Overview
- Highland Park’s membership voted on Oct. 25–26 to sever ties with The United Methodist Church, with about 90 percent of 4,775 ballots cast in favor.
- Church leaders say they will begin worshiping as Highland Park Methodist Church and aim to complete operational separation by December 1, 2026.
- The Horizon Texas Conference has sued over the congregation’s 2022 bylaw changes and argues the UMC’s long‑standing trust clause prevents a unilateral transfer of property.
- Bishop Rubén Saenz removed the senior pastor and his predecessor on Oct. 29 and has organized a conference‑backed remnant congregation to worship at University Park UMC under an appointed pastor, setting up dueling services this weekend.
- The dispute involves one of the denomination’s largest and wealthiest congregations and could create a legal precedent about whether local churches can keep property if they leave the UMC, with a non‑jury trial set for Oct. 12, 2027.