A Texas regional body of The United Methodist Church has taken legal action against a prominent megachurch over changes to the congregation’s governing documents.
The UMC Horizon Texas Annual Conference filed a petition for declaratory judgment Monday in Dallas County District Court naming Highland Park United Methodist Church as the defendant, according to The Christian Post.
In the complaint, the conference alleges that HPUMC “appears to be attempting to unilaterally sever” its ties with the denomination.
The petition states that Highland Park leaders submitted a Restated Certificate of Formation in November 2022, changing “the corporation’s name to Highland Park Methodist Church and removing all references to The United Methodist Church, the Conference, and the [UMC Book of Discipline] from its governing documents.”
HPUMC also “adopted amended bylaws” around the same time that removed references to the denomination as well as “the rights of HP Church members to participate in any matter ‘affecting or involving the Church’” and “the members’ right to participate in determining the denomination of HP Church, including selection of the Church Council, which would be chosen only by itself and answerable only to itself.”
Explaining the legal action, the conference said, “The Conference is asking the court to address the civil-law questions involving Highland Park’s governing documents and its longstanding property deed, including which governing documents control the church as a Texas corporation and the legal effect of the deed governing the church property.”
Conference officials said they did not address the issue earlier because they were not informed of the 2022 changes when they occurred.
Highland Park Senior Minister the Rev. Matt Tuggle rejected the conference’s claims, describing the lawsuit as “meritless.”
“We have been faithful United Methodists and have always supported United Methodist leadership,” stated Tuggle. “For the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church to file a meritless lawsuit against our church is both bewildering and disappointing.”
Founded in 1918, Highland Park is the Horizon Conference’s largest congregation and is periodically attended by former President George W. Bush. UMData reported that the church had approximately 15,000 professing members and averaged more than 4,000 weekly worship attendees as of 2024.
