Highland Park United Methodist Church said Monday it will separate from the United Methodist Church after thousands of members voted overwhelmingly in favor of leaving. Regional conference leaders have said the vote is not valid and that churches cannot leave the denomination on their own. The church plans to complete the separation by December.
In August, the Horizon Texas Annual Conference sued the church over changes it made to corporate and internal governing documents. The church filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Monday, according to court records. In remarks before the vote, Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said the conference's request remains that the church restore its governing documents in line with United Methodist governance. The conference did not respond to questions about next steps.
In a statement Tuesday, the church said it will share more details as they become available and that its Church Council and lay leadership will answer many operational questions in the month ahead. William B. Lawrence, former dean of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, said he is concerned the move could encourage other United Methodist churches to follow suit.