Gateway Church founder Robert Morris to make first appearance in court Friday
Former Gateway Church lead pastor Robert Morris is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday, May 9, in Oklahoma after being indicted on child sexual abuse charges.
Morris resigned from his position at the North Texas megachurch last year after Cindy Clemishire publicly accused him of sexually abusing her as a child in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12 years old in her Oklahoma home.
An Oklahoma grand jury indicted Morris on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in March. The 63-year-old former pastor turned himself in to authorities March 17 and was booked into the Osage County Jail. He was released on bond a short time later.
What could happen at Robert Morris’ hearing?
Morris’ preliminary hearing conference, also known as a pre-preliminary hearing, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in an Osage County courtroom.
According to the Oklahoma Bar Association, this type of hearing is usually a time for the prosecution and defense attorneys to discuss the case. The prosecution may offer a plea bargain. If there is an offer and the defendant doesn’t accept it, a preliminary hearing will be set to determine if there’s enough evidence — probable cause — for the case to move ahead for trial.
Morris’ attorney Mack Martin told the Associated Press in March that Morris would plead not guilty, but declined to comment on the charges.
Alleged child abuse began in 1982
Morris’ abuse of Clemishire allegedly began in December 1982. Morris was a traveling evangelist who visited Clemishire and her family in Hominy, Oklahoma, authorities said in a news release. Morris’ indictment alleges that the sexual misconduct began that Christmas and continued for the next four years.
The statute of limitations does not apply in the case because Morris did not reside in or inhabit Oklahoma for any period of time, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said. The prosecution is based on a frontier-era law, which Morris’ attorneys are expected to challenge. The Oklahoma state law was intended to prevent people from coming into the state to commit crimes and then leaving.
In a statement to media outlets on March 12, Clemishire said, “After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child. Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable.”
If convicted, Morris could be sentenced to 20 years in prison for each charge.
“We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions,” officials with Gateway Church, which is based in Southlake, told the Star-Telegram in a statement in March. “We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 12:33 PM.
