Congregants at Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC) have voted overwhelmingly to separate from the United Methodist Church (UMC) after a two-day churchwide ballot, ending a 110-year affiliation with the denomination and its predecessors. According to a statement from the church council, 90.35% of the 4,775 votes cast favored severing all ties, connections, and affiliations with the UMC.
The council, which had called for the vote earlier this month and recommended a “yes” outcome, expressed gratitude for the congregation’s participation while acknowledging the deep emotional weight of the decision. Leadership plans to implement the necessary organizational changes by December 1, 2026, and announced that the congregation will begin worshipping as Highland Park Methodist Church starting Sunday, November 1.
The vote follows an August lawsuit filed against the church by the Horizon Texas Conference, the regional governing body covering North Texas. The legal dispute centers on amendments HPUMC made to its governing documents in 2022 and 2023, including changing its corporate filing name to “Highland Park Methodist Church” and adopting bylaws that removed references to the UMC, the Conference, and the Book of Discipline.
The Conference alleges these changes altered member governance rights, while HPUMC maintains its actions aligned with a 1998 Charge Conference vote delegating authority to the council, as well as 2020 legal guidance on Texas church property principles. Ahead of the vote, church leaders expressed confidence in their legal position, citing historical property ownership deeds dating back to 1926.
Despite the outcome, the Horizon Texas Conference stated that a congregational vote does not automatically sever a church’s formal relationship with the UMC. Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. noted during an October webinar that the formal disaffiliation framework ended in 2023 following nationwide schisms over LGBTQ+ clergy ordination and same-sex marriage.
Emphasizing his responsibility to uphold the denominational covenant, the bishop reiterated the Conference’s request that HPUMC restore its original governing documents according to UMC rules. Meanwhile, HPUMC leadership assured its members that day-to-day operations and core church missions will remain unchanged as they navigate the transition ahead.
