Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. The allegations come from Cindy Clemishire, who accused Morris of sexually abusing her from the ages of 12 to 17, starting in 1982. The abuse reportedly began during a Christmas visit in Hominy, Oklahoma, and continued for over four years.

Morris resigned as senior pastor in June 2024 after Clemishire publicly accused him. He admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior” but claimed it involved a “young lady” and not a child. Clemishire, however, emphasized that she was only 12 years old at the time.

The Oklahoma Attorney General, Gentner Drummond (who briefly represented Clemishire in 2007 in a planned lawsuit against Morris), highlighted the gravity of the case, stating that there can be no tolerance for those who exploit children. The statute of limitations does not apply to this case because Morris was not a resident of Oklahoma.

Disgraced Gateway Church founder Robert Morris joined with other leaders and public interest law firm First Liberty Institute in asking a federal court to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by four church members accusing the Southlake, Texas-based megachurch of misallocating their tithes and failing to honor a money-back guarantee.

The lawsuit was filed in October 2024 by Gateway Church members Katherine Leach, Garry K. Leach, Mark Browder and Terri Browder. In addition to Morris and Gateway Church, it also names as defendants Tom Lane, a former executive pastor of Gateway Church; founding elder Steve Dulin; and Kevin Grove, who previously served as an executive global pastor and elder at Gateway Church and a trustee of The King’s University.