September 2025 Broad View

A note from the Pastor
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. – Luke 4:18-19
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These are the words that begin Jesus’ public ministry as recorded in Luke’s Gospel. These words echo what has already been said about Jesus in the Nativity stories, but the words instead come from Jesus himself. He knows who he is, what he has come to do, and embraces this vision for his ministry. As I have spoken with others throughout these last couple of months, I have wondered how we may understand ourselves and what we are called to do. As we prepare to vision together and discuss what Broad Street UMC can be for this community going forward, I find myself thinking of this vision of Jesus’ ministry. He does not offer much in the way of specifics. He doesn’t lay out a series of programs or sermon topics, he doesn’t list out his travel itinerary, and he doesn’t clue the audience in to his coming death (yet). He is very clear, however, about the results of his ministry: liberation, redemption, new sight, and the Lord’s favor bestowed on all. I invite all of us to find where these things are already occurring in our midst. Where are people encountering God’s love, freedom, and grace? Where are people being helped both materially and spiritually? I invite us to ponder these questions both in our personal lives and our communal life. In doing so, we may begin to see more clearly where God’s Spirit is at work in our midst, and where the Spirit is leading us.
Rev. Morgan Byars

Dear Broad Street Family,
Twelve years ago, I walked through the doors of Broad Street United Methodist Church with hope in my heart and music in my soul. I could never have imagined just how deeply this place, this ministry, and you would come to shape my life.
Serving alongside you—through the seasons of celebration, struggle, growth, and grace—has been one of the greatest privileges and blessings I’ve ever known. You have shared your voices, your stories, your trust, and your hearts with me, and I am so profoundly grateful.
Thank you for the generous gifts, the kind cards, the thoughtful words, and the countless ways you’ve shown your love during this time of transition. Every gesture has meant more than I can say. And while this letter marks the end of my time as your Director of Music and Worship Arts, it is not a goodbye. It’s simply “see you later.”
Over the years, members became friends, and friends became family. That kind of love doesn’t vanish with a change in title or address—it stays rooted, grows deeper, and carries forward.
I want to extend a special word of thanks to Mrs. Sherry and Mrs. Betty, our extraordinary administrative assistants, who made Broad Street feel like home from day one. Thank you for always looking out for me, for your grace when I forgot a form or missed a deadline, and for being the steady, caring presence every ministry needs. You both are a treasure.
I believe the bonds we’ve built through worship and song, through laughter and tears, are not so easily unraveled. They are stitched into the fabric of who I am and will go with me wherever the next chapter leads.
It is a rare and beautiful thing to love a place, a people, and a calling so deeply that it brings tears to your eyes to turn the page. What a gift. What a blessing.
So, as I go, know this: I thank my God every time I remember you (Philippians 1:3) —and I always will. And until our paths cross again, may God be with you, guiding and upholding you, folding you safely in His care... till we meet again.
With all my heart, Jeramy P. Oropeza