Planned departure of Highland Park UMC reflects decline of American denomination – Dallas News

Planned departure of Highland Park UMC reflects decline of American denomination  Dallas News

What happens when a church says it’s no longer part of a global denomination, but the denomination says that’s not the case? Highland Park United Methodist Church said Monday it will separate from the United Methodist Church, one of America’s largest Protestant denominations, after thousands of members voted overwhelmingly in favor of leaving. Regional conference leaders have said the vote is not valid, and churches cannot unilaterally leave the denomination. In August, the conference filed a lawsuit against the North Texas church over changes the church made to corporate and internal governing documents. The vote does not mark the end of the high-stakes disagreement between the United Methodist Church’s Horizon Texas Annual Conference and Highland Park UMC.

Many questions about the church’s operations remain unanswered as the church plans to complete the separation by December. In a statement Tuesday, Highland Park UMC said the church will share more details as they become available. “There are many operational questions that will be answered in the month ahead by our Church Council and lay leadership,” the church said. Beyond North Texas, some religion experts say the departure could spell trouble for the whole United Methodist Church, a denomination that has lost thousands of churches and members in recent years. “This whole set of complex scenarios is potentially catastrophic for the United Methodist