Highland Park United Methodist Church Files Response in Governance Dispute

Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas has filed a formal response and counterclaim in an ongoing legal dispute with the Horizon Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The church maintains that the conflict centers on corporate governance rather than religious doctrine, asserting that its 2022 amendments to corporate bylaws and articles of incorporation were conducted lawfully under Texas state law.

In court filings, the church argues that its council acted within its authority to unanimously approve these changes, noting that its governing documents did not require denominational approval for such updates. The church is requesting that the court uphold the validity of these amendments and dismiss the conference’s claims, citing the "neutral principles" of corporate law established in previous Texas Supreme Court rulings.

Church leadership stated that the 2022 administrative updates were intended to protect the congregation's future stability during a period of denominational transition. The church emphasized that these measures were taken while it remained part of the United Methodist Church, despite a broader denominational schism regarding LGBT issues that led thousands of other congregations to disaffiliate.