A Texas megachurch will consider leaving the United Methodist Church amid an ongoing legal battle over changes it made to its governing documents. Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC) in Dallas held a town hall meeting Sunday to discuss the possibility of leaving the mainline Protestant denomination. The meeting came as the church fights a lawsuit from the UMC’s Horizon Texas Conference over changes church leaders made to HPUMC’s governing documents.
Caroline Nowlin, chair of the HPUMC Church Council and a longtime member of the congregation, gave opening remarks at the gathering, which drew about 800 people. “Knowing what we know now, should our church remain part of The United Methodist Church?” she asked. “The church council has not decided on that question, though many of us can’t help but have strong opinions.” “As we’ve told you, we won’t make this decision alone.
We make it with you,” Nowlin continued.
“If the church council recommends severing our ties with The United Methodist Church, the decision to do so would come to a vote to you.” Nowlin said leaving the UMC would be “a congregational decision,” not a church council decision, adding that “your vote will determine our church’s future.” David McAtee, another church council member who moderated the town hall, said the dispute comes down to two issues: “the say that we have in selecting our clergy” and “whether this church has the right to leave the denomination if the membership votes to do so.” Several church council members spoke about the legal situation and what they described as the conference’s mistreatment of Highland Park.
Founded in 1916 as University Church, HPUMC is the largest congregation in the Horizon Texas Conference. Former President George W. Bush periodically attends services there.