The church sued the university in 2019 after SMU's board of trustees voted to split from the church without approval from the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church. The conference's claim that the university breached its contract was dismissed by a trial court, but an appeals court sided with the conference.

Southern Methodist University in Dallas tried to declare its independence after the church voted to ban gay weddings and clergy in 2019.

The United Methodist Church managed to anger liberal and conservative Methodists alike after its leaders voted to tighten restrictions on gay clergy and same-sex marriage during a now infamous special session of the 2019 General Conference.