What we Believe

Broadway Church is a member of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, a denomination with a rich history of valuing discipleship, peacemaking, outreach and dedication to scripture as God’s living Word. We are an intergenerational community driven by our mission to lead people to love and follow Jesus. We believe the grace, mercy and love God has shown us in Jesus empowers us to extend grace, mercy, and love to those around us in bold and sacrificial ways.

Practically, we aim for this by gathering on Sundays for worship, teaching and prayer, by meeting in care groups throughout the week for support and equipping, standing with organizations and individuals advancing the Gospel locally and internationally, and serving our community through various ministries such as Kids and Youth.

We believe all Scripture is inspired by God and is the authoritative guide for faith and practice. Beginning with creation and culminating in Jesus Christ, God has revealed Himself in the Old and New Testaments. We interpret Scripture in the church community as guided by the Holy Spirit. You can find the full CCMB confession of faith here.

Mission and Values

Mission

The mission of Broadway Church is leading people to love and follow Jesus.

Values

  • Inspired by the Spirit and unified across time, location and human authorship, scripture points us to Jesus. He is the promised King, the good Shepherd, the perfect sacrifice, the image of the invisible God. Through the reading of the scripture, God’s character and nature is revealed and made flesh in the life of Jesus. We are planted firmly in this Living Word as they are the only words which make us truly alive.

  • Jesus called people by name, he ate with the outcast and he washed his disciples’ feet. Because of Jesus’ example, we choose to be a community who knows, loves and serves one another with grace and truth. We gather in the name of Jesus, knowing that our collective gathering unites us as a family whose lives are changed by God’s upside-down kingdom values.

  • God created people in his image and we see value and dignity in people of all ages. As God’s image bearers in every stage of life, the Holy Spirit equips and empowers us with spiritual gifts to actively build up the Body of Christ and glorify God in all things.

  • Disciples of Jesus are formed to be made more like Jesus. Through prayerful surrender, intentional habits and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit our finances, ambitions, leisure and worship is formed to image the generosity, humility, service and glory of King Jesus.

  • We serve a missionary God who personally came into our world to reconcile all things back to Himself. Out of an overflow of gratitude, our changed hearts propel us to share Christ’s message of hope, tell of his goodness, be active peacemakers, and tend to the physical needs of our neighbour.

Staff

Gary Simpson

Lead Pastor

  • Gary and his wife Sharon have been married for 38 years and have 4 kids and 4 grandkids! Gary has been our lead pastor since 2003.  He grew up in Chilliwack and graduated from Sardis Secondary School. He loves preaching, teaching, helping get people connected to each other and seeing relationships grow and flourish throughout the church and into the community. Outside of the office, Gary loves going on motorbike trips with Sharon to take in all the beautiful scenery that this province offers. He also enjoys golf and baseball and competes in Masters swimming. Gary enjoys reading books about the grandness of God's creation. Some of his favorite authors are John Lennox, NT Wright and John Mark Comer. He also recommends checking out anything by Tim Mackie and The Bible Project. 

Youth & Young Adults Pastor

Zack Melhus

  • Zack has been on staff here for 10 years and currently serves as our Youth and Young Adults Pastor. He provides guidance for our highschool and young adults ministries and works alongside a fantastic team of passionate volunteers. Zack is thankful that he gets to learn so much about Jesus from his students and loves seeing people develop a sense of joy and anticipation as they discover their part in God's big story. Zack and his wife Riley-Ann love living in an area as beautiful as this, and they spend a lot of time together out on the trails in the mountains of Chilliwack, often with books and cameras in hand. The book Zack recommends most often is A Creative Minority by Jon Tyson and Heather Grizzle. It is a short, realistic and encouraging handbook to being a part of God’s Kingdom in our cultural moment.

