital front door with a stronger audio/visual operation, and caring for the physical building with a new roof, an elevator, refreshed entryways, and other capital projects. The Imagine Vision Campaign invites the congregation to grow in two ways - through ongoing general fund giving and a separate three-year vision campaign pledge - so that day-to-day ministries and capital improvements can grow together. The campaign funds a reliable building, an elevator, vibrant gathering spaces, and the staff and programming that welcome, connect, and serve.
Online, an audio/visual team operates the livestream cameras, the slide navigation, and the sound mixing for both in-person and online worship, with volunteers trained by the AV Manager.
What to Know Before Visiting
The church is at 65 Public Square, Brecksville, Ohio 44141. From Interstate 77 South, take Route 82 East for about 1.8 miles. The primary parking lot sits on the lowest level of the property, accessible from 8870 Brecksville Road via GPS; an additional lot is on Stadium Drive near the Sanctuary entrance. The church office is open Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with closings tied to the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District's inclement weather days. The main phone number is 440-526-8938.
The congregation belongs to the Northern Waters District of the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. As an inclusive and affirming congregation, it welcomes the full participation of all people in worship, learning, and service, and offers weddings for individuals of any sexual orientation, sacramental ministry to all ages, and a wide array of opportunities for children, youth, adults, and older adults to grow in faith together.