A Message Regarding Highland Park United Methodist Church

Highland Park UMC is a congregation of The United Methodist Church and part of the Horizon Texas Conference. Bishop Saenz and the Conference have a responsibility to the members of the church and the worldwide United Methodist body of Christ to provide spiritual and temporal oversight, to uphold United Methodist governance and to protect the congregation’s United Methodist identity and sacred trust.

The Conference ensures changes involving a church's governance follow the processes established in the UMC Book of Discipline and cannot be made unilaterally by a local church council. Highland Park UMC's articles and bylaws were changed without approval through a properly called charge conference, as required by United Methodist governance.

The 2022 changes to Highland Park’s governing documents were not submitted to or approved by the Conference through the required United Methodist process, and the Conference was not automatically notified when the corporate filings were changed. Once the significance of those changes became clear, Bishop Saenz began working privately with Highland Park’s leadership to address them. Having become aware of the issue, he could not disregard his responsibility to uphold the order of the Church and protect the congregation’s United Methodist identity and future.

After months of efforts to resolve the governance concerns directly, the Horizon Texas Conference filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment in Dallas County District Court on Monday, Aug. 10.

The Conference is asking the court to address the civil-law questions involving Highland Park’s governing documents and its longstanding property deed, including which governing documents control the church as a Texas corporation and the legal effect of the deed governing the church property.

The Conference is not asking the court to interpret the Book of Discipline or decide matters of United Methodist governance, law or practice. Those matters belong within the Church.

A charge conference is made up of local church leaders and Conference leaders, and is the body authorized to make certain significant decisions on behalf of a United Methodist congregation. Changes involving the church’s governance must follow the processes established in the UMC Book of Discipline and cannot be made unilaterally by a local church council.

This process exists so that, in The United Methodist Church, no single pastor or small group of leaders has the authority to make major decisions about a congregation's future on their own.

Certain decisions are required to go through a meeting of the charge conference – and, for the most significant changes, an even broader church conference open to the full congregation. This ensures that when someone joins a United Methodist church, gives their time, their resources and their trust, they do so with a clear understanding of what that church is and what it stands for. As a member, they have a voice in decisions that affect their church's identity, direction and standing within the denomination.

The charge conference process is also how the wider church holds itself accountable. Every United Methodist congregation, no matter its size or influence, follows the same process, so that decisions of this magnitude are made openly and with transparency.

Highland Park UMC’s articles and bylaws were changed without approval through a properly called charge conference, as required by United Methodist governance.

The changes made by Highland Park UMC’s leadership do not comply with United Methodist Church law and give Highland Park UMC’s local corporate leadership authority that conflicts with the role of the charge conference, the oversight responsibilities of the bishop and Conference and the connectional governance of The United Methodist Church.

The changes also specifically provide that “no matter affecting or involving the church shall require a vote of the professing members or baptized persons,” thereby disenfranchising the membership. This is a direct violation of provisions of the UMC Book of Discipline that value the input of all professing members—both clergy and laypersons—in the management and ministry of the church.

A United Methodist congregation has considerable freedom to shape its local ministry, but its leaders cannot restructure the local church to operate outside the shared order of the denomination while continuing to function as a United Methodist church.

While this process was not properly followed and is not in order, these changes would appear to move Highland Park UMC outside its standing as a United Methodist congregation altogether. A shift of that magnitude was made without bringing the broader congregation into that conversation, and it carries serious implications that many members may not have been made aware of. Regardless of intent, changes of this kind are not something local leadership has the authority to make on its own.

No. This is not a disagreement about worship style, local ministry, church culture or theological interpretation.

It is a governance matter involving whether a United Methodist congregation may change its governing documents in ways that conflict with the order and processes of The United Methodist Church.

No. This matter is about governance, covenant and accountability.‍ ‍

Property is relevant because United Methodist church property is held in sacred trust for the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church. However, the Conference’s concern is broader than property, finances or apportionments. It is about protecting a historic United Methodist congregation for current and future generations.

In this case, the property where the sanctuary is located, on Southern Methodist University’s campus, was committed more than 100 years ago for a church within the United Methodist denomination, and that is a requirement of the property even today. 

No. The Conference is addressing decisions involving the church’s governing documents and is seeking to protect the congregation’s United Methodist identity and the direct connectional relationship between the members and The United Methodist Church.

The Conference is not seeking to change Highland Park UMC's culture, its worship style, its ministry partnerships or the way this congregation lives out its faith day to day. Those are decisions that belong to Highland Park UMC, as they always have. The Conference's concern is limited to the church's governing documents and decisions that were made about the congregation's governance and denominational standing without transparency and without following the process required of every United Methodist church.

Bishop Saenz and the Conference remain committed to treating everyone involved with honesty, humility, care and grace.

The Conference is asking Highland Park UMC leaders to restore the original governance structure of Highland Park UMC to bring the church’s governance back into alignment with the Book of Discipline through the proper United Methodist processes, including a properly called charge conference.

The Conference is also seeking commitment from the church leadership to provide the appropriate transparency and accountability to both the Conference and the congregation regarding decisions that affect the governance and future of the congregation.

Yes. The Conference remains open to conversation, correction and a faithful resolution.

The clearest path forward is to restore the original governance structure of the church, follow the proper United Methodist processes and reaffirm Highland Park UMC’s place within the connection. The Conference’s goal remains for restoration.

The Horizon Texas Conference will continue to communicate as circumstances develop. Because this matter may include confidential pastoral conversations and legal proceedings, the Conference may not be able to discuss every detail publicly.

Material developments and official information will be shared on this page.