Gateway Church has announced that staff layoffs are necessary due to “a significant drop in giving levels.” The Southlake, Texas, megachurch is still reeling from sexual abuse allegations against founder and former Pastor Robert Morris.
In a June 18 letter to church members, Gateway elders acknowledged, “Over the last year, tithing has not mirrored attendance, given the ongoing issues related to the Church’s former pastor.” Staff reduction is “tough but necessary,” they wrote, while the megachurch moves forward from recent challenges.
“We are heartbroken that this will mean difficult transitions for some of the beloved individuals who have faithfully served on staff at Gateway Church,” the elders added.
The letter didn’t indicate how many people would lose their jobs. But the church told the Dallas Morning News that layoffs would be finalized by mid-July. Staff members will have a two-week voluntary resignation period, with packages that include one month of severance pay and up to four months of benefits, depending on length of employment.
Gateway Church Faces ‘Difficult but Practical Realities’
The staff cuts don’t reflect employees’ “faithfulness, talent, or impact,” the elders emphasized. “These are the difficult but practical realities of the season we’ve been in, and we will continue to walk through it with humility, prayer, and our commitment to intentionally healing as a family.”
Church leadership remains “committed to leading with integrity and laying a solid foundation for our church’s future,” elders wrote. “We are assessing our budget and strategizing the best way to continue intentionally moving forward and building a sustainable foundation for Gateway’s next season of ministry.”
In a statement to ChurchLeaders, Gateway elder Tra Willbanks called the staffing reduction “an extremely difficult decision,” saying leaders “didn’t come to it quickly or easily and waited as long as we could.” He continued:
This decision was an important step to ensure we are able to minister to our church family well, however it affects real people and members of our church family that we’ve loved and served alongside for years, which is what makes it so painful. And we are trying to love our staff well through this painful process.
Morris resigned from Gateway one year ago this week. Cindy Clemishire alleged that Morris, then a traveling evangelist, sexually abused her from 1982 to 1987, beginning when she was 12 and he was 22.
In March, Morris was indicted in Oklahoma on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He has pleaded not guilty, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4.
