[1] The current sanctuary was designed by architect Mark Lemmon (1889–1975) and Roscoe DeWitt (1894-1975) and built in 1927.

[1][2] The first service in the sanctuary was held on February 6, 1927, when Dr Umphrey Lee served as the pastor.

[7] After the United Methodist Church voted at its General Conference in 2024 to remove the denomination's prohibitions on hosting same sex weddings, Senior Minister Rev.

Paul Rasmussen announced that Highland Park UMC would continue to prohibit same-sex wedding ceremonies on its property, stating that "For 108 years, through 13 different senior ministers, Highland Park has always maintained the traditional definition and understanding of Christian marriage when it comes to weddings within our worship facilities," he said.

Rasmussen went on to say that clergy could perform same-sex weddings at other venues in the community "based on their conscience."