The senior pastor of Highland Park Methodist Church says he’s “bewildered” by a lawsuit filed by the church’s governing body this week.
Rev. Matt Tuggle said he disagrees with the Horizon Texas Conference's allegation that his church is separating itself from the United Methodist Church and the broader Wesleyan movement.
Tuggle said church leadership was "taken entirely by surprise" by the legal action, in a video shared by the church on Aug. 12.
"We are all disappointed and bewildered that the conference has taken this action," Tuggle said. "We have been a faithful United Methodist Church and have always supported United Methodists leadership."
As a United Methodist church, the Highland Park UMC falls under jurisdiction of the Horizon Texas Conference, operating within official United Methodist governance. Horizon Texas oversees United Methodist churches across North Texas and the Panhandle.
Tuggle claims his team has met with the bishop on several occasions to try and reach a solution.
The Conference claims these meetings resulted in unsuccessful attempts to resolve governance concerns directly with leadership at Highland Park UMC. The Conference filed its suit Monday, seeking declaratory judgement from a Dallas judge.
Bishop Ruben Sines Jr., of the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, said this was not the first step the Conference took to resolve this issue.
"Since last fall, conference leaders have sought to resolve this directly with Highland Park's leadership," Sines said in a separate video. "But that request has not been accepted."
According to an informational page on its website, the Conference accuses Highland Park UMC of altering its bylaws without notifying either the Conference or the congregation.
The legal petition also seeks to to clarify matters concerning the church's longstanding property deed and governing documents. Direct dialogue was attempted prior to filing, as detailed in conference statements.
In the petition, the Conference said it’s committed to safeguarding the congregation, maintaining Highland Park UMC's United Methodist identity and sacred trust, and pursuing a faithful resolution.
“This suit is brought not out of hostility, but out of necessity,” the petition said, “and to ensure that the shared life and mission of The United Methodist Church can continue in an orderly and faithful manner.”
Highland Park United Methodist Church was founded on the Southern Methodist University campus 110 years ago. With membership exceeding 15,000, the church has the largest United Methodist congregation in Texas.
The lawsuit involves changes to Highland Park UMC’s bylaws and articles by its Church Council in 2022 and early 2023, which the Conference says conflict with United Methodist policy.
The council removed the requirement to bring church matters before members, excluding them from governance. The petition states no member vote authorized the actions, which attempt to sever ties with the denomination and Conference.
Since October 2025, Conference leaders have repeatedly asked church leaders to realign their articles and bylaws with denominational governance, but Highland Park UMC leaders have refused, the Conference says.
“The goal is restoration,” a statement from Conference reads. “The Conference is acting to protect the congregation, Highland Park UMC’s United Methodist identity and the sacred trust of the church for current and future generations. A faithful path to resolution remains available.”
In his video, Tuggle said his team will move through the process with integrity, confidence, and faith.
“The bishop says that in times of disagreement,” Tuggle said, “we're called to treat one another with honesty humility, care, and grace, and we agree on that. And that is how we have chosen to behave throughout this process.”
Alexsis Jones is a reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email Alexsis at ajones@kera.org.
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