Religion · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Metro · August 27, 2026
UMC Bishop Defends Lawsuit Against Highland Park Church Over Bylaws
D Magazine reports that the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church is suing Highland Park United Methodist Church, a 110-year-old Dallas congregation, over bylaw and incorporation changes made in 2022 and 2023. Court filings reviewed by the outlet show the church removed all references to the UMC, the conference, and the denomination's Book of Discipline from its governing documents, and also changed its legal name to Highland Park Methodist Church. The conference's amended petition alleges these changes were made without informing members and stripped congregants of their right to participate in decisions affecting the church, contrary to Book of Discipline procedures. The same restatement process was later applied to a satellite campus, The Grove. Hours before the church held a town hall on the dispute, Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. addressed members directly, telling them he is 'not your adversary' despite filing the suit. The case centers on who controls church property and governance — the congregation or the denomination.
Source: D Magazine
Watch the briefing
Listen to the briefing instead
Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
This dispute matters because it exposes the real cost of denominational structures when a local congregation and its national body no longer share the same convictions. The UMC's 2024 General Conference formally removed its historic restrictions on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy, prompting many congregations nationwide to seek distance from the denomination through disaffiliation or bylaw changes. Whatever Highland Park's specific reasons, this case is a live example of the jurisdictional dispute: who actually owns a church's property, name, and governing authority when local leadership and denominational hierarchy diverge. Bible-believing Christians in any hierarchical denomination should know their own church's legal and doctrinal ties before a crisis forces the question.
Share this alert
From the book
Rule 8 depends on the ability of activists to bring endless motions and resolutions to disrupt governance. The answer is hardening the structure. Governance documents should prevent small minorities from hijacking the agenda. That means super-majority requirements for changing doctrinal standards and property clauses that protect a local congregation's assets from a predatory hierarchy.
— Chapter 17, “Defensive Strategy”
Get the BookKnow where you stand
The free 4-minute assessment identifies your mountain and your institution’s capture phase — so alerts like this one arrive matched to where you actually stand.
Facing this yourself? Ask. Describe what is happening and get what the book, Scripture, and the law of your state say, with the exact words to use. Your first one is free.