An independent church in Cushing that has served the community for 170 years has gone to court to block a branch of an international religious order from taking ownership of the property.
Broad Cove Church of Cushing filed a complaint Dec. 3 in the state court in Knox County to block the effort by the New England Annual Conference of United Methodist Church, Inc. to take ownership of the church.
“This case concerns an attempted religious land grab,” the lawyer for Broad Cove Church wrote in a motion seeking a preliminary injunction to bar the effort by the regional United Methodist Church conference.
Broad Cove Church notes it has been a small independent church in Cushing since its founding more than 170 years ago. Since its founding, it has welcomed and served members of all Christian denominations, the church states in court papers.
At the same time, “United Methodist Church has been hemorrhaging members and whole congregations following an acrimonious 2023 schism,” Broad Cove’s court filing states.
“UMC seeks to expand its shrinking holdings by fiat, declaring that Broad Cove is a Methodist-only community and forcing its non-Methodist members either to submit or find other churches,” the lawsuit states. “The UMC demands that Broad Cove knuckle under to the UMC’s ‘Book of Discipline’, with the ultimate goal of seizing Broad Cove’s real and personal property.”
Broad Cove argues in the court complaint that it is independent, has been incorporated in Maine since 1969, and its membership has never voted to affiliate itself with UMC.
Broad Cove wants the injunction because otherwise it would suffer irreparable harm even if UMC took control temporarily over its meetinghouse. Otherwise, the congregation, particularly non-Methodists would have no place to worship in Cushing.
Broad Cove has long enjoyed a close relationship with various Methodist denominations but it has maintained its non-denominational status to allow people of any denomination to join, according to the lawsuit. The congregation is too small to support a full-time minister and has had agreements with UMC to vet and assign part-time ministers to Broad Cove, the lawsuit states. Broad Cove had provided financial support to defray the cost to UMC.
The long and mutually beneficial arm’s-length relationship with UMC soured almost immediately in 2023 after UMC assigned someone referred to in court documents as “Mr. Leonard” as minister.
“Mr. Leonard began insisting on changes to the Church’s building and its congregation’s practices, with the ultimate purpose of dragging the unwilling Church into the UMC,” the lawsuit contends. Over the next two years, over the congregation’s growing objections, he emphasized Methodism.
“The conflict came to a boil in June 2025 during revision of the Church’s bylaws. Leonard insisted that the word ‘non-denominational’ not be used to describe the church,” the lawsuit states.
After the church membership voted to terminate Leonard’s employment and bar him from the church building, UMC sent a letter asserting that Broad Cove has not owned the church but instead has held it in trust for UMC. This goes against deeds, bylaws, and incorporation papers, Broad Cove states in the lawsuit.
No hearing has been scheduled on Broad Cove’s request for an injunction.
Broad Cove is represented by attorney Daniel Dalton of the Michigan law firm of Dalton and Tomich that specializes in religious law, Joshua Mitchell of the Washington, D.C. law firm of Wilkie Farr & Gallagher of Washington, D.C., and attorney Dan Stevens of Stevens and Day Law of Augusta. Mitchell is the son of the church’s secretary and is providing his service free of charge.
UMC is represented by attorneys Adam Shub and Michael Melusky of Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios in Portland.
A telephone message was left with the UMC’s law firm on Dec. 19.