Highland Park United Methodist Church Votes to Leave United Methodist Church Over LGBTQ Issues

Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, has voted to leave the United Methodist Church (UMC). The decision, made on October 25, saw 90.35 percent of nearly 5,000 voters approve the separation. The church, known for its affluent congregation and historical ties to prominent figures like George W. Bush and Ross Perot, has an average attendance of over 5,000 and an official membership exceeding 15,000.

The UMC filed a lawsuit in August against Highland Park, alleging that church leadership was attempting to sever ties with the denomination by altering its bylaws. The church revised its bylaws in 2022 as other Methodist congregations left the UMC, granting Highland Park greater decision-making authority typically reserved for the denomination. It also removed references to the UMC and the Book of Discipline, the church’s legal and constitutional mandate, from its governing documents.

The split comes amid a broader schism within the UMC, where over 7,600 conservative-leaning churches left the denomination from 2019 to 2023. The primary issue was the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ individuals. Texas, a major stronghold for the Methodist Church, saw 40 percent of its churches opt to leave the UMC. Highland Park had previously chosen to remain within the UMC in 2023.

In 2024, the UMC removed restrictions on same-sex unions and gay clergy, though it did not mandate that clergy perform same-sex unions. Shortly after, Rev. Paul Rasmussen, a former senior minister at Highland Park UMC, stated that while he would not perform same-sex marriages at the church, other pastors could perform such marriages at other locations.

The decision to leave the UMC reflects deepening disagreements over the handling of LGBTQ issues within the denomination. As the church prepares to operate independently, its future direction and relationship with the broader Methodist community remain uncertain.

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