Highland Park United Methodist Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Rev. Matt Tuggle (Senior Minister 2026-present); Rev. Paul Rasmussen served 2013-2026, stepped down due to Parkinson's disease

Founded 1916

Denomination United Methodist Church

Service Times Sunday worship — multiple service times, traditional + contemporary

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.hpumc.org/

Pastor Credentials UMC ordination — North Texas Conference

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

UMC confessional standards orthodox; Highland Park has historically been on the more traditional end of UMC but did not disaffiliate to GMC during 2022-2023 window.

Caution

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Post-2024 UMC General Conference removed "incompatibility" language around homosexuality and opened LGBTQ+ ordination and same-sex marriage. Denominational abandonment of biblical authority on sexual ethics.

WARNING!

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not verified in this pass.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Wesleyan-Arminian baseline orthodox; UMC drift more cultural than soteriological.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

UMC permits female ordination at every level; Highland Park has had female associate pastors.

UMC permits female ordination; Highland Park has had female associate pastors.

WARNING!

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

UMC episcopal hierarchy + appointed pastoral leadership; no lay elder plurality framework.

WARNING!

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Traditional + contemporary worship formats; preaching style mixed.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Strong community presence in Dallas; ministry to low-income/Hispanic families historically (where George W. Bush served as volunteer 1989-1995).

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Post-2024 UMC is denominationally affirming; Highland Park did not depart to GMC, so by remaining is under the affirming denominational umbrella. Local congregation reputed to be one of the more traditional UMC megachurches but institutionally tied to a now-affirming denomination.

WARNING!

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

UMC — post-2024 affirming. The traditional/conservative wing departed to form the Global Methodist Church (GMC) during 2022-2024 disaffiliation window; Highland Park stayed UMC.

WARNING!

Assessment

Highland Park United Methodist Church is a large historic Dallas UMC congregation (founded 1916) at 3300 Mockingbird Lane. George W. Bush was an active member 1989-1995 and volunteered in a ministry serving low-income Hispanic families during those years; the church is currently constructing the President George W. and Laura Bush Family Confirmation Center on the Mockingbird Campus. Rev. Paul Rasmussen served as senior minister 2013-2026 and stepped down due to Parkinson's disease; Rev. Matt Tuggle became senior minister in 2026. Highland Park is institutionally part of the post-2024 United Methodist Church, which removed "incompatibility" language around homosexuality and opened LGBTQ+ ordination and same-sex marriage at the 2024 General Conference. Conservative UMC congregations departed during the 2022-2024 disaffiliation window to form the Global Methodist Church (GMC); Highland Park stayed UMC. Per MOOP rubric this is RED at the denominational level even if the local congregation is among the more traditional UMC megachurches. Included for situational awareness about a former president's home church.

#umc#united-methodist#mainline#post-2024-affirming#george-w-bush#historic#dallas#texas#megachurch

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Live-fetched https://www.hpumc.org/ + Wikipedia + Christian Post + Christianity Daily on 2026-05-16 — confirmed Rev. Matt Tuggle as senior minister 2026-present (succeeded Rev. Paul Rasmussen 2013-2026 who stepped down for Parkinson's) + UMC affiliation + 3300 Mockingbird Lane + Bush family connection (1989-1995 member; new Bush Family Confirmation Center under construction). [2026-05-19] MOOP rubric: UMC — affirming since 2024. Already rated red.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source hpumc.org
[2] Live source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Park_United_Methodist_Church
[3] Live source christianpost.com/news/texas-hpumc-senior-pastor-to-step-…
[4] Live source hpumc.org/stories/construction-begins-on-new-president-ge…

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.