A judge has allowed Cindy Clemishire‘s defamation suit against Gateway Church to proceed. Clemishire is seeking more than $1 million dollars in her suit against Gateway Church, former Pastor Robert Morris, and other church leaders for downplaying and spreading false statements about the abuse she experienced as a child at Morris’ hands.
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Gateway Church’s Argument Struck Down by Judge
On June 14, 2024, Cindy Clemishire published allegations on The Wartburg Watch that Gateway Church’s Pastor Robert Morris had sexually abused her from 1982 to 1987, starting when she was 12 years old and he was in his 20s.
Gateway Church is a megachurch in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Morris is the church’s founding pastor. He was a traveling minister when the alleged abuse occurred, and he and his family were close with Clemishire’s family.
Gateway elders initially responded to Clemishire’s allegations by saying that Morris had already previously acknowledged “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” that occurred in his 20s and that he had done everything necessary to repent of that sin and be restored.
According to Morris, “In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father.” Morris said Clemishire’s father gave his blessing for Morris to return to ministry, something that Clemishire vehemently denies.
On June 18, 2024, Gateway elders announced that they had accepted Morris‘ resignation and that they had not previously understood the “inappropriate” relationship to have been abusive or to have involved a minor. Clemishire says Gateway knew, and a leaked email shows that at least one elder knew in 2005 that Morris‘ “inappropriate relationship” involved a child.
An independent investigation the church conducted later that year found that some church elders knew that Clemishire was a minor prior to her publishing that information publicly in 2024.
A judge has allowed Cindy Clemishire's defamation suit against Gateway Church to proceed.Click to PostMorris was later charged with five felony counts of child sex abuse, and he pleaded guilty on Oct. 2 to those charges. He is currently serving six months of a 10-year prison sentence, the rest of which will be suspended.
