By Robert Morris, a senior pastor at Gateway Church and a former member of then-candidate Donald Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board during the 2016 campaign, has admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” in the 1980s. The admission comes after a woman, Cindy Clemishire, accused Morris of molesting her when she was 12 years old, according to a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WFAA.
Clemishire told WFAA that the abuse began on Christmas Day in 1982 and continued until 1987 when she informed her parents. Her account was first reported by The Wartburg Watch, a church watchdog blog, on Friday.
In his statement, Morris did not mention the name or age of the girl but acknowledged that the inappropriate behavior lasted several years. “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,” the pastor stated.
The incident came to light in 1987 while Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie, which has since become one of Gateway Church’s 11 locations. Morris claimed that he submitted himself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father, who asked him to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which he did.
Morris also stated that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in 1989, asking for their forgiveness, which they graciously granted. However, Clemishire told WFAA that although her family forgave him, they never supported Morris returning to the ministry.
In a statement to WFAA, Gateway Church confirmed that Morris underwent a two-year “restoration process” after a “moral failure” in his twenties. The church stated that the restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included Morris stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling.
The church also claimed that since the resolution of the 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures on Morris’ part.
In 2016, Morris was part of Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board, and Trump also held a roundtable at Gateway’s Dallas campus in 2020, with Morris leading a prayer before the event. It is unclear if Morris is contributing to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
According to the church’s website, Morris’ son, James Morris, will take over senior pastor duties in 2025, with the elder Morris remaining a primary speaker on weekends.
The accusation and admission have raised questions about the handling of such incidents within religious institutions and the responsibility of leaders to protect vulnerable individuals within their communities.
