Robert Morris (born July 29, 1961) is a former American televangelist pastor who founded Gateway Church, a megachurch based in Southlake, Texas, in 2000. He served as senior pastor at the church until 2024, when he resigned after allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
Robert Morris | |
|---|---|
 Morris preaching in 2022 | |
| Title | Senior Pastor |
| Personal life | |
| Born | July 29, 1961 Marshall, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Debbie (m. 1980) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | East Texas Baptist College Criswell Center for Biblical Studies |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Denomination | Nondenominational and charismatic |
| Church | Gateway Church |
| Profession |
|
| Senior posting | |
| Period in office | 2000–2024 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Vacant |
Personal life
editMorris was born on July 29, 1961, in Marshall, Texas.[1] He was raised a Baptist and is a graduate of Pine Tree High School in Longview, Texas.[2] He attended East Texas Baptist College and Criswell Center for Biblical Studies.[3]
Morris has been married to his wife, Debbie, since 1980. They have three children.[2]
Pastoral career
editIn the late 1970s Morris was a youth evangelist at the Hi-Way 80 Rescue Mission in Longview, Texas.[4] By his own admission, he was also selling drugs in his church parking lot. He then says that he "made his decision for Christ" on February 16, 1981. In December of 1981 he joined the James Robison Evangelistic Association as a traveling evangelist.[5]
Morris and his wife, Debbie, founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas in 2000. As of 2024, the church has weekly attendees of 25,800[6] in its several locations across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[7]
In addition to his pastorship, Morris has published several books, including The Blessed Life, Dream to Destiny, The God I Never Knew, and Grace, Period. He runs a radio show named Worship & the Word with Pastor Robert, which reaches over 6,800 cities, and a television program aired in 190 countries.[7]
In 2009, Morris and Gateway Church worked with Jack W. Hayford to start a branch of The King's University in Southlake, with the Southlake branch ultimately becoming its main campus in 2014.[7] As of 2023, Morris was chancellor of the university.[8]
In 2017, Morris worked with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in supporting the unsuccessful Texas "bathroom bill" which was aimed toward requiring transgender people to use restrooms corresponding with their "biological sex."[9] In May 2022, during a Sunday service, Morris displayed to his congregation a list of church members who were candidates in local elections across North Texas. All of them on the ballot for school board elections were running on anti-critical race theory platforms and Morris stressed his concern over pornographic material in schools. Pricilla Aguirre, with MySA, described Morris as having "mixed politics with religion."[10][11]
In 2023, Morris was awarded an honorary doctorate of divinity by East Texas Baptist University.[8]
Prior to the allegations against him, Morris had announced he intended to step down as senior pastor of Gateway Church and transition his son into the leadership role by Spring 2025.[7]
Morris was an overseer of Church of the Highlands (COTH), the largest church in Alabama. When COTH's trustees learned of the allegations against Morris they started due diligence, whereupon Morris resigned his COTH position.[12]
Theology
editMorris emphasized the importance of the Holy Spirit in his preaching.[2] Morris sees the Holy Spirit as a person that lives in each Christian and "knows everything about everything."[citation needed] Christians understand this to mean that the Holy Spirit is a personal being, not an impersonal being or force, despite being without a physical body.[citation needed] He says that unless someone views the Holy Spirit as a person rather than an impersonal force, they can never experience a personal relationship with him.[citation needed] Morris emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is a person because the Bible never refers to the Holy Spirit as it, but rather uses the pronoun he.[13]
Morris has stated that God commands tithing not because the money is needed to support His work, but because it allows an opportunity to receive blessings.[14]
Advisor to Donald Trump
editMorris served on a 25-person "evangelical executive advisory board" to Donald Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign,[15] and he hosted Trump at Gateway Church in June 2020. Following the sexual misconduct allegations, a spokesman for Trump stated Morris has no role in Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.[16]
Morris attended the Rose Garden ceremony at the White House for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.[17]
Sexual misconduct allegations
editOn June 14, 2024,[9] it became public on The Wartburg Watch, a religious watchdog focused on reporting abuse in churches, that Cindy Clemishire, a 54 year old woman, had claimed that on Christmas night in 1982, Morris, whom she has been staying in the same household with, invited her to his room, instructed her to lay on his bed then proceeded to touch her breasts and feel under her panties. At the time, Clemishire was 12 years old and Morris was a 21 year-old, married with one child, traveling evangelist.[18] She recalled him saying, "Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything."[19][20] Clemishire further claimed that similar encounters with Morris continued to occur over the next four and a half years in both Texas and Oklahoma. She said as she grew older Morris attempted to have sexual intercourse with her and that the abuse ended when she was 16 after she told her parents.[21] Her father demanded that Morris get out of ministry or he would report the abuse to law enforcement. Morris stepped away from ministry work in 1987, but returned two years later.
