Ex-Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris turns himself into Oklahoma jail after indictment
The 63-year-old former senior pastor was charged last week with five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child, stemming from the alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
Robert Morris, the former senior pastor of a Texas megachurch, was briefly jailed after voluntarily surrendering to an Oklahoma sheriff's office on Monday for felony charges stemming from allegations made by a woman who said he sexually abused her decades ago when she was only 12 years old.
Morris, who founded and preached at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, near Dallas-Fort Worth, was indicted on five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office announced last week. The indictment says Morris' alleged sexual misconduct began on Christmas in 1982 and continued over the next four years.
The charging document was filed on Thursday in Osage County District Court in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Morris turned himself into the Osage County jail on Monday morning and posted his $50,000 bond, the Osage County Sheriff's Office told Paste BN. The 63-year-old will be arraigned on Monday afternoon, the sheriff's office said.
Allegations against Morris became public when his alleged victim, Cindy Clemishire, came forward in June 2024 and spoke to 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 Paste BN Network − after the indictment was made public.
Morris served on President Donald Trump’s spiritual advisory board during his 2016 campaign and initial presidential term. He was not a part of Trump's 2024 reelection effort, his campaign said last year.
What did Cindy Clemishire accuse Robert Morris of?
When speaking with the Wartburg Watch, Clemishire said Morris and his wife, Debbie, were introduced to her and her family at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was 20 and she was 11.
Morris became a friend as he preached on Sundays and even stayed at Clemishire's family's home on occasion with his wife. This dynamic changed on Christmas in 1982 when Morris asked a 12-year-old Clemishire to "visit him in his room that night," according to the blog post.
Clemishire recalled not thinking anything of the preacher's actions, but once in his room, she said he sexually abused her and warned her: "Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything."
According to Clemishire, the abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas until 1987. She eventually confided to a good friend and parents about the abuse, which prompted Morris to step down from ministry for two years, she told the blog.
What did Robert Morris say about the sex abuse allegations?
Last year, Morris released a statement about the allegations to WFAA-TV in Dallas, which said: "It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years ... Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area."
In a statement to CBS News and NBC News, Gateway Church's board of elders said they knew Morris had an "extramarital relationship" with a "young lady," but they did not know it involved the "abuse of a 12-year-old girl."
"We are heartbroken and appalled by what has come to light over the past few days, and we express our deep sympathy to the victim and her family," according to the statement, per the outlets.
Morris resigned from his role at Gateway Church in June 2024, following Clemishire's allegations.
What has Gateway Church done since Robert Morris resigned?
Gateway Church has tried disassociating itself from Morris since the allegations against their former senior pastor came to light. This process included hiring Haynes and Boone, a Dallas-headquartered law firm, to do an independent investigation into the church.
Based on Haynes and Boone's internal investigation and recommendations, the church split from Morris' son and daughter-in-law, James and Bridget Morris; executive pastor Kemtal Glasgow; and several of its elders.
"What happened to Cindy Clemishire was heartbreaking and vile," Tra Willbanks, an elder at Gateway Church, said during a livestreamed service in November. "We denounce sexual abuse in all of its forms and we feel deep sorrow for those who have been victimized by such despicable actions."
Willbanks also said that Gateway Church was cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation, but he did not divulge any more details at that time. He did add that the church nor its current leadership are subject to this investigation.
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for Paste BN. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.