SOUTHLAKE (TX)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
June 26, 2024
By Julie Roys
Televangelist James Robison is under fire for his alleged involvement decades ago in the “restoration” of now-disgraced Pastor Robert Morris and recent statements Robison has made that appear to be false.
Morris resigned last week from Gateway Church, a megachurch in the Dallas area, following the release of shocking allegations he molested Oklahoma resident Cindy Clemishire from 1982—1986, when she was 12 to 16 years old.
In a video posted online two days ago, Robison said he was aware that Morris had “moral failure in his past” but Robison claimed he had “no idea it was a crime against a child.”
Robison also denied allegations he was involved in Morris’ restoration to ministry. And he published a letter from Clemishire’s attorney, Boz Tchividjian, stating that Robison was not at a meeting with Clemishire’s father in the 1980s in which the abuse had been revealed.
Robison’s claims come in response to allegations leveled by Stephen LeBlanc, a former friend and employee of Robert Morris.
In an interview published last Tuesday, LeBlanc, claimed that Robison had attended the meeting in 1987 between Clemishire’s father and elders of Morris’ church, Shady Grove Church. LeBlanc has since issued an apology to Robison for his assertion that Robison was at that meeting.
However, LeBlanc said Morris had relayed to him numerous times over the years that Robison had handed off Morris to Olen Griffing, then-pastor of Shady Grove Church, for restoration.
“It was always that James (Robison) was right in the middle of it,” LeBlanc added.
Robison, founder and President of Life Outreach International (formerly the James Robison Evangelistic Association), admits he employed Morris in the 1980s. However, in a statement released last week, Robison claimed that Morris didn’t join JREA until the “late 80’s.”
At that time, Morris was a “morning supervisor in the call center,” the statement said. The statement also claimed that Robert Morris’ duties “did not include public speaking.”
Robison adds that he was not involved in “professional counseling or formal restoration to ministry for Robert Morris.”
However, news clippings from the 1980s tell another story. They show Morris was an evangelist with JREA and spoke at multiple crusades and rallies, beginning in 1982.
Clippings show Morris was ‘evangelist’ with Robison from 1982—1988
According to an April 25, 1982, article in the Longview News-Journal, Morris joined the James Robison Evangelistic Association (JREA) as “an associate evangelist” in December 1982.
Please see original article for newspaper clippings.
A June 1983 clipping from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer referred to Morris as an “evangelist” with JREA and said he’d be conducting a youth rally for a week. A September 1983 article in The Mountaineer Echo in Arkansas said Morris, “an associate evangelist” with JREA, would preach at Yellville Baptist Church. Similarly, a December 1983 article in the Louisiana paper, The Town Talk, announced Morris, who’s “on the evangelism staff” of JREA, would preach revival services at Ball Baptist Church.
Morris, a “Staff Evangelist” with JREA apparently returned to Ball Baptist for revival services in August 1984
A 1986 advertisement in The Waco Citizen also refers to Morris as a “staff evangelist” with the JREA and says he’ll be conducting a crusade at a community park.
The Roys Report (TRR) was not able to find any mention of Morris preaching in 1987—the year his restoration allegedly began.
However, Morris preached at a three-day revival at Chapel Hill Fellowship in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in October 1988—about 18 months into his alleged two-year restoration, according to an ad in The Vicksburg Post. The ad says Morris is “a member of Evangelist James Robison Ministries.”
Morris is called a “former associate of James Robison” in a May 1989 clipping from the Southern Illinoisan, indicating Morris left JREA sometime between October 1988 and May 1989.
TRR called James Robison and spoke with an associate in his office about some of these discrepancies. In response, the ministry issued a new statement with a revised timeline to TRR.
The statement says that human resources at Robison’s LIFE Outreach International had “scoured digital and archived personnel records and spoken with previous employees and supervisors in order to better establish a timeline of Rober Morris’ employment and roles.”
The statement confirms that Morris served as an associate evangelist with JREA from January 14, 1982—May 31, 1982 “and was involved in public speaking during these four-and-a-half months.”
But LIFE Outreach claimed in the statement that Morris was not employed by JREA from June 1982—June 1987, contradicting the clippings we found from 1983, 1984, and 1986.
The statement further claims that from July 1987—July 1988, Morris was employed by the JREA call center and his duties “did not involve any public speaking during this time frame.” It adds, “Any subsequent speaking engagements were not as an employee of JREA.”
Robison’s ‘affair’ in 1980
TRR has also learned that Robison was engaged in sexual misconduct around the same time as Morris. According to a 1990 article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Robison had an “extramarital affair” 10 years prior to the article—around 1980.
The woman involved was in her early twenties at the time of the “affair,” was living with Robison and his family, and was employed by the televangelist’s ministry.
Many today would consider Robison’s misconduct adult clergy sexual abuse.
According to Boz Tchividjian’s firm, BozLaw, “Adult clergy sexual abuse occurs when a religious leader engages in sexual contact (hand on OR hands off) with an adult congregant or any vulnerable person. . . . This type of abuse usually involves the offending pastor using his/her authority and power to manipulate the victim to ‘consent’ to the conduct.”
According to the 1990 article, well-known Pastor John Hagee of Hagee Ministries, and the late Jamie Buckingham of Charisma Magazine and Texas Pastor Jack Taylor acted as spiritual advisors when the “indiscretion” came to light. Taylor said the issue resurfaced in 1990 because the woman involved “still had some emotional problems over what happened.”
Jim Rogers, then-executive director of Robison’s ministry, told the Star-Telegram that Robison gained victory over his infidelity in 1982 when Robison was delivered from demons.
“The whole thing being stirred up now is hurting people,” Rogers added. “There are always people who are going to be malicious and nothing but talebearers.”
Sheila Stogsdill contributed to this report.