One of the largest Methodist congregations in Texas may be on the verge of walking away from the denomination that has been its home for generations. Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, a congregation of more than 15,000 members, is weighing whether to sever ties with The United Methodist Church as a legal battle with the Horizon Texas Conference intensifies, according to reporting from Charisma News.

The conflict began earlier this year as a dispute over church governance. In August, the Horizon Texas Conference filed a lawsuit against the megachurch, challenging changes to its governing documents and raising questions about who ultimately holds authority over the congregation. What started as a disagreement over bylaws has grown into a far broader fight over leadership, doctrine, and the future direction of one of Texas' most prominent churches.

Church leaders brought the question directly to their people on October 11, holding a town hall to discuss whether Highland Park should remain affiliated with the denomination. Church council Chair Caroline Nowlin framed the moment plainly for those gathered: knowing what they know now, should the church remain part of The United Methodist Church?

The tone of the meeting reflected deep frustration with denominational leadership. Church council member Greg Swalwell told attendees he had no confidence in the episcopal leadership of The United Methodist Church and questioned the leadership behind the election of Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr. as president of the denomination's Council of Bishops. Those are criticisms — not formal charges — and the Horizon Texas Conference has rejected the allegations against Saenz's character, maintaining that its legal efforts are intended to uphold the denomination's governing agreements.

Senior Pastor Matt Tuggle offered a calmer note to the congregation. He suggested that even if Highland Park departed the denomination, its Methodist identity and ministry would remain intact. He also raised the possibility of establishing a network of like-minded churches, a path other departing congregations have taken in recent years amid the denomination's fractures.

Highland Park's deliberations are part of a larger story in American church life. Thousands of congregations have left The United Methodist Church over disagreements on biblical authority and moral teaching, and each new departure reopens the same painful question: where does faithfulness require a church to stand, even at the cost of a long-standing home?

No final decision has been announced. For now, the congregation sits between a lawsuit on one side and a historic choice on the other — and whatever it decides will be watched closely by churches across the country asking the same questions in their own sanctuaries.