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.
Pastoral Team & Staff
Gary Simpson - Lead Pastor
Gary and his wife Sharon have been married for 35 years, and have 4 kids and 3 grandkids! Gary has been our lead pastor since 2003. 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 the Fraser Valley offers. He also enjoys golf and baseball which are known to come up every now and then in his sermons. Gary enjoys reading books about the grandness of God's creation. Some favorite authors of his are John Lennox, Scot McKnight and John Mark Comer. He also recommends checking out anything by Tim Mackie and The Bible Project.
Jenn Wiebe - Kids & Family Pastor
Jenn loves Jesus and people so much!! She is the Family and Kids Pastor here at Broadway for the last few years. Overall, she has been a Family Pastor for over 23 years and has truly sensed God’s calling. She went to William and Catherine Bible College and Ambrose University. Shortly after, she went on a life-changing mission trip in New York City. She got married in 2001 to Trevis and they have two incredible teen-aged kids. They are a close family that loves adventures and serving the Lord together. They come as a team! At Broadway, Jenn has the privilege of coming alongside parents & kids and encourages them in responding to Jesus. She is passionate about empowering disciples, Vacation Bible Camp, community outreach and seeing kids grow in faith every day! Jenn loves many different sports (especially football), growing tall sunflowers, camping, travelling and eating spicy foods!
Zack Melhus - Youth & Young Adults Pastor
Zack has been on staff here for 8 years and currently serves as our Youth and Young Adults Pastor. He provides vision and teaching for our student 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. He feels lucky to live in an area as beautiful as this, and spends a lot of time on the trails, in the mountains and alongside the rivers of Chilliwack, often with a book or a camera 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.
Richard Franckiewicz - Middle School Youth Pastor and Media Director
Richard and his wife Jennifer married in 2020 and have one son, William. 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. When he’s not sitting down he’s also been seen excitedly chasing teenagers with a dodgeball or a pool noodle. He also enjoys the occasional jaunt outdoors for fresh air and the experience of a waterfall. One book Richard recommends as beneficial for anyone who wants to be winsome in their faith is Messy Truth by Caleb Kaltenbach.
Heidi Kinnersley - Director of Caring Ministries
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.
Joanne Dekkers - Administrator
Joanne and her husband Michael were married in 1978 and are blessed with 5 grandchildren. Joanne grew up here at Broadway, and returned in 2007 to be our Office Administrator. On top of her admin work, Joanne enjoys helping out in many different areas of ministry like serving food for our Christmas banquets, youth functions and missions trip fundraisers. Outside of work, she loves 4x4-ing in the boonies, or relaxing in her hammock under the trees, hearing the birds chirping and enjoying a good book. Her love languages are chocolate, candles and hanging out with her grandkids. Joanne loves traveling; #1 on her bucket list is to go on an African safari. Joanne believes there is always something more for her to learn about herself, God and how she can walk alongside others in their own journeys with Christ.
Nick Eshuis - Administrative Assistant
Nick and his wife Bonnie have been married for 37+ years and are proud parents of three boys. Bonnie serves on the Caring Team and loves to hang out in the Nursery. Nick serves on the Sound team and looks forward to when Christmas and Easter come around so that he can sing in the choir. Nick’s other job is driving school bus and he really enjoys getting to know his ‘bus kids’. Bonnie works as a Certified Dental Assistant and loves getting to know her patients and making them feel comfortable. 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.
Theresa Loewen - Custodian
Theresa and her husband Matt have been married for 10 years and have 2 little kids. Theresa has been on our custodial staff for about 6 years. She cleans the building and preps 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 her family, mountain biking and gardening. She also really enjoys reading a good mystery and a few of her favourite authors are Emily Giffin, John Grisham and Irene Hannon.