Texas Megachurch Sued By Its Governing Body Who Claim Leaders Changed The Bylaws Without Telling Congregants

The Horizon Texas Conference has revenge a lawsuit against Highland Park United Methodist Church, alleging that nan Dallas megachurch softly altered its governing documents to region denominational oversight and portion its ain congregation of cardinal voting rights.

The lawsuit, revenge Aug. 10 successful Dallas County authorities civilian court, centers connected changes made successful 2022 by Highland Park’s religion council, arsenic reported by United Methodist News.

According to nan lawsuit, nan religion assembly changed its articles of incorporation and bylaws to springiness section leaders complete administrative and pastoral authority, stripping nan broader United Methodist Church of its structural oversight.

The suit follows months of grounded negotiations. Conference activity first learned of nan alterations successful October 2025 and had backstage discussions pinch religion officials earlier moving nan matter to civilian court.

“The life, personality and early of this religion are larger than immoderate 1 activity squad aliases immoderate 1 constituent successful time,” Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr., who besides serves arsenic president of nan denomination’s Council of Bishops, said successful a video statement. “My work extends to those who believe astatine Highland Park today, those who built and sustained this religion crossed generations, and those who will travel aft us.”

Saenz added: “Our intent is not punishment. It is restoration — bringing nan original governance building backmost into alignment pinch nan Book of Discipline truthful this religion tin move guardant faithfully.”

The Book of Discipline is nan denomination's governing rulebook.

Leadership astatine Highland Park has pushed backmost against nan claims, describing nan suit arsenic unnecessary.

“For nan Horizon Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church to record a meritless suit against our religion is some bewildering and disappointing,” nan Rev. Matt Tuggle, elder curate of Highland Park United Methodist Church, told United Methodist News. “While we proceed to prosecute pinch nan convention connected its allegations, we will stay focused connected being who we are arsenic a religion — which intends ministering to our congregation conscionable arsenic we person complete nan past 110 years.”

Highland Park boasts much than 15,000 members, making it nan largest United Methodist congregation successful nan convention and nan state. Historically known arsenic a centrist institution that brings together divers governmental and theological viewpoints, its members person included high-profile figures specified arsenic erstwhile U.S. President George W. Bush and erstwhile First Lady Laura Bush.

Court documents show that down nan scenes successful 2022, nan religion assembly voted to rewrite nan congregation’s ineligible framework.

The assembly renamed nan ineligible entity Highland Park Methodist Church and removed each references to nan United Methodist Church, nan location convention and nan Book of Discipline.

Under nan revised structure, nan religion eliminated nan authority of nan accepted “charge conference” — a law assemblage that, nether United Methodist rules, must meet annually nether nan supervision of a territory superintendent to o.k. budgets, elite leaders and motion disconnected connected governance changes.

Instead, nan religion assembly granted itself nan powerfulness to self-select its members, dictate ngo strategy and find denominational affiliations without congregational input. The changes besides transferred sole authority complete pastoral hiring, supervision and appointments to a section committee, bypassing nan bishop’s accepted assignment power.

The convention based on that nan suit was strictly astir governance protocols.

“The conference’s position is not that Highland Park must surrender its identity, traditions aliases unique attack to ministry,” Saenz said successful his video statement. “The conference’s interest is constricted to nan church's governing documents and decisions that were made astir nan congregation's governance and denominational opinionated without transparency and without pursuing nan process required of each United Methodist church.”