DailyKenn.com — Robert Morris, senior pastor and founder of Gateway Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has been accused of molesting a woman when she was 12 years old.
The allegations were made by Cindy Clemishire, who claims the abuse began in 1982 and continued until 1987, when she disclosed it to her parents.
Morris admitted to engaging in "inappropriate sexual behavior" with a young lady in the 1980s, but did not specifically acknowledge Clemishire’s accusations. In his statement, Morris said that the behavior began in his early twenties and involved kissing and petting, but not intercourse. He confessed that the behavior occurred on several occasions over a few years and that he repented in 1987 after the situation came to light. He stated that he stepped out of ministry and received counseling under the direction of the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father.
Morris claimed to have met with the young lady and her family in 1989, where he asked for their forgiveness, which they granted. However, Clemishire stated that while her family forgave Morris, they did not support his return to ministry. Gateway Church issued a statement affirming that Morris underwent a "lengthy restoration process," which included a two-year period of stepping out of ministry and receiving professional counseling. The church emphasized that there have been no other moral failures since the resolution of the 35-year-old matter.
This situation has brought significant attention to Morris and Gateway Church, highlighting the complexities of forgiveness, accountability, and restoration within religious communities.
Gateway Church is a non-denominational, charismatic Christian multi-site megachurch based in Southlake, Texas, near Fort Worth. It promotes Word of Faith doctrines that have widely been dismissed as heresy by orthodox Christianity. It estimates its combined weekly attendance at 100,000 as of 2022 and is one of the largest churches in the United States, according to wikipedia. [source]
Takeaway...
It is telling that the minister has accomplished more than most of his critics, in spite of his past "moral failings".
Truth be known, all ministers have committed moral failings. Cited as the most offensive is "a proud look" (see Proverbs 6:16-19). That is, those who arrogantly demean Rev. Morris for his past failures may be committing the greater of offenses.
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