The Session is the governing body of Broad Street, entrusted with the spiritual life, mission, and administration of the congregation. It includes 18 elected members of the congregation.
On January 26, 2026, the Session met and adopted a statement which is intended to both guide our life together and serve as a public expression of our faith.
Statement from the Session of Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Ohio, January 26, 2026
We, the Session of Broad Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio, write to stand in clear and public solidarity with immigrant communities experiencing fear, harm, and dehumanization at the hands of federal immigration enforcement practices. We also are alarmed by the harm inflicted on those who are exercising their rights to observe, accompany, protest, and assemble in support of vulnerable neighbors. We call on federal immigration agencies to cease enforcement tactics that rely on fear and intimidation.
Scripture calls us to love our neighbors without exception. Jesus consistently sides with those pushed to the margins and calls his followers to a way of courageous, nonviolent love. We proclaim a God who affirms the inherent dignity and worth of every person and who desires communities rooted in justice, mercy, and peace.
We commit to:
- Listening to and honoring the stories of those most impacted;
- Challenging rhetoric rooted in fear and falsehood;
- Reaching out to elected officials to express our concern;
- Engaging across difference with honesty and humility; and
- Grounding all of this work in mercy, kindness, and faith.
In the words of the Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we choose welcome over suspicion, truth over secrecy, and hope over fear.
—The Session of Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Ohio.
Amy Bodiker Baskes, Barb Blanke, Jen Bunker, Christiane Buuck, Ellie Carter, Kristy Clay, Jim Curphey, Rachel Daniels, Anna Delaney, Ashley Etter, Steve Hamilton, Will Heywood, Phil Johnson, Tom Reidy, William Roy, Kyoung Swearingen, Bill Talbott, Jim Wilson.
