(CP) Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, which attracts an estimated 100,000 worshippers weekly, has confessed to “inappropriate sexual behaviour with a young lady” greater than 35 years ago while he was a young pastor after a girl accused him of sexually abusing her over multiple years starting when she was 12.
“When I used to be in my early twenties, I used to be involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a house where I used to be staying. It was kissing and petting and never intercourse, however it was mistaken. This behavior happened on several occasions over the subsequent few years,” Morris said in a press release to The Christian Post after Gateway Church was asked in regards to the allegations.
“In March of 1987, this example 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 counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that point, I even have walked in purity and accountability on this area,” Morris added.
He explained that he returned to ministry in March of 1989, two years after his abuse was exposed with the blessing of the survivor’s father and the elders of his church. He further noted that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in October 1989.
“I asked their forgiveness, and so they graciously forgave me,” Morris said.
Morris’ accuser, Cindy Clemishire, first told The Wartburg Watch that he began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, and continued with the abuse for four-and-a-half years after that. When contacted by CP on Saturday, the 54-year-old grandmother confirmed the small print within the report but insisted she was no “young lady” when Morris began abusing her.
“I’m, in fact, just appalled,” Clemishire told CP on Saturday about his description of her as a “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.
“It went on for a few years. He says there was no sexual activity, but he did touch every a part of my body.”
Clemishire told The Wartburg Watch that she and her family first met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1981 when he was a 20-year-old travelling evangelist. At the time, he was married to his wife, Debbie, and so they had their son, Josh.
She said Morris began preaching at her church commonly on Sundays after he was invited to do a youth revival in her hometown of Hominy, Oklahoma. Her family and the Morrises quickly became friends. They were invited into their home and sometimes went on trips together.
On Christmas night in 1982, Clemishire said the security of the connection with Morris and his family ended for her once they visited her home and he allegedly asked her to go to him in his room that night.Â
Clemishire claims Morris repeatedly abused her in Texas and Oklahoma, and he often told his wife that he was merely “counselling” her through the abuse.
When she turned 16, Clemishire said Morris would take her out in his automobile and check out to have sexual activity.
“By this time, Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove Church, which might eventually turn out to be Gateway Church-Grand Prairie Campus,” The Wartburg Watch report said.
Clemishire eventually confided in a detailed friend, who encouraged her to inform her family. When her father discovered, he told the lead pastor at Shady Grove Church that if Morris didn’t “get out of ministry,” he would get the police involved. That threat forced Morris to step away for 2 years.
Morris would return to Hominy together with his wife and televangelist James Robison. They told Clemishire’s father that he desired to return to ministry, and “at that time, her father washed his hands of Morris and now not interacted with him,” The Wartburg Watch said.
Clemishire made it clear to CP that Morris didn’t get her father’s blessing to return to ministry.
“My father never ever gave his blessing on Robert returning to ministry! My father told him he’s lucky he didn’t kill him. I’m mortified that he’s telling the world my dad gave his blessing! Of course, we forgive because we’re called to biblically forgive those that sin against us. But that doesn’t mean he’s imagined to go on without repercussions,” she said.
Clemishire said that when she retained an attorney in 2005 to file a civil lawsuit, Morris’ attorney suggested she caused the abuse on herself because she was “flirtatious.” She said she asked for $50,000 to cover the price of her counselling stemming from the abuse. She said they offered her $25,000 if she signed a non-disclosure agreement, but she refused.
For years, she explained to CP, she has been warning churches and pastors who would take heed to her story about Morris because she doesn’t imagine she is the just one. She also argued that he shouldn’t be serving in ministry and will step down.
“I do not think he ever must have been allowed to be within the ministry. We would never allow someone to go teach in a college … work in a daycare or be a health care provider if anybody had done these items. And I even have a really difficult time believing I’m the just one,” Clemishire said.
Elders at Gateway Church told CP in a press release that Morris was transparent with them about his past and so they imagine he has been biblically restored to ministry.
“Pastor Robert has been open and forthright a couple of moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the right biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process,” they said.
“The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving skilled counselling and freedom ministry counselling,” they said.
“Since the resolution of this 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Pastor Robert has walked in purity, and he has placed accountability measures and folks in his life. The matter has been properly disclosed to church leadership.”
