In layman's terms, the fight is over who owns the nonprofit private university and has the authority to set its rules.

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

Southern Methodist University in Dallas and the United Methodist Church are set to deliver oral arguments in the Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15.

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.