In a stunning turn of events, a prominent megachurch in the Dallas area has removed four of its top leaders after an internal probe revealed their failure to properly address the founder’s sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. The scandal has sent shockwaves through the religious community and raised questions about accountability in church leadership.
Founder’s Dark Past Exposed
Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church and a former spiritual adviser to ex-President Donald Trump, has admitted to engaging in “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a young girl for several years starting in 1982, when she was just 12 years old. While Morris resigned from his position in June, the full extent of his actions and the church’s response has only recently come to light.
Victim Breaks Silence
The survivor, Cindy Clemishire, bravely came forward to share her story, detailing years of molestation at the hands of Morris. Her revelations prompted an internal investigation by the church, which uncovered the disturbing truth about the elders’ knowledge of the abuse.
“Those who knew [the survivor] was 12 at the time of the abuse but failed to act are fundamentally wrong and simply cannot – and will not – be tolerated,” announced Gateway official Tra Willbanks during a recent service.
Elders Ousted for Inaction
The investigation found that the now-removed elders – Jeremy Carrasco, Kevin Grove, Gayland Lawshe, and Thomas Miller – either knew about Morris’s abuse of the underage girl or “failed to inquire further” when informed of it. Their inaction allowed Morris to continue in his role and eventually found the massive Gateway Church in 2000, which grew to over 100,000 members.
Morris’s Ties to Trump
The scandal has also brought attention to Morris’s connections to former President Donald Trump. Morris served on Trump’s evangelical advisory board during his successful 2016 campaign and later participated in a roundtable discussion with the president at Gateway Church during his failed 2020 re-election bid. While Trump’s team has stated that Morris is not involved in his current 2024 campaign, the association has raised eyebrows given the gravity of the abuse allegations.
Investigations and Legal Battles Loom
As the church grapples with the fallout of this scandal, Willbanks has indicated that further discussion of the matter is limited due to ongoing litigation and a criminal investigation. The exact nature and targets of these legal proceedings remain unclear, but they suggest a long road ahead for the church and its members as they seek to rebuild trust and accountability.
The revelations of Morris’s abuse and the church leadership’s failure to act serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and transparency in religious institutions. As the Gateway Church community begins the difficult process of healing and reform, many are left questioning how such a betrayal could have gone unchecked for so long and what steps can be taken to prevent similar abuses in the future.
