In a special vote on Sunday and Monday (Oct. 25–26), members of one of the largest United Methodist churches in the country elected to leave the denomination, setting up what is likely to be a prolonged court challenge.
Following two days of in-person voting by 4,775 of the 15,000 members of Dallas’ Highland Park United Methodist Church, some 90% elected to withdraw from the United Methodist Church. The church did not provide the exact vote count.
‘Heated dispute’
The move comes in response to a heated dispute between the church and the denomination’s regional governing body. In August, that regional governing body, called the Horizon Texas Conference, sued Highland Park over changes that the church made to its governing documents that attempted to chart a more independent course. Those changes removed “United Methodist” from the church’s legal name and gave the church council authority to make broad decisions typically made by the denomination.
Membership at the 110-year-old church, in the tony University Park neighborhood adjacent to the Perkins School of Theology on the campus of Southern Methodist University, includes many prominent Dallas business and civic leaders, including former President George W. Bush.
The church’s three senior ministers, Matt Tuggle, Paul Rasmussen and Mark Craig, all recommended breaking away.
“Based on these results, the congregation has voted to follow the recommendation of the Church Council and separate from the United Methodist Church,” a statement posted to the church website reads. “Beginning this Sunday, we will worship as Highland Park Methodist Church, with the commitment to protect the mission, ministry and future of our Church while still honoring our history and past.”
Not recognized
But the vote by the church membership is not a recognized step toward disaffiliation in the United Methodist rulebook.
As the Horizon Texas Conference said in a statement: “While individuals are free to make their own decisions about their religious affiliation, a congregational vote does not, by itself, sever a local church’s relationship with The United Methodist Church.”
Read more.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Yonat Shimron and originally published by Religion News Service.
