SMU's Bid to Split From Church Heads to Court

The Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments later this month in Southern Methodist University's bid to split from the United Methodist Church over LGBTQ+ rights, reported the Texas Tribune.

SMU in 2019 voted to update its governing documents "to make clear that SMU is solely maintained and controlled by its board as the ultimate authority for the University" after the United Methodist Church endorsed the so-called "Traditional Plan," which strengthened the church's bans on ordaining LGBTQ clergy and hosting same-sex marriage.

The United Methodist Church's South Central Jurisdictional Conference then sued SMU, arguing that the university needed its approval to make the changes to its governing language.

"This lawsuit has become necessary because of recent, unauthorized acts by representatives of SMU in violation of SCJC's rights and interests," the lawsuit read.

"Even as we value our historical relationship with the Church, SMU is distinct from the Church. Nothing changes in SMU's day-to-day operations as a result of this action. In founding SMU, members of the Methodist Church and the citizens of Dallas created a University as a separate corporate entity governed by the SMU Board of Trustees," SMU said in February 2019.

• Hegseth Flip Flops on Women in Combat, Gays in Military
• The 10 Most Conservative Methodist Colleges in America