Nation's Largest United Methodist Congregation Votes to Leave Denomination
Members of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas voted on October 25 and 26 to leave the United Methodist Church, with about ninety percent of the 4,775 ballots cast in favor of separating. The 110 year old congregation, whose roughly 15,000 members make it the denomination's largest in the country, said it would begin worshipping as Highland Park Methodist Church, dropping United from its name. The vote follows a lawsuit the Horizon Texas Conference filed in August, accusing the church of quietly rewriting its governing documents to remove references to the denomination without the required approval process.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. of the Horizon Texas Conference said the denomination's rulebook does not allow a congregation to sever ties on its own, and the conference has said a vote alone does not end the relationship. Because the United Methodist Church holds local church property in trust, and the temporary window that let departing churches take their property with them closed at the end of 2023, the dispute is expected to move to Texas courts. Bishop Saenz has also named a pastor to lead members who wish to remain with the denomination.
