Gateway Church’s new pastor, elders recommended by law firm to temporarily step down
Following allegations of sexual abuse, Gateway Church officials are recommending former lead pastor Robert Morris’ son, James Morris, and three other elders to take a leave of absence from the church’s board.
Gateway Church posted a statement on social media on Friday, announcing the North Texas megachurch hired the law firm Haynes & Boone LLP to “conduct an independent and comprehensive inquiry related to the recent events,” referencing Robert Morris’ resignation.
Founder and former lead pastor at Gateway Church, which is based in Southlake, Robert Morris resigned from his position on June 18 after he admitted he sexually abused a girl. Cindy Clemishire, who is now in her 50s, told the religious watchdog blog The Wartburg Watch that Morris abused her for four years in Oklahoma and Texas beginning when she was 12 years old.
According to the statement, the law firm is recommending that any elders with a potential conflict of interest temporarily step down from the church’s board. That is to include any elders with a relational conflict or who were on Gateway Church’s board between 2005 and 2007, the statement reads.
In 2005, Clemishire confronted Robert Morris with her intention to file a civil lawsuit, and his attorney responded by saying it was Clemishire’s fault, The Wartburg Watch reported. After she asked for $50,000 to reimburse her for counseling, Morris and his attorney said they would provide $25,000 if she signed a non-disclosure agreement, which Clemishire refused, according to the report.
The church’s newly appointed senior pastor, James Morris, volunteered to step down from the board of elders, in accordance with the firm’s recommendation, to demonstrate a “truly independent and unbiased inquiry,” the church’s statement says. He was set to take the position as senior pastor in 2025.
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The megachurch added the leave of absence does not imply that any elder had knowledge of the sexual abuse and that James Morris was unaware of the “facts of this situation.”
Four days after Clemishire publicly disclosed the sexual abuse, Robert Morris admitted there was “touching” and “kissing” between him and a “young lady,” but there was no intercourse, he said in a statement shared with church officials.
“These Elders desire to go above and beyond to help ensure that everything possible is done to conduct the inquiry impartially and consistent with best practices,” church officials said Friday.
The three other elders asked to temporarily step down are Kevin Grove, Steve Dulin and Gayland Lawshe, according to the statement. They served as elders between 2005 and 2007.
Grove serves as the executive global pastor, and Lawshe as the network pastor, according to Gateway Church’s website.
The four elders will “continue their important work as valued staff members,” the statement says.