In September 2005, Clemishire emailed Morris asking for restitution for his actions against her. Morris responded saying he and his wife cared for her and that he'd already obtained her and her family's forgiveness. He then threatened her by saying, "My attorney advises that if I pay you any money under a threat of exposure, you could be criminally prosecuted and Debbie and I do not want that."[22] Clemishire further says she filed a civil lawsuit against Morris in 2005 but his attorneys claimed she was responsible for being "flirtatious" and offered her $25,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which she refused.[9] In 2007, Clemishire's attorney sent a letter to Morris requesting reimbursement for therapy she had undergone because of the abuse and attempted to settle the civil claim. Morris would only agree to a settlement if Clemishire would sign a NDA, which she refused to do and walked away from the settlement.[21]
In 2014, Morris gave a sermon saying he struggled with sexual immorality as a teenager and that he "learned to lie and manipulate" and "looked for the girls who would be the most susceptible."[18]
On June 15, the day following the allegations coming out,[9] Morris publicly confessed to a "moral failure."[19] It was reported by The Christian Post that Morris had stated that he priorly engaged in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" in a home where he was staying "on several occasions" over a period of years and that the behavior constituted "kissing and petting" but not intercourse. Morris acknowledged his actions were "wrong."[16] The sexual relationship allegedly lasted between 1982 and March 1987,[18] when the "situation was brought to light" as he was serving as pastor of Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie, Texas.[23][19] He then left ministry and underwent counseling before being approved to return in 1989.[16] He stated that he and his wife met the survivor and her family and that they "asked their forgiveness and they graciously forgave me." Clemishire says although she forgave Morris, she never approved of his return to ministry.[23]
The Board of Elders of Gateway Church acknowledged they were aware of Morris having a past inappropriate sexual relationship but they stated it was their understanding that it was an "extramarital relationship, which he had discussed many times throughout his ministry" and that it "was with ‘a young lady’ and not abuse of a 12-year-old child."[16] The elders have hired a crisis management law firm to investigate the matter further.[18] At least one former church elder was aware of the 2005 emails between Clemishire and Morris but he stated he "did not fully understand the severity and specifics of the sexual abuse" nor did he know it began when she was 12 years old. Though he knew she was under 18, he believed she was at the age of consent in Oklahoma, which is 16.[22] Clemishire has disputed this by saying the elder "received and responded to my email, acknowledging that the sexual abuse began on December 25, 1982 when I was 12 years old" and that church leadership chose to believe "the false narrative" Morris gave them.[21]
Though initially receiving support from Gateway Church, Morris resigned from his role as senior pastor following significant criticism over the sexual misconduct revelations.[16] He was rebuked by State Representative Giovanni Capriglione, former Southlake Mayor John Huffman, and State Representative Nate Schatzline.[24][25]
Morris has not been charged with any crimes,[19] and according to Clemishire's attorney, Morris cannot be criminally charged or held civilly responsible for the abuse due to statute of limitations that existed in the late 80s in both Texas and Oklahoma where the incidents occurred.[20] State Representative Jeff Leach, chairman of the judiciary committee of the Texas House, has called to improve "laws protecting and ensuring justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse" and holding the perpetrators responsible in wake of the allegations.[25]
Robert Morris's son, James Morris, had been set to take over the role of senior pastor at Gateway Church in 2025. In July 2024, following his father's resignation, he agreed to resign from all positions at the church.[26]
References
edit- ^ Khan, Kaleem (1 February 2024). "Robert Morris net worth and Biography 2024". Impact Wealth. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Charlotte Stewart (November 13, 2010). "New building opens at Gateway Church". Longview News-Journal. p. C4.
