The senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, announced that he will be stepping down after 12 years in the leadership role.
On Thursday afternoon, the Rev. Paul Rasmussen sent a video message to the congregation, which includes former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, announcing his decision to step down effective Feb. 1, 2026.
Rasmussen, who has worked in various ministry roles at HPUMC since 2000, explained that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s back in 2020, and that, while “the disease has been pretty favorable to me,” around 18 months ago, he saw “a noticeable change in my energy level.”
After speaking with the Pastor Parish Relations Committee at HPUMC, both parties agreed that “it might be time to pass the baton to someone else” as he “didn’t have the ability to manufacture the kind of energy that this church needs, expects and demands.”
Rasmussen will take on the role of pastor emeritus, while the Rev. Matt Tuggle, executive minister for contemporary worship at HPUMC, will become the next senior pastor.
“I look forward to the next season of my life and the next season of yours,” he said, asking congregants to pray both for himself and for Tuggle as he takes on the senior pastor role.
“This is the best church on the planet, and it has been such a privilege to serve in this role and I look forward to the next role. And I know God has great, great things planned for us.”
A former assistant basketball coach and sports marketing expert from Shreveport, Louisiana, Rasmussen has a degree in history from Centenary College in Louisiana, a Master of Arts from the University of Richmond in Virginia, and a Master of Divinity from Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology.
According to his official biography, Rasmussen started working at Highland Park in 2000. He began his preaching role in 2001 at Cornerstone, the contemporary worship service at HPUMC.
In addition to his role as lead pastor, Rasmussen also served on the Methodist Health System Foundation Board of Trustees and the St. Philips School and Community Center Executive Board.
In May of last year, shortly after the UMC voted overwhelmingly to lift the ban on blessing same-sex unions, Rasmussen announced that Highland Park would continue to prohibit same-sex weddings on its property, though it would allow pastors to perform such ceremonies at other venues.
"We have people who earnestly pursue an understanding of God through the scriptures who are both on the progressive side and the conservative side," he stated at the time.
"We've always been open and affirming to our friends and neighbors in the LGBTQ community, even though we've honored and upheld the traditional definition of marriage when it comes to the ceremonies.”
