What began as a heated legal battle between one of Texas’ largest megachurches and the United Methodist Church could now end in a historic denominational departure.
Highland Park United Methodist Church, a Dallas congregation with more than 15,000 members, is considering severing ties with the denomination as tensions between church leadership and the Horizon Texas Conference continue to escalate.
As Charisma previously reported, the conference filed a lawsuit against the megachurch in August, challenging changes to its governing documents and raising serious questions about who ultimately holds authority over the congregation.
Now, the conflict has taken another dramatic turn.
According to United Methodist News, church leaders held a town hall on Oct. 11 to discuss whether Highland Park should remain affiliated with the denomination.
“The question is: Knowing what we know now, should our church remain part of The United Methodist Church?” church council Chair Caroline Nowlin asked.
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The growing divide has also sparked sharp criticism of denominational leadership.
“I also really don’t have any confidence in the entire episcopal leadership of The United Methodist Church,” church council member Greg Swalwell said, questioning the leadership responsible for electing Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr. as president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops.
The Horizon Texas Conference rejected allegations against Saenz’s character, maintaining that its efforts are intended to uphold the denomination’s governing agreements.
Senior pastor Matt Tuggle suggested that even if Highland Park departed, its Methodist identity and ministry would remain intact. He also discussed potentially establishing a network of like-minded churches.
What started as a disagreement over church governance has become something far greater: a battle over leadership, authority and whether one of Texas’ largest Methodist congregations will remain united with the denomination at all.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
