Robert Morris, the 62-year-old founder and senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, has resigned from his ministry following allegations that he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. The accusations come from former family friend Cindy Clemishire, who claims the abuse occurred between 1982 and 1987 when she was between the ages of 12 and 16.
Morris, who previously admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” without specifying Clemishire’s age, has made no public statement since his resignation. Gateway Church’s Board of Elders accepted Morris’ resignation on Tuesday, issuing a blistering statement condemning his actions and expressing their “deep sympathy to the victim and her family.”
The church, which claims a weekly attendance of 100,000, had initially backed Morris, stating that he had been “open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago.” However, after discovering the victim’s age, they now deem his behavior unacceptable. The church has hired an independent law firm to review the accusations.
Clemishire, now 54, went public with her accusations and revealed her identity on Friday. She alleges that the abuse began in December 1982 when Morris, then a traveling preacher, stayed at her family home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She recounts a disturbing incident in which Morris touched her inappropriately, telling her she could never tell anyone because it would “ruin everything.”
Morris, in a statement to The Christian Post on Saturday, admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior” involving “kissing and petting” with a “young lady” but did not acknowledge Clemishire’s underage status at the time. He claims to have repented in 1987 and received counseling, stating that Clemishire’s family had forgiven him.
Clemishire disputes Morris’ account, asserting that he never had her family’s blessing to return to ministry and that his statement lacks true repentance. She previously sued Morris in 2005, seeking $50,000 for therapy costs, but did not accept a $25,000 settlement offer that included signing an NDA.
Morris, who was part of Donald Trump’s “evangelical advisory board” during his 2016 presidential campaign, was never criminally charged, and the statute of limitations has expired. Clemishire has hired attorney Boz Tchividjian, grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, to represent her in a potential new lawsuit.
As the church grapples with the fallout of these revelations, Clemishire hopes that her story will bring freedom to other victims and ultimately lead to something good for the church and God’s glory.
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