Gateway Church, a prominent religious institution with locations across Texas, Missouri, and Wyoming, has experienced a significant decline in attendance following allegations of child sexual abuse levied against its founder, Robert Morris. Reports indicate that the church, which typically welcomed around 100,000 attendees to its weekend services, has witnessed a decrease in turnout by approximately 17% to 19% after the accusations became public knowledge.
The allegations surfaced when Cindy Clemishire, now 54, accused Mr. Morris of abusing her in 1982 on Christmas Day when she was just 12 years old. According to Clemishire's account shared with The Wartburg Watch—a blog spotlighting sexual abuse within evangelical communities—Morris engaged in inappropriate contact while staying as a guest with her family.
The saga between Clemishire and Morris reportedly continued until she reached the age of 16, culminating in an alleged attempt by Morris to initiate sexual intercourse. After confiding in a friend about the abuse, Clemishire's family confronted Morris leading him to take a hiatus from ministry for two years. Despite these early accusations, Morris went on to establish Gateway Church in Southland, Texas by the year 2000.
In response to these allegations being brought to light once more, Morris issued a statement admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior" but described it as limited to kissing and petting. He also claimed he had received the blessing of Clemishire’s father to resume his ministerial duties—a claim vehemently denied by Clemishire herself.
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Following the public outing of these allegations and subsequent backlash from both the public and church community alike, Gateway Church announced Morris' resignation. In pursuit of transparency and accountability, church elders commissioned an independent investigation into the claims against Morris which resulted in several elders stepping down temporarily.
Amidst this turmoil, Ethan Fisher—Morris’ son-in-law—distanced himself by renaming his affiliated Houston location as Newlands Church. Furthermore, Gateway Church sought to address past mischaracterizations of the incident involving Clemishire by publicly acknowledging it as sexual abuse and apologizing for any prior miscommunication regarding their stance on the matter.
This episode marks a tumultuous chapter for Gateway Church as it navigates through scandal while attempting to uphold its spiritual mission amidst declining trust and participation from its congregation.
The allegations surfaced when Cindy Clemishire, now 54, accused Mr. Morris of abusing her in 1982 on Christmas Day when she was just 12 years old. According to Clemishire's account shared with The Wartburg Watch—a blog spotlighting sexual abuse within evangelical communities—Morris engaged in inappropriate contact while staying as a guest with her family.
The saga between Clemishire and Morris reportedly continued until she reached the age of 16, culminating in an alleged attempt by Morris to initiate sexual intercourse. After confiding in a friend about the abuse, Clemishire's family confronted Morris leading him to take a hiatus from ministry for two years. Despite these early accusations, Morris went on to establish Gateway Church in Southland, Texas by the year 2000.
In response to these allegations being brought to light once more, Morris issued a statement admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior" but described it as limited to kissing and petting. He also claimed he had received the blessing of Clemishire’s father to resume his ministerial duties—a claim vehemently denied by Clemishire herself.
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Following the public outing of these allegations and subsequent backlash from both the public and church community alike, Gateway Church announced Morris' resignation. In pursuit of transparency and accountability, church elders commissioned an independent investigation into the claims against Morris which resulted in several elders stepping down temporarily.
Amidst this turmoil, Ethan Fisher—Morris’ son-in-law—distanced himself by renaming his affiliated Houston location as Newlands Church. Furthermore, Gateway Church sought to address past mischaracterizations of the incident involving Clemishire by publicly acknowledging it as sexual abuse and apologizing for any prior miscommunication regarding their stance on the matter.
This episode marks a tumultuous chapter for Gateway Church as it navigates through scandal while attempting to uphold its spiritual mission amidst declining trust and participation from its congregation.
