United Methodist Conference files lawsuit against Highland Park UMC over governing documents

The Horizon Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church has initiated legal action against Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. The conference filed a petition for declaratory judgment in Dallas County District Court, alleging that the megachurch attempted to unilaterally sever its denominational ties by altering its governing documents.

According to the conference, Highland Park leadership filed a Restated Certificate of Formation in 2022 that removed references to the United Methodist Church and the denomination's Book of Discipline. The lawsuit also claims that amended bylaws adopted by the church eliminated member participation rights and established a self-appointing church council. The conference states it was not notified of these changes at the time and only pursued litigation after private discussions with church leadership failed to resolve the matter.

The conference maintains that the lawsuit seeks to address civil-law questions regarding the church's corporate status and property deeds rather than internal ecclesiastical governance. Highland Park United Methodist Church has not yet publicly responded to the specific allegations regarding the legal filing.