By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 1, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Highland Park United Methodist leaders have intensified their response to a lawsuit filed by the Horizon Texas Conference concerning church governance issues. The Dallas congregation’s church council unanimously passed a resolution, labeling the legal action as a “profound betrayal.” The resolution states that the church council “no longer recognizes the ecclesiastical authority of the bishop and conference to direct the Church or its Clergy,” while emphasizing the church’s ongoing commitment to The United Methodist Church.
The resolution aims to shield the church’s clergy from “punitive action,” though it stops short of declaring the megachurch independent from the broader United Methodist denomination. It underscores the church council’s duty to lead and provide counsel, defend the congregation, protect its clergy, and keep the congregation informed about these developments.
The lawsuit, filed in Dallas civil court on August 10, challenges amendments made by the church council in 2022 to the church’s governing documents. These amendments removed “United Methodist” from the church’s legal name and granted the church council extensive decision-making powers, including selecting its members. The suit contends that these changes allow the church council and pastor-parish relations committee to have sole authority over matters such as pastoral oversight, church mission, and denominational affiliation, without input from the conference or the wider congregation.
In an August 21 statement to UM News, the Horizon Texas Conference expressed its goal of restoring the church’s governing documents to align with United Methodist polity. The conference emphasized the importance of preserving the church’s United Methodist identity and ensuring the congregation’s voice is protected for future generations. They stated, “A local church council cannot unilaterally decide for an entire congregation that it will no longer recognize the ecclesiastical authority of The United Methodist Church.” The conference affirmed its commitment to responding with “love, care, and grace” for the people of Highland Park, while advocating for the congregation’s United Methodist connection. This situation echoes the biblical call for accountability and justice, as highlighted in Micah 6:8, reminding us of the importance of integrity and the protection of community voices.
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Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
