SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Gateway Church founder and senior pastor Robert Morris was accused by Cindy Clemishire of sexually abusing her in the 1980s, starting when she was 12.
Morris subsequently admitted in a recent statement that he was "involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady," but did not reference the girl's age.
So who is Robert Morris?
The nondenominational Gateway Church, which Morris founded with his wife, Debbie, in 2000, has multiple campuses around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Gateway network has more than 100,000 active attendees, according to Morris’ website. Yet, his influence extends far beyond his physical church pulpit.
Morris has a TV program that airs in 190 countries, and a radio program called Worship & the Word with Pastor Robert, that airs in more than 6,800 cities. On YouTube, his sermons and videos have amassed 7.1 million views.
He's published multiple books, including The Blessed Life, Dream to Destiny, The God I Never Knew, and Grace, Period. and serves as chancellor of The King’s University in Southlake.
According to its mission statement, the university aims to “provide biblically and theologically sound preparation that equips men and women to become the next generation of Christ-like, