Articles

Profile: Rev. Gregory Dell

March 1, 2005

Edited from an article by Larry Washburn and published on the LGBT Religious Archives Network (LGBT-RAN)

The Rev. Gregory Dell became pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church in Chicago in 1995. At the time, approximately 40% of the congregation's members were gay or lesbian. Since the 1980s, he had included holy union services for gay and lesbian couples as part of his pastoral duties because he Read more

The Rev. Greg Dell

GeneralConferenceClevelandProtest2000b.jpg

protesters stand arm in arm in front of building entrance
A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey

May 10, 2000

By Antony H.

This photo stirred Antony to write the poem below about Greg being arrested at the 2000 United Methodist General Conference in Cleveland. Antony was a member of Broadway church. He wrote the poem after the General Conference voted to keep the restrictive policies about ministry to LGBT persons.

I saw you
surrounded by police
your face drawn by the sorrow
of a thousand gay lives
shattered in the conspiracy
that kills in the end.

You surrendered your freedom
with the descendants of
Gandhi and King
and honored my captivity
Read more

Cool under the collar

February 21, 1999

By Steve Kloehn, Chicago Tribune

It has taken the United Methodist Church four months to assemble its case against Rev. Gregory Dell, though it is hard to imagine what took so long.

Consider the case file:Read more

A man of God, and compassionate friend of man

December 31, 1998

By Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune

Greg Dell stuck a key in the lock and the bolt clicked back.

"The scene of the crime," he said.

The wooden door swung open and there it was, not much different from the way it looked on the day the crime occurred. Sunlight filtered through stained glass, dust motes wafting above the altar and the wooden pews.

It was in this sanctuary of Chicago's Broadway United Methodist Church on a day last September that Dell committed the act.Read more

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