George W. Bush Sides With His Dallas Church in Its Vote to Leave the United Methodist Church
Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush participated in their Dallas congregation's vote to leave the United Methodist Church — a 90 percent vote the denomination has rejected and is fighting in court, The Christian Post reported.
DALLAS — Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush have sided with their longtime Dallas church in its fight to leave the United Methodist Church, and a spokesperson for the couple says both participated in the congregation's vote to disaffiliate, The Christian Post reported on Friday.
The Bushes, both 80, have been members and frequent attendees of the Highland Park church in Dallas since the 1980s, and have voiced support for its lead pastor, the Rev. Matt Tuggle. 'The Bushes are grateful to Reverend Matt Tuggle for so faithfully guiding the congregation through these rough waters,' Bush's chief of staff, Freddy Ford, said in a statement to The New York Times, as reported by The Christian Post.
The congregation's vote, held Oct. 25-26, was overwhelming: of 4,775 votes cast, 90.35 percent favored leaving the denomination, according to the church council's letter announcing the result. The church said it would worship under its new name, Highland Park Methodist Church, beginning that Sunday, with a goal of completing the separation work by Dec. 1, 2026.
The denomination is fighting the move on two fronts. The UMC's Horizon Texas Conference rejected the validity of the vote, with Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. appointing the Rev. Andy Lewis as the church's new pastor and assigning Tuggle to other duties; and in August the conference sued the church in Dallas County District Court, claiming the church 'appears to be attempting to unilaterally sever' its ties to the denomination. The dispute, now carrying a former president's public support for the congregation, remains in court.