- ^ "Area resident joins Robison Association". Tyler Morning Telegraph. February 6, 1982. p. 27.
- ^ "Evangelists Work As Team". Longview News-Journal. June 1, 1979. p. 10.
- ^ Joyce Turner (April 25, 1982). "Young man leaves drug scene to become fast rising evangelist". Longview News-Journal. p. 27.
- ^ "Outreach 100". Outreach. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Who is Robert Morris? The Gateway Church founder and senior pastor accused of sexual abuse in the 1980s". wfaa.com. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.[dead link]
- ^ a b "177 graduate during ETBU Spring Commencement". Marshall News Messenger. May 10, 2023. p. B3.
- ^ a b c d Killelea, Eric (21 June 2024). "Robert Morris timeline: Texas pastor resigns amid sex abuse allegations". CHRON. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ Aguirre, Priscilla (2 May 2022). "North Texas megachurch pastor unveils slate of endorsed candidates during service". MySA. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Lea, Jessica (3 May 2022). "'We Need To Be Fighting a Spiritual War': Pastor Robert Morris Recommends 13 Political Candidates During Church". ChurchLeaders. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Erica (18 June 2024). "Church of the Highlands overseer resigns after admitting to 'moral failure' in 1982". 1819 News. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ Klett, Leah MarieAnn (7 June 2019). "Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris identifies dangers of failing to view Holy Spirit as a 'person'". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Kumar, Anugrah (4 April 2016). "Megachurch Pastor: Why Did God Invent Tithe? (It's Not What You Think)". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Gass, Nick (2016-06-21). "Trump's evangelical advisory board features Bachmann, Falwell". Politico.
- ^ a b c d e Mayorquín, Orlando (19 June 2024). "Texas Megachurch Pastor Resigns After Sexual Abuse Allegations". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2024.(subscription required)
- ^ "Texas megachurch with pastor who attended White House 'superspreader' event sees multiple coronavirus cases". The Independent. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d Jenkins, S. E.; Hurst, Marvin; Lucia, Andrea (18 June 2024). "Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris resigns after "inappropriate sexual behavior" with 12-year-old - CBS Texas". www.cbsnews.com.
- ^ a b c d Ernst, Jonathan (17 June 2024). "Woman who accused ex-Trump adviser of molesting her says he shouldn't lead a church". NBC News.
- ^ a b Limehouse, Jonathan. "Megachurch pastor resigns after admitting 'sexual behavior' with 'young lady.' She was 12". USA TODAY. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Diaz, Jaclyn. "The scandal roiling one of the nation's biggest megachurches, explained". NPR. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ a b Hixenbaugh, Mike (22 June 2024). "Robert Morris warned sex abuse accuser she could be prosecuted for seeking compensation, emails show". www.nbcnews.com. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ a b Sykes, Jillian (18 June 2024). "Texas megachurch accepts senior pastor's resignation after allegations of 'inappropriate relationship' with a minor". CNN. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ Blair, Leonardo; Reporter, Senior (19 June 2024). "Robert Morris nixed from Trump's Evangelical advisory board as Texas pols condemn abuse". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ a b News (TNS), Matt Kyle-The Dallas Morning (18 June 2024). "North Texas politicians condemn Robert Morris following child sex abuse allegations". GazetteXtra. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Hudson, Giles (July 26, 2024). "Shakeup at Gateway Church continues, Pastor Robert Morris' son latest to step down". CBS News. Retrieved 26 July 2024.