Gateway Church announces removal of 4 elders after investigation of Morris allegations
Gateway Church has removed four of its elders after an investigation into its founder’s alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl, leadership of the North Texas megachurch announced Saturday.
The four elders had some information or knowledge of former senior pastor Robert Morris’ conduct prior to public disclosure of the allegations this summer, but they did not take action, church elder Tra Willbanks said during a livestreamed Nov. 2 service.
There were “two groups” of elders: One group who knew victim Cindy Clemishire was 12 at the time the abuse began in the 1980s, and another group who knew of sexual abuse allegations against Morris but didn’t ask further questions, Willbanks said.
“We can report to you that as of today, no individuals in either group serves as an elder, is employed by or works at Gateway Church. They have been removed,” Willbanks said.
The removals come after an independent law firm hired by the Southlake-based church delivered a report of its findings to a church committee.
The church is cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation that does not involve the church or its current leadership, Willbanks said.
In addition to that investigation, the church is also the target of pending or threatened litigation, as well as financial demands from Robert Morris, according to Willbanks.
Willbanks said the church will not comply with Morris’ financial demands. Morris resigned from the church in June.
Elders Thomas Miller, Gayland Lawshe, Kevin Grove and Jeremy Carrasco had been removed from the church’s website as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Dallas Morning News. Several of the elders had temporarily stepped down during the investigation by law firm Haynes & Boone.
Willbanks told the congregation at Saturday’s service that Clemishire was brave for telling her story publicly.
When the allegations came out this summer, “Robert Morris directed Gateway employees to release a statement that intended to minimize the severity of Cindy’s claims in one final attempt to hide the truth,” Willbanks said. “Cindy was not a consenting adult, but rather a child of 12 and a victim of sexual abuse.”
The church’s board of elders independently verified parts of Clemishire’s account, he said. Morris declined to meet with the board before he resigned, and did not meet with Haynes & Boone’s investigators, Willbanks said.
Morris founded Gateway in 2000.
Moving forward, Gateway will focus on its “internal systems,” and on improving its governance processes, including appointing elder who are not staff members of the church, Willbanks said.
“There was a massive governance and accountability failure here at Gateway Church,” Willbanks said. “... We must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that our culture allowed this truth to be buried for too long.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2024 at 6:23 PM.
