By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM
The Horizon Texas Conference has initiated legal action against Highland Park United Methodist Church, the largest congregation within the conference. The lawsuit centers on allegations that the church improperly amended its articles of incorporation and bylaws in 2022, affecting its governance and relationship with The United Methodist Church. These changes, according to the conference, are inconsistent with the denomination’s Book of Discipline, which outlines the rules for church administration.
Since the conference leadership became aware of the changes in October 2025, efforts were made to resolve the matter privately. However, these discussions did not lead to a resolution, prompting the conference to file the lawsuit on August 10 in a Dallas County state civil court. The conference’s goal is to restore the church’s governance documents to align with the Book of Discipline, thereby ensuring the church can continue its operations in accordance with United Methodist principles.
Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr., who leads the Horizon Texas Conference and serves as president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops, emphasized that the lawsuit’s intent is restorative. He stated, “Our purpose is restoration — bringing the original governance structure back into alignment with the Book of Discipline so this church can move forward faithfully.”
In response, Rev. Matt Tuggle, the senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church, expressed his surprise and disappointment over the lawsuit, describing it as “meritless.” Despite the legal challenge, he affirmed the church’s commitment to its United Methodist identity and its long-standing support for the denomination’s leadership. Tuggle highlighted the church’s dedication to its congregation, which has been a part of its mission for over 110 years since its inception on the Southern Methodist University campus.
Tuggle also addressed the situation in a video released on August 12, noting that he and his leadership team were “completely blindsided” by the lawsuit. He reiterated a commitment to handling the matter with honesty, humility, care, and grace, as advocated by the bishop. Tuggle expressed confidence that, with faith and integrity, the issue would be resolved in accordance with God’s will.
Highland Park United Methodist Church, with its membership exceeding 15,000, stands as the largest United Methodist congregation in both the conference and the state of Texas. The ongoing legal proceedings underscore the importance of accountability and integrity within religious organizations, reflecting the biblical call to justice and reconciliation as found in Micah 6:8.
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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.
