Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, was indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a baby by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma on Wednesday. The indictment stems from allegations made by Cindy Clemishire last June that he sexually abused her over multiple years within the Eighties, starting when she was 12.
“In December 1982, Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting in Hominy with the family of the alleged victim, who was 12 on the time. The indictment alleges Morris’ sexual misconduct began that Christmas and continued over the subsequent 4 years. In all, Morris faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a baby,” an announcement from the Office of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond shared with The Christian Post on the costs against 63-year-old Morris, said.
“There might be no tolerance for individuals who sexually prey on children,” said Drummond, who once served as Clemishire’s attorney as she sought to get justice previously. “This case is all of the more despicable since the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim on this case has waited far too a few years for justice to be done.”
Gentner’s office noted that the statute of limitations shouldn’t be applicable to the costs against Morris because he was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time.
Reacting to the indictment, Clemishire, now a 54-year-old grandmother who has been pushing to carry Morris accountable for a long time, said she is grateful for the indictment some 43 years later.
“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a baby. Now, it’s time for the legal system to carry him accountable,” she said in an announcement to CP. “My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who’ve worked tirelessly to make today possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail.”
Gateway Church released an announcement shared with CP late Wednesday, saying: “We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for his or her actions. We proceed to wish for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.”
Morris resigned from Gateway Church on June 18, 2024, just days after Clemishire reported that he began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982. She said the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years before it got here to light. But Morris was later allowed to return to ministry.
When questioned by CP concerning the allegations, Morris initially confessed to being involved in “inappropriate sexual behaviour with a young lady” greater than 35 years ago. He said he repented and was restored to ministry.
“When I used to be in my early twenties, I used to be involved in inappropriate sexual behaviour with a young lady in a house where I used to be staying. It was kissing and petting and never intercourse, however it was fallacious. This behavior happened on several occasions over the subsequent few years,” Morris said.
“In March of 1987, this case was delivered 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 counselling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that point, I actually have walked in purity and accountability on this area,” Morris added.
Clemishire insisted to CP on the time, nevertheless, that she was no “young lady.”
“I used to be 12 years old. I used to be slightly girl. A really innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached on the church that my dad helped start after which began grooming all of us to do that, which took me a long time to wrap my brain around as an adult,” she said.
Elders at Gateway Church also initially told CP that Morris was transparent with them about his past they usually believed he had been biblically restored to ministry. In their statement announcing his resignation on June 18, 2024, nevertheless, the elders said Morris didn’t reveal that he had abused a 12-year-old girl.
“Regretfully, prior to Friday, June 14, [2024], the elders didn’t have all of the facts of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the victim, including her age on the time and the length of the abuse. The elders’ prior understanding was that Morris’s extramarital relationship, which he had discussed persistently throughout his ministry, was with ‘a young lady’ and never abuse of a 12-year-old child,” the elders explained.
Gateway Church subsequently authorized an independent investigation into the allegations against Morris, and last November, Gateway Elder Tra Willbanks announced that multiple elders were faraway from the church as he presented an summary of the four-month internal investigation.
All but three Gateway elders, he said, had some knowledge about Morris’ encounter with Clemishire and “didn’t inquire further.” Some, he said, allegedly knew that Clemishire was a baby when she was abused prior to her going public.
“We now know that there have been elders and employees at Gateway who knew before June 14, 2024, that Cindy was 12 on the time of the abuse,” Willbanks said. “Both groups are fundamentally fallacious and easily cannot and won’t be tolerated at Gateway Church.”
