Gateway Church elders and son of Robert Morris take vacation

Three members of the board of elders at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, including the son of founder Robert Morris, have taken voluntary temporary leave of absence. The decision is part of an ongoing independent investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse against Morris.

The law firm Haynes and Boone was hired by the Gateway Church to ensure an impartial investigation. Its initial recommendation was that all elders with possible conflicts of interest, particularly related to events between 2005 and 2007, should temporarily step aside, the board of elders said in a statement.

As a result, three current elders who were on the board during this critical period but were not on the Church staff – Kevin Grove, Steve Dulin and Gayland Lawshe – have taken leave of absence. These elders have stated that they had no knowledge of the incidents in question.

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Pastor James Morris, Gateway’s newest elder and son of Robert Morris, also agreed to a temporary leave of absence. Although he was not serving as an elder during the critical time, his familial relationship with Robert Morris warranted a leave of absence to preserve the integrity of the investigation.

The affected elders will continue to perform their duties as employees of Gateway Church and contribute to its mission and community services, the Council of Elders said.

The community was asked to keep the leadership and the ongoing process in their prayers.

Robert Morris admitted to “inappropriate sexual conduct toward a young lady” after being accused of sexually abusing Cindy Clemishire for several years, beginning when she was 12 years old.

Clemishire first alleged to The Wartburg Watch that Morris began sexually abusing her on December 25, 1982, and continued for four and a half years. She confirmed those details to The Christian Post, emphasizing the severity of the abuse, which included inappropriate touching and penetration.

Two days after Clemishire, now 54, confronted Morris in 2005, he accused her of trying to extort him. He then asked her to name her price after she demanded that he pay for what he did to her as a child. Clemishire eventually said she wanted Morris to pay $2 million in restitution.

Morris, who never repaid Clemishire, resigned from the Gateway Church on June 18.

Clemishire, who said she struggled with the psychological effects of the abuse for decades, revealed in select emails obtained by The Christian Post how she first approached Morris about the abuse in 2005.

Ethan Fisher, pastor of Gateway Church and Morris’ son-in-law, said last Sunday that his family was facing a “nightmare week” following the Clemishire allegations.

Following Morris’ resignation, Fisher said he was also relieved of his position as apostolic and senior elder at Gateway Church Houston.

“Elaine and I are obviously processing this as a family. Elaine is a daughter and I have done my best to be there for her. As a son-in-law, I am processing the pain in real time, as many of you are,” Fisher told his congregation.

The Gateway Church attracts around 100,000 believers every week at its nine locations.