A state judge on Thursday heard arguments over whether he should issue a preliminary injunction preventing a 170-year-old Cushing church from being seized by an international religious order.
Justice Sean Ociepka heard testimony for more than two hours Thursday morning in Knox County Superior Court. He said he would weigh those arguments and other written documents submitted to him before he makes a ruling.
Broad Cove filed a lawsuit in December 2025 to prevent the New England Annual Conference of United Methodist Church Inc. from taking ownership of the church.
William Aboud, an official with the independent church, said the congregation decided to take the legal action after the district superintendent for United Methodist threatened to lock the doors and prevent the members from attending the church unless it agreed to the rules of the United Methodist organization.
He said a rift had developed with what he said was the unprofessionalism and autocratic behavior of Michael Leonard, who had served as pastor for Broad Cove. Aboud said Leonard had insisted one person who wanted to join the congregation become a Methodist and this was against the tradition of Broad Cove, which he said has welcomed all denominations and was independent. He said Leonard also insisted the church use language from the “Book of Discipline,” which is the United Methodist’s compilation of religious beliefs and policies.
After the congregation fired Leonard in 2025 and barred him from the church, the district supervisor asked for a meeting where he ended up making the threat to close the doors.
United Methodist also contacted the Farnsworth Art Museum to instruct it to retain an Andrew Wyeth painting that had been in the church. The painting, done in 1968, showed the church with a new addition. It was valued at $135,000 nearly a quarter century ago.
Aboud and the lawyer for the Broad Cove say they have always been an independent church, but have had a relationship with United Methodist, which has appointed pastors for the congregation.
The Rev. Rick McKinley, the district superintendent for the Katahdin Conference for United Methodist, acknowledged that he said the doors would be locked if the church did not comply — but said that was a worst case scenario if the Cushing church did not abide by the rules of United Methodist. He said he believed the two had a subsequent positive meeting prior to the lawsuit being filed.
About 50 people turned out for the court hearing.
Thus far, before even one hearing had been held, Broad Cove incurred $48,000 in legal fees. This nearly equals the church’s annual budget of $50,000.
McKinley said United Methodist has no plans to take any action until after the legal case is resolved. The United Methodist’s attorney, Adam Shub, said a preliminary injunction was not needed since United Methodist will not be taking any action with the court case pending. He said the bar for irreparable harm, which is required in Maine to get an injunction, has not been reached.
Attorney Daniel Dalton, one of the lawyers for Broad Cove, disagreed, and asked the court to issue the injunction.
During his testimony, Aboud said the closure of the church would be devastating. Broad Cove is the only church in Cushing and, other than the town office, is the only place people can seek assistance in the community.
In an earlier court filing, Broad Cove’s legal team stated “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 is represented by attorney 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 Shub and Michael Melusky of Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios in Portland.
The United Methodist Church is also asking the court to order the transfer of all the church property, including hymnal books and church history material, to the Methodist Church.
United Methodist argues in its response that Broad Cove is subject to restrictions in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, including the “trust clause” which means all church property is held in trust for United Methodist.
United Methodist claims approximately 60 hymnal books were moved off the church property.
Broad Cove has relocated the church history material from its heritage room.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
