The church is hosting a service on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. to mark one year since the death of its senior pastor Bryan Dunagan.
Highland Park Presbyterian Church in University Park will host a service this weekend to mark the one-year anniversary of its late senior pastor's death at 44.
Bryan Dunagan, who led the church for almost 10 years, died Oct. 26, 2023. His church is hosting a service on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. titled "Night of Prayer and Worship: One Year Later."
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Ali Dunagan, the late pastor's widow and mother of three young children, will deliver a reflection at the service.
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The night will also include music and prayer, and Aaron Williams, the church's director of contemporary worship, will lead attendees in singing "In God and God Alone," an original piece he wrote in Bryan Dunagan's memory.
Dunagan died of "mixed drug toxicity to include ethanol, tramadol, and sertraline," according to an autopsy report obtained by The Dallas Morning News. His manner of death was ruled an accident by the medical examiner's office.
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After Dunagan's autopsy report was released in January, the church shared a letter with its congregation. It shared more information about the circumstances surrounding the pastor's death and included a message from Ali Dunagan about the night before her late husband died.
That night, Bryan Dunagan took tramadol, a pain medication he was prescribed after a knee injury, and "enjoyed drinks with the family," Ali Dunagan wrote. She also said he had been prescribed sertraline, an anti-anxiety medication, and had talked in a previous sermon about his struggles with anxiety.
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"We've all been warned about the possible side effects and interactions of medications. Unfortunately, Bryan is in the small statistic of folks for whom these interactions were fatal," Ali Dunagan wrote.
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"As we mark one year since Bryan's sudden passing, we are gathering with anyone who wishes to seek comfort and draw closer to our Lord through worship," the church's executive pastor Jay Lee told The News in an email.
The church has not replaced Dunagan and does not have an interim senior pastor, according to Zack House, the church's creative director. The church is led by its board of elders, as it was before Dunagan's passing, House said.
He said the congregation's search for a new senior pastor is ongoing. The church does not have a timeline for when a new pastor will be announced. Church leaders have shared updates on the pastor search on the church's website over the past year.
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"Individually and collectively, as an entire church, we have been experiencing a season of grief. While this process has been difficult, the Holy Spirit has been actively at work, instilling in us a sense of hope and optimism for the future," Lee wrote. "Our people are more unified than ever. The amount of care and support between congregants and staff is at an all-time high."
The church now has 5,605 members, according to House. It has gained about 100 members since last year, when House told The News it had 5,500 members.
Adrian Ashford covers faith and religion in North Texas for The Dallas Morning News through a partnership with Report for America.
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