Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, was indicted on 5 counts of lewd or indecent acts with a toddler by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma on Wednesday. The indictment stems from allegations made by Cindy Clemishire final June that he sexually abused her over a number of years within the Nineteen Eighties, starting when she was 12.
“In December 1982, Morris was a touring evangelist visiting in Hominy with the household of the alleged sufferer, who was 12 on the time. The indictment alleges Morris’ sexual misconduct started that Christmas and continued over the subsequent 4 years. In all, Morris faces 5 counts of lewd or indecent acts to a toddler,” a press release from the Workplace of Oklahoma Legal professional Basic Gentner Drummond shared with The Christian Submit on the fees in opposition to 63-year-old Morris, stated.
“There might be no tolerance for many who sexually prey on kids,” stated Drummond, who as soon as served as Clemishire’s legal professional as she sought to get justice up to now. “This case is all of the extra despicable as a result of the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his place. The sufferer on this case has waited far too a few years for justice to be achieved.”
Gentner’s workplace famous that the statute of limitations just isn’t relevant to the fees in opposition to Morris as a result of he was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time.
Reacting to the indictment, Clemishire, now a 54-year-old grandmother who has been pushing to carry Morris accountable for many years, stated she is grateful for the indictment some 43 years later.
“After virtually 43 years, the regulation has lastly caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he dedicated in opposition to me as a toddler. Now, it’s time for the authorized system to carry him accountable,” she stated in a press release to CP. “My household and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who’ve labored tirelessly to make this present day doable and stay hopeful that justice will finally prevail.”
Gateway Church launched a press release shared with CP late Wednesday, saying: “We’re conscious of the actions being taken by the authorized authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for his or her actions. We proceed to hope for Cindy Clemishire and her household, for the members and employees of Gateway Church, and for all of these impacted by this horrible state of affairs.”
Morris resigned from Gateway Church on June 18, 2024, simply days after Clemishire reported that he started sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982. She stated the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years earlier than it got here to gentle. However Morris was later allowed to return to ministry.
When questioned by CP concerning the allegations, Morris initially confessed to being concerned in “inappropriate sexual behaviour with a younger girl” greater than 35 years in the past. He stated he repented and was restored to ministry.
“Once I was in my early twenties, I used to be concerned in inappropriate sexual behaviour with a younger girl in a house the place I used to be staying. It was kissing and petting and never intercourse, but it surely was improper. This conduct occurred on a number of events over the subsequent few years,” Morris stated.
“In March of 1987, this example was delivered to gentle, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the younger girl’s father. They requested me to step out of ministry and obtain counselling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that point, I’ve walked in purity and accountability on this space,” Morris added.
Clemishire insisted to CP on the time, nonetheless, that she was no “younger girl.”
“I used to be 12 years outdated. I used to be somewhat lady. A really harmless little lady. And he was introduced into our dwelling. He and his spouse, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached on the church that my dad helped begin after which started grooming all of us to do that, which took me many years to wrap my mind round as an grownup,” she stated.
Elders at Gateway Church additionally initially informed CP that Morris was clear with them about his previous they usually believed he had been biblically restored to ministry. In their assertion asserting his resignation on June 18, 2024, nonetheless, the elders stated Morris didn’t reveal that he had abused a 12-year-old lady.
“Regretfully, previous to Friday, June 14, [2024], the elders didn’t have all of the information of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the sufferer, together with her age on the time and the size of the abuse. The elders’ prior understanding was that Morris’s extramarital relationship, which he had mentioned many instances all through his ministry, was with ‘a younger girl’ and never abuse of a 12-year-old youngster,” the elders defined.
Gateway Church subsequently approved an unbiased investigation into the allegations in opposition to Morris, and final November, Gateway Elder Tra Willbanks introduced that a number of elders had been faraway from the church as he introduced an outline of the four-month inside investigation.
All however three Gateway elders, he stated, had some information about Morris’ encounter with Clemishire and “didn’t inquire additional.” Some, he stated, allegedly knew that Clemishire was a toddler when she was abused previous to her going public.
“We now know that there have been elders and workers at Gateway who knew earlier than June 14, 2024, that Cindy was 12 on the time of the abuse,” Willbanks stated. “Each teams are basically improper and easily can’t and won’t be tolerated at Gateway Church.”
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