A Dallas megachurch has voted overwhelmingly to leave The United Methodist Church, setting up a confrontation between its congregation's decision and a regional conference that says the vote alone cannot end their relationship.
Highland Park United Methodist Church announced that 90.35% of 4,775 votes cast during October 25-26 supported leaving the denomination. About one-third of its professing membership participated.
Church leaders said the congregation would begin worshipping as Highland Park Methodist Church the following Sunday, with a goal of completing the operational changes by December 1, 2026.
But the Horizon Texas Conference immediately challenged the vote's effect.
"A congregational vote does not, by itself, sever a local church's relationship with The United Methodist Church," the conference said.
The result intensifies an existing legal dispute over who has authority to govern the 110-year-old congregation-and what obligations remain when a church seeks to leave.
Highland Park's council framed its recommendation around "preserving our historic autonomy," maintaining a voice in choosing and protecting clergy, and safeguarding the congregation's identity.
The conference's lawsuit, filed in August, challenges changes made to the church's corporate charter and bylaws in 2022. It alleges those changes improperly removed denominational references and oversight, while also restricting members' participation in church governance.
Highland Park disputes that position. In its response and counterclaim, the church argued that its amendments were valid under Texas law and asked the court to dismiss the conference's suit.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. has described the dispute as a matter of governance rather than a challenge to the congregation's faith or ministry. He said the conference wants the church to restore its earlier governing arrangements, including references to the denomination's Book of Discipline and members' participation in governance.
Property obligations also remain contested. The conference maintains that United Methodist properties are held in trust for the denomination. The congregational vote does not automatically resolve the pending lawsuit.
For Highland Park, the ballot delivers a decisive mandate from those who participated. Turning that mandate into an uncontested departure remains unfinished business.
