Pastor Robert Morris Resigns Post Board of Elders Announcement

BY : Milton Quintanilla. Crosswalk Headlines Contributor

Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church has resigned after the Board of Elders announced that they have retained a law firm to investigate the claim that he sexually abused a woman over three decades ago when she was just 12 years old. “Today, June 18, the Board of Elders of Gateway Church accepted the resignation of Robert Morris, the senior pastor. In addition, the Board has retained the law firm of Haynes & Boone, LLP, to conduct an independent, thorough, and professional review of the report of past abuse to ensure we have a complete understanding of the events from 1982-1987,” the Board said in a statement to The Christian Post.

As Crosswalk Headlines previously reported, 54-year-old grandmother Cindy Clemishire recently alleged that Morris started sexually abusing her when she was 12 years old, and the abuse went on for about four-and-a-half years. While not mentioning Clemishire by name, Morris confessed that he had engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” while he was a pastor in his early 20s.

“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,” Morris said in a statement to CP.

“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,” Morris added.

Gateway Church Elders told CP that Morris was transparent with him about his past sins, and they believed he had been biblically restored to ministry. However, they acknowledged in their latest statement that Morris did not share that he had abused a 12-year-old.

“Regretfully, prior to Friday, June 14, the elders did not have all the facts of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the victim, including her age at the time and the length of the abuse. 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 an abuse of a 12-year-old child,” the elders explained.

“Even though it occurred many years before Gateway was established, as leaders of the church, we regret that we did not have the information that we now have. 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,” the Elders said.

“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.”