Highland Park United Methodist Church sued over alleged bylaw changes

The Horizon Texas Conference has filed a lawsuit against Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas County state civil court. The lawsuit alleges that the megachurch's council quietly altered its articles of incorporation and bylaws in 2022 to grant local leaders full administrative and pastoral authority while removing denominational oversight and stripping congregants of key voting rights.

Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr. stated that the legal action aims for restoration rather than punishment, seeking to bring the church's governance back into alignment with the denomination's governing rulebook, the ‘Book of Discipline’. Leadership at Highland Park has rejected the claims, describing the lawsuit as meritless and unnecessary.