A prominent Texas pastor has stepped down from his leadership role amid allegations of sexually abusing a minor decades ago. Robert Morris, the founder and former senior pastor of Gateway Church, a megachurch in the Dallas area, resigned on Tuesday after a woman named Cindy Clemishire accused him of repeatedly sexually assaulting her when she was a child between 1982 and 1987.
According to Dallas Morning News, Clemishire, now 54 years old, alleges that the abuse began when she was just 12 years old and that it continued for several years. She claims Morris, who was a close family friend and traveling preacher at the time, would invite her to his room and inappropriately touch her during his stays at her home.
In a statement, Gateway Church’s board of elders stated they were “heartbroken and appalled” by the allegations, which they claim they were not fully aware of until recently. They have hired an outside law firm to investigate the matter thoroughly.
While the board acknowledged previously knowing about an inappropriate relationship Robert Morris had, they state they were under the impression it involved a consenting adult woman at the time.
Clemishire has expressed disappointment that Morris was allowed to resign rather than being terminated. She also disputes the board’s claims of ignorance, stating she had provided details about the abuse to church officials as far back as 2005.
Robert Morris has not directly responded to Clemishire’s specific allegations but has admitted to engaging in “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a young woman when he was in his early 20s, though he claimed it did not involve intercourse.
The influential pastor had cultivated a prominent profile, even serving on an unofficial evangelical advisory group for former President Donald Trump’s administration. Gateway Church itself grew into a religious powerhouse with over 100,000 congregants across multiple locations.