Jenn Wiebe

Kids & Family Pastor

  • I’ve been in pastoral ministry for over 25 years, and I’m still in awe of how Jesus transforms lives—because of how He changes mine and how I’ve witness Him at work in others too! That’s what fuels my heart for family and kids ministry: I want people to truly know Him, not just know about Him, and to respond to His tangible LOVE. I have been the family and Kids Pastor at Broadway for almost 6 years. I have the joy of serving alongside an amazing team of volunteers and parents, (who I like to call “disciples”). They are disciples making young disciples! Together, we create spaces where kids can grow in relationship with Jesus, know they belong, grow in relationships and follow Him in their everyday lives! For fun, I love spending time with my husband and our two young adult kids. I’m also passionate about gardening, being outdoors, football, sports, cooking and traveling whenever we can. I especially love watching things grow—whether it’s in the garden or in life with Jesus! 🌻

Richard Franckiewicz

Middle School Youth Pastor & Media Director

  • Richard and his wife Jennifer married in 2020 and have two sons, William and Thomas. Richard and Jennifer both grew up in Chilliwack, and absolutely love this city. Richard is passionate about seeing God move in the lives of teens, and helping them understand and experience God’s unconditional love. Richard happily refers to himself as a ‘jack-of-all-nerds’ who enjoys a little bit of anything nerdy, be it a sci-fi or fantasy movie, board games, card games, video games, or pretty much whatever you can do while sitting on a couch or around a table. He also enjoys the getting outside to play with his sons, throw frisbees, and search for waterfalls. One book Richard recommends as beneficial for anyone who wants to be winsome in their faith is Messy Truth by Caleb Kaltenbach.

Director of Caring Ministries

Heidi Kinnersley

  • Heidi has been attending Broadway church since 2008, and has always appreciated the warm and welcoming people here. The Sunday morning worship music and sermons are a highlight of her week. Heidi and her husband George have been involved in various ministries over the years, and have 3 adult children between them; a daughter in Edmonton, and two sons here in Chilliwack. Heidi and George also love hosting and leading a Care Group, particularly due to the friendships and discussions about the Christian faith that have flourished from meeting together. One of Heidi's favorite things to do is taking long walks or hikes, in awe of God's incredible creation. Even in the rain and snow! When not working as a Certified Dental Assistant, Heidi loves a good book, eating great food with friends and family, gardening, and travel.

Vanessa Gillis

Children’s Ministry Admin Assistant

  • Vanessa and her husband Bruce married in 2009 and have been at Broadway since 2013. Vanessa and Bruce have three daughters. Vanessa has been a volunteer in our children’s ministry since 2018 and has served in the women’s ministry since 2022. Vanessa has worked alongside pastor Jenn since 2023. Bruce’s work takes him travelling often, but when he is home he loves to volunteer at church, and was baptized at Broadway. Vanessa has enjoyed seeing the church grow over the years, and has appreciated seeing God moving through the kids, and is so glad to call Broadway ‘home.’ Vanessa likes to paint, read, and do crafts with her girls, and loves art in all its forms. As a family they love to explore new places while fishing, boating, and connecting with nature to enjoy God’s creation.

Nick Eshuis

Executive Administrator

  • Nick and his wife Bonnie have been married for 39 years and are proud parents of three boys and one precious grandchild.  Bonnie serves on the Caring Team and loves to hang out in the Nursery.  When he is not serving in the office Nick helps out on the Sound team and looks forward to when Christmas and Easter come around so that he can sing in the choir.   Bonnie and Nick love to travel and are looking forward to their next adventure.  They also love their church community and are seeking to figure out how to love and follow Jesus.

Custodian

Theresa Loewen

  • Theresa has been married to her husband Matt for 14 years and they have 3 children. Theresa has been on our custodial staff for about 7 years. She cleans the building and prepares spaces for the different ministry programs.

    She loves that her work allows her to meet a variety of kind people. Outside of work Theresa enjoys spending time with Jesus, being with her family, baking, mountain biking, getting outside in nature and listening to podcasts or audiobooks.

Lead Team

Nate Tiessen

Chair

Doris Eichstadt

Vice-Chair

Dave Vogt

Treasurer

Audra Dick

Lead Team Member

Carol Dyck

Lead Team Member

Sheryl Hagkul

Lead Team Member

Jeff Janz

Lead Team Member

Roger Braun

Lead Team Member

Joe Kraftchick

Lead Team Member

Marg Funk

Lead Team Member

Ron Willms

Lead Team Member