Highland Park votes to leave United Methodist Church

Key points:

• After two days of voting, members of the Dallas congregation approved a resolution severing ties with The United Methodist Church. 
• More than 90% voted in favor of the move, according to the church.
• The vote comes amid the church’s legal battle with the Horizon Texas Conference over changes the church council made to Highland Park’s bylaws in 2022. 

Members of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas overwhelmingly voted on Oct. 25-26 to leave The United Methodist Church.

Of the 4,775 votes cast, 90.35% voted to “sever all of its ties, affiliations, and connections to The United Methodist Church,” according to a letter sent to Highland Park members on Oct. 26.

“This was not an easy decision, and we know it has not been made lightly. For many of us, it is a painful, difficult, and emotional decision. For others, the decision was straightforward,” the church council said in its letter. “Regardless of your perspective, we want to assure you that our Church will continue to operate as it has, and we will continue to be who we are. We will remain united by our identity and mission in Christ, rather than divided by our differences.”

The vote comes more than two months after the Horizon Texas Conference filed a lawsuit against the church — arguing the church council’s changes to Highland Park’s bylaws in 2022 improperly removed oversight by the denomination and the church’s own congregants.

The conference amended the suit on Oct. 15, adding a second count accusing the church of breach of contract and arguing that the church council’s changes are void. The conference is asking the court for a permanent injunction prohibiting Highland Park from breaching the articles and bylaws further.

The Horizon Texas Conference released a statement following the vote results.

“The Horizon Texas Conference remains committed to the congregation and ministry of Highland Park United Methodist Church and to the shared covenant that connects us as United Methodists. We understand that this is a deeply personal and emotional time for many members of the congregation, and we continue to hold all who call Highland Park their church home in our prayers.

“While individuals are free to make their own decisions about their religious affiliation, a congregational vote does not, by itself, sever a local church’s relationship with The United Methodist Church. The conference has a responsibility to uphold the covenant we share and continues to ask that Highland Park’s governing documents be restored in accordance with United Methodist governance. That has been our request from the beginning.”

The conference’s lawsuit followed meetings in December and March in which Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr. and other conference leaders urged the church to revise its bylaws to bring them back in line with United Methodist processes and with the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s law book. A non-jury trial is set for Oct. 12, 2027. 

In the response to the lawsuit, filed Sept. 21, the church leadership said it informed the conference of the changes at the time and strongly denied that the church was trying to cut ties with The United Methodist Church.

However, on Oct. 15, Highland Park’s church council unanimously adopted an ecclesiastical resolution calling for the church-wide vote with a recommendation to leave the denomination. 

The United Methodist Church maintains a centuries-old trust clause, first established by Methodism founder John Wesley, that says church property is held in trust for the benefit of the denomination. That means that while people can leave a church at any time, they can’t take property with them.

Highland Park, which began on the Southern Methodist University campus 110 years ago, has more than 15,000 members across several campuses. On Oct. 21, current senior minister, the Rev. Matt Tuggle, and his immediate predecessors, the Revs. Paul Rasmussen, now pastor-in-residence, and Mark Craig, released a video sharing their perspectives on the situation and their confidence in their legal position. 

“Our properties across our church have supported our ministry and mission for generations, and we’re confident that the same properties will continue to serve this mission for years to come,” Rasmussen said.

In the days leading up to the vote, some church members wrestled with the decision. On Oct. 23, more than 40 clergy with ties to Highland Park issued a letter to members of the congregation urging them to vote “no” on the resolution. 

“We may have different reasons for urging your NO vote. But we are unanimous in this urgent plea. There is no reason to vote AT ALL right now, and every reason to allow the Holy Spirit, church law, and civil legal process to run their due course.

“In fact, these processes will likely continue, regardless of the outcome of this vote,” they said in the letter, which was posted to Facebook. 

In its letter to Highland Park members after the vote, the council said church leadership is working through next steps and will continue to communicate regularly. 

“Our greatest opportunity is not simply in the decision we have made, but in what we will continue to build together. We are eager to turn our full attention to the mission and ministries that make our Church such a special place and to the opportunities God has placed before us.”

In a Zoom conversation with Highland Park members on Oct. 24, Horizon Texas Conference leaders addressed questions and talked about the value of shared ministry.

“My vision, my hope for all of this is that there will be a strong, fully connected, fully covenanted United Methodist church on the corner of Mockingbird and Hillcrest that will continue to love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously for many, many, many, many more decades and generations to come,” Saenz said. 

“Highland Park, you’re our siblings, you’re our sisters and you’re our brothers in Christ. You’ve always been that. You’ll always be that. And with you, we are more. And with us, you are more. So let’s be more together.” 

Patterson is a reporter for UM News. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.