UPDATE: After CBN News’ report was published, Pastor Robert Morris resigned Tuesday from his role at Gateway Church. Church elders, who had initially defended Morris, said in a new statement they did not previously know the scope or details of the allegations against the preacher. Here is their statement:
“The elders’ prior understanding was that Morris’s extramarital relationship, which he had discussed many times throughout his ministry, was with ‘a young lady’ and not [the] abuse of a 12-year-old child. We are heartbroken and appalled by what has come to light over the past few days, and we express our deep sympathy to the victim and her family. For the sake of the victim, we are thankful this situation has been exposed. We know many have been affected by this, we understand that you are hurting, and we are very sorry. It is our prayer that, in time, healing for all those affected can occur.”
A law firm (Haynes & Boone, LLP) has been hired by the church to conduct a review of what unfolded.
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Controversy continues to swell after Pastor Robert Morris admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” after a woman claimed he began molesting her when she was 12 years old.
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It’s the latest controversy to rock Christendom, emerging just days after Dr. Tony Evans, another celebrated preacher, announced he was stepping away from his senior pastoral duties at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF) in Dallas, Texas, after reportedly falling short “due to sin.”
The nature of Evans’ apparent sin has not been revealed, but, in contrast, the claims against Morris are clear and explicit, but also criminal and alarming.
Morris, founder and pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is a popular author and speaker. His church attracts around 100,000 congregants across numerous locations.
Let’s recap what we know so far about the allegations against Morris.
What Morris Has Said
Morris, 62, released a statement to The Christian Post offering his side of the story — a proclamation that has sparked additional questions and rebuke from his accuser.
“When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying,” Morris said. “It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong.”
The preacher went on to state that the behavior happened on “several occasions” over a number of years. Morris said the situation was “brought to light” in 1987. He said he confessed, repented, sought counseling, and returned to ministry two years later with the support of the victim’s father.
“I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father,” Morris said. “They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area.”
He said he later asked for forgiveness from the family and said it was granted. Here is Morris’ full statement on the matter:
“When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area. Two years later, in March of 1989, I stepped back into ministry with the full blessing of the elders and her father. In October of 1989, Debbie and I met with her and her family, and I asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me. This sin was dealt with correctly by confession and repentance, which I did in 1987 and 1989.”
Accuser Speaks Out
But accuser Cindy Clemishire pushed back on a number of Morris’ claims, specifically his assertion she was a “young lady” at the time of the alleged abuse.
Clemishire, 54, said she was “just appalled” to hear Morris describe her in that way as she was a young child who didn’t understand what was unfolding.
“I was 12 years old,” she told The Christian Post. “I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home.”
Clemishire continued, “He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult.”
The accuser said she doesn’t believe Morris should be in ministry after the alleged abuse, and also claimed her father never gave his blessing for Morris to return to the pastorate.
“My father never ever gave his blessing on Robert returning to ministry!” she told The Christian Post. “My father told him he’s lucky he didn’t kill him. I am mortified that he is telling the world my dad gave his blessing!”
How the Story Came to Light
The shocking story surrounding Morris’ alleged actions began going viral and making headlines this week after Clemishire spoke with The Wartburg Watch blog, an outlet covering church abuse.
The accuser shared the backstory and associated details, revealing that her family first met Morris in 1981 at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was 20 years old and wedded to his wife, Debbie.
Soon, Morris regularly preached at Clemishire’s father’s church, and sometimes, he stayed at the family home with Debbie and his son, Josh.
The families soon forged a friendship, according to The Wartburg Watch.
But that dynamic was shattered on Dec. 25, 1982, when the Morris family visited on Christmas and Morris allegedly asked Clemishire – then 12 – to visit his room later that night. That’s when she claims the purported abuse began.
Years later, Clemshire says Morris began pushing for more. “Things changed when she turned sixteen,” The Wartburg Watch reported. “He would take her out in his car and attempt to have sexual intercourse.”
Morris had become pastor at Shady Grove Church (later becoming Gateway Church-Grand Prarie Campus) while some of these purported events were unfolding.
The alleged abuse continued until 1987, according to Clemishire. She eventually told a friend what had unfolded and then her father was informed.
Her dad reportedly threatened to call the sheriff if Morris didn’t exit ministry. This is when Morris allegedly stepped out of his role for two years before later returning. Over time, Clemishire said she had to come to terms with the abuse and sought out counseling.
The Wartburg Watch reported that Clemishire hired an attorney in 2005 to potentially file a civil lawsuit, seeking $50,000. She was purportedly offered $25,000 if she signed an NDA, which she declined.
How Morris’ Church Is Responding
The elders of Gateway Church issued a statement to WFAA-TV addressing the claims made against Morris, pointedly referring to the preacher’s “moral failure.”
“Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church,” the statement read. “He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper Biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process.”
The elders said the matter had been disclosed to church leaders. Here is the full statement:
From the Elders of Gateway Church:
“Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting at Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper Biblical steps he took in this lengthy restoration process. Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting at Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper Biblical steps he took in this lengthy restoration process. The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling. Since the resolution of the 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Pastor Robert has walked in purity, and he has placed accountability measures and people in his life. The matter has been properly disclosed to church leadership.”
But Clemishire isn’t satisfied with this response, claiming Morris “didn’t come forward and confess.”
“He was turned in,” she told WFAA-TV. “When someone is turned in, what are they sorry for? Are they sorry they got caught? Or are they truly repentant of what they did?”
Other Important Details
After claims Morris stepped away from ministry for two years, subsequent articles are now posing additional questions about how long the pastor was truly away from church duties.
Most of the major media groups (probably all by now) have reached out to Cindy, who along with Boz Tchividjian, will be doing interviews. Pray for the peace that passes all understanding. @GatewayPeople Robert and Debbie Morris, its time to face the music.
— Dee Parsons (@wartwatch) June 17, 2024
The Christian Post published another report Monday claiming Morris might have been “back in ministry just one month after he was confronted about the abuse.”
The source of this claim is the pastor’s 2011 book, “Dream to Destiny,” which purportedly offers a timeline that coincides with Clemishire’s allegations, according to the outlet.
“Morris revealed that he got a job with televangelist James Robison’s prayer center a month after he stepped away from ministry in the 1980s after the ‘Lord orchestrated the circumstances for me to step out of ministry,'” The Christian Post reported. “Prior to those circumstances, which he did not disclose in the book, Morris admitted he was struggling with pride — not a sexual attraction to a pre-teen girl.”
In the book, Morris recounts how a quick rise in evangelistic circles led to pride. After just a month away from ministry, he was working as a security guard at a Motel 6. Feeling as though he had “made great strides towards humility,” he said he returned to ministry after finding a job with Robison.
Read more about that here.
I was responsible for prosecuting people for doing the same things @PsRobertMorris did to Cindy Clemishire. The only difference is that most of them are still sitting in prison, while he’s been preaching in front of thousands, week in and week out for decades.
— BozLaw P.A. (@bozlawpa) June 18, 2024
Clemishire told WFAA-TV she has retained Boz Tchividjian, the late Billy Graham’s grandson, as her lawyer. Tchividjian, who has extensive experience dealing with sexual abuse cases, told the outlet he is exploring potential remedies, though the statute of limitations might have run out in this case.
As for Clemishire, she said she is hoping to help victims find true freedom.
“My hope and prayer is for all of this to be good,” she said. “For the church, for God’s glory, and for other victims to find freedom.”
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