Gateway Church pastor preaches after potential COVID-19 exposure at White House
Robert Morris, the senior pastor of Southlake’s Gateway Church, preached from onstage in front of a crowd Sunday after attending a White House Rose Garden ceremony where numerous people have tested positive for the coronavirus, including a person who sat directly in front of Morris.
A spokesperson for Gateway Church told the Star-Telegram via email on Tuesday that Morris had taken a coronavirus test that came back negative in the last 10 days. The Rose Garden ceremony took place on Sept. 26. “Pastor Robert‘s medical procedures, his medical history and all possible medical issues & precautions are a private matter. If he chooses to release any of his private medical information I will let you know.”
Pictures from the event indicate Morris was not wearing a mask and was seated directly behind Notre Dame President John Jenkins, who has tested positive for coronavirus. It is unclear the exact kind of contact he had with Jenkins or others at the ceremony, and the spokesperson did not elaborate beyond the statement about Morris’ test. The CDC defines close contact as being within six feet of a person with COVID for 15 minutes or longer, sharing eating utensils with someone who has COVID, hugging or kissing someone who has COVID, or being sneezed or coughed on by someone who has COVID.
People who experience close contact with somebody who has COVID are recommended by the CDC to quarantine for two weeks. The CDC advises people in quarantine to stay home and avoid others.
On Sunday, Morris spoke during a service at Gateway Church, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. He hugged a Gateway member before taking the stage without a mask. The assembled crowd was socially distanced, with few people wearing masks. Gateway Church’s spokesperson said it was in its fifth weekend of public, on-site church services and was following church-related COVID guidelines set by the state.
The Rose Garden ceremony has turned into a major story on news sites that cover religion. The ceremony, held to celebrate the White House’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, attracted several religious leaders. Among those who have tested positive, according to Religion News Service, are Jenkins and Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. At least nine people from the ceremony have tested positive for COVID, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former White House aide Kellyanne Conway.
Jack Graham, the pastor of Plano’s Prestonwood Baptist Church, also attended the Rose Garden ceremony, sitting in front of Christie and adjacent to Laurie, according to Religion News Service. He also preached in-person on Sunday, praying for President Donald Trump and assuring his congregation of his health. “I am ridiculously healthy, let’s just put it that way,” he said. “I’m not sick. I’m fine.”
Morris was on stage at Gateway for just a few minutes. He did not address his health or the Rose Garden ceremony and pointed his message to future expansion of his church. “We’ve been sowing seeds for 20 years, and we’re about to reap the harvest.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 11:00 AM.
