A letter to the North Texas Conference, Bishop Sáenz, and Highland Park United Methodist Church

Dear Bishop Saenz, The North Texas Conference, and Highland Park United Methodist Church,

With profound disappointment and a heavy heart, we, the undersigned congregation of Uptown Church, reach out to you about our forced closure.

Sunday, October 15, 2023, we received the devastating news that Highland Park UMC, which initially planted us, is withdrawing its support. Regrettably, Sunday, November 12, 2023, marks our last gathering. We are heartbroken, disappointed, and left grappling with the consequences of this sudden decision. The leadership of HPUMC and NTC did not inform us, their brothers and sisters, early enough to find a way forward. Instead, we were given a mere four weeks.

The manner in which we were treated is not reflective of the teachings of Christ, as we understand them. Christ taught us to love one another, to support and stand by our fellow believers. The abruptness of this decision and the lack of communication stand in stark contrast to these principles. We find it deeply troubling that the spirit of brotherhood/sisterhood and compassion, which should guide our actions as followers of Christ, was absent in this situation.

The optics of this doesn’t look good to the wider community. This looks like the Church and the North Texas Annual Conference aren’t dedicated to providing the spiritual needs for all. Now 140+ christians are walking into the Advent and Christmas seasons without a church to worship at and without any clear direction from you or our parent church, we feel abandoned.

As we face the end of our journey together, we hope for reflection on the fundamental values that bind us as a community of believers and for a commitment to treating each other with the grace and compassion that Christ exemplified.

In Disheartened Resolve,

The Congregants of Uptown Church