Dallas megachurch faces new questions as disgraced founder’s son announces abrupt departure
The son and daughter-in-law of a disgraced Texas megachurch pastor who departed in shame last month over allegations of sexually abusing a pre-teee have also stepped down from their leadership positions at the congregation.
James and Bridgette Morris, the executive senior pastor and executive pastor of ministry experience, communication, and women’s ministry at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, met this week with church elders and, after having been “diligent in prayer” about the situation, “collectively made the decision” to resign, according to a statement issued by Gateway officials late Thursday.
“We as Elders affirm and believe that God has placed a desire in both Pastors James and Bridgette’s hearts to serve as senior pastors of a church at some point in the future,” the statement said.
Pastor Robert Morris, who founded the 100,000-strong congregation nearly a quarter-century ago and also served as a religious adviser for former president Donald Trump, resigned on June 18, after an Oklahoma woman accused him of having lured her into a five-year sexual relationship beginning when she was just 12-years-old and Morris, now 62, was in his early 20s.
The abuse began on Dec. 25, 1982, when Morris was evangelizing across the nation as a traveling preacher, Cindy Clemishire, now 54, revealed in bombshell allegations published June 14 on a Christian watchdog blog.
Morris admitted to the congregation that he had been “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady,” but did not specify that the “lady” was, in fact, a little girl.
In 2007, Clemishire hired a lawyer and threatened to sue Morris over what she said he had done to her 25 years earlier. Morris’ lawyer responded by blaming Clemishire for having been the one to initiate the abuse, as a child, by being “flirtatious.”
According to Clemishire, she was still wearing pink pajamas to bed and playing with Barbie dolls at the time of the alleged abuse. Morris, who had become friendly with Clemishire’s parents, and his family were staying at their home while he put on a youth revival event in town.
On Christmas, Morris asked Clemishire to “visit” him in his room that night. There, according to Clemishire, he molested her for the first time.
The abuse would continue until March 1987, according to Clemishire. Her father continued to donate to Morris’ ministry throughout, unaware of what the trusted family friend was doing to his daughter. When he finally learned what had been happening, Clemishire’s dad reported it to church elders, and Morris stepped down for two years before returning to the pulpit.
Morris later founded Gateway Church in 2000, and grew it into one of the largest evangelical churches in the country. The church said on social media earlier this week that the board of elders had “a few important updates they will be sharing during services this weekend.”
