Members of Highland Park United Methodist Church, the congregation at the corner of Mockingbird and Hillcrest that began on the Southern Methodist University campus 110 years ago, have voted to break from the United Methodist Church.
The church council reported that 4,775 votes were cast in person on Oct. 25 and 26, and 90.35% were "Yes." UM News, the denomination's news service, reported that about one-third of the church's roughly 15,000 members took part. The resolution needed a simple majority of members voting in person, according to the church's voting guide.
In a letter to members after the count, the council said the church will begin worshiping as Highland Park Methodist Church this Sunday and aims to finish the work of separating by Dec. 1. "This was not an easy decision, and we know it has not been made lightly," the council wrote, adding that for some members it was painful and for others "straightforward."
The council says the congregation will remain Methodist in theology and identity.
The conference disputes the result
The Horizon Texas Conference, the regional body over United Methodist churches in North Texas, said a congregational vote "does not, by itself, sever a local church's relationship with The United Methodist Church." In a statement after the vote, the conference said it wants Highland Park's governing documents restored to match denominational rules, which it called its request "from the beginning."
The conference sued the church more than two months ago, arguing that bylaw changes the church council made in 2022 improperly removed oversight by the denomination and by the congregation itself, UM News reported. An amended petition filed Oct. 15 added a breach of contract claim and asks the court for a permanent injunction. A non-jury trial is set for Oct. 12, 2027.
In a Sept. 21 response, church leaders said they told the conference about the bylaw changes when they were made and denied trying to leave the denomination. On Oct. 15, the council unanimously adopted the resolution that called the church-wide vote. Before the vote, the church told members the conference had updated its suit to seek money damages and said trust had been "irrevocably broken."
