SOUTHLAKE (TX)
USA Today [McLean VA]
March 16, 2025
By Jonathan Limehouse
Robert Morris was on President Donald Trump’s spiritual advisory board during his 2016 campaign, but did not have a role in his 2024 reelection campaign.
Before an Oklahoma grand jury indicted Gateway Church founder Robert Morris on five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child, the senior pastor’s resignation a year ago caused a stir among his former congregation as his accuser came forward and detailed his alleged years of sexual abuse.
The multi-county grand jury indicted Morris, 63, for alleged sexual misconduct that began in December 1982 and involved a 12-year-old girl, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office said in a statement Wednesday. The indictment says Morris’ actions started on Christmas and continued over the next four years.
“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement. “This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”
Although the alleged crimes occurred decades ago, the attorney general’s office said the statute of limitations is not applicable in this case because Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time.
Morris’ accuser, Cindy Clemishire, came forward and publicly detailed the allegations in June 2024 with the Wartburg Watch, a blog about sexual abuse within the church.
“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,” Clemishire said in a statement to the Oklahoman − a part of the USA TODAY Network − after the indictment was made public.
Morris was on President Donald Trump’s spiritual advisory board during his 2016 campaign and initial presidential term. He did not have a role in the 2024 reelection effort, Trump’s campaign said last year.
Here is what to know about the allegations against Morris and how they led to his indictment.
Cindy Clemishire alleged Robert Morris sexually abused her from 1982-1987
In the June blog post, Clemishire said she and her family were introduced to Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was 20 and she was 11. At the time, Morris was a traveling evangelist with his wife, Debbie.
Morris preached at Clemishire’s church on Sundays, and sometimes he, Debbie, and their son would stay at her family’s home. She viewed him as “safe and friendly,” she said.
Their relationship changed forever on Christmas in 1982 when Morris asked a then-12-year-old Clemishire to “visit him in his room that night,” according to the blog post. She recalled thinking nothing of it at that moment, but once in his room, she said he sexually abused her and warned her: “Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything.”
Clemishire said the abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas until 1987. She eventually told a good friend and her parents about the abuse, leading to Morris reportedly stepping down from ministry for two years, she explained in the blog.
When questioned why she came forward decades later, Clemishire told USA TODAY: “I’ve always just trusted that God’s timing would take it wherever it needed to go. Why hide?”
Gateway Church’s initial support of Robert Morris fades
When Clemishire’s accusations initially came to light, Gateway Church seemingly supported their then-senior pastor, saying in a statement to WFAA-TV that he had been “open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago” and that “there have been no other moral failures.”
“This situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of,” Morris said in his own statement. “I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father. They asked me to stop out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area.”
The Texas megachurch’s elders would release a later statement after Morris’ resignation, saying, “We regret that we did not have the information that we now have.”
“For the sake of the victim, we are thankful this situation has been exposed,” the elders said. “We know many have been affected by this, we understand that you are hurting, and we are very sorry. It is our prayer that, in time, healing for all those affected can occur.”
Following its updated statement, Gateway Church has extensively disassociated itself from Morris, even going as far as to recommend the resignations of the pastor’s son and daughter-in-law, James and Bridget Morris.
“Pastor James Morris is a man of integrity, and he has clearly stated that he had no knowledge of the true facts of this situation,” the church said in a Facebook post. “However, because Pastor James Morris is related to Robert Morris, Haynes and Boone has recommended that Pastor James also take a temporary leave of absence from the Board of Elders and Pastor James has volunteered to do so to demonstrate his commitment to a truly independent and unbiased inquiry.”
Gateway Church removes elders, aids criminal investigation
In November, Gateway Church announced the removal of several of its elders following a law firm’s independent investigation into child sex abuse allegations against Morris. This announcement came after the departures of Morris, his son, his daughter-in-law and executive pastor Kemtal Glasgow.
“What happened to Cindy Clemishire was heartbreaking and vile,” Tra Willbanks, an elder at Gateway Church, said during a livestreamed service. “We denounce sexual abuse in all of its forms and we feel deep sorrow for those who have been victimized by such despicable actions.”
During Haynes and Boone’s independent investigation, the law firm collected 780 gigabytes of data, reviewed thousands of pages of documents and interviewed dozens of individuals, except for Morris and five others who denied sitting down with them, Willbanks said.
The law firm did not learn of any other sexual assault allegations against Morris, according to Willbanks. Morris did make “financial demands” following the investigation, leading to pending litigation between him and the church, which Willbanks said they’re rejecting.
Willbanks also confirmed that Gateway Church was cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation, but he did not share any more details at that time. He did add that the church nor its current leadership are subject to this investigation.
What is next for Robert Morris?
The indictment was filed for prosecution on Thursday in Osage County District Court in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Morris is expected to turn himself in there on Monday and surrender his passport. His bond was set at $50,000.
If convicted on all five counts, Morris could face up to 100 years in prison.
The pastor once had a television program that aired in over 190 countries and his radio program aired in more than 6,800 cities, according to his biography on the Gateway Church website.
His YouTube page, which is no longer online, had 80,000 subscribers and included videos titled “Freedom Through Forgiveness” and “Did You Know You’re Made Perfect By God’s Grace?”
Contributing: Nolan Clay & James Powel/ USA TODAY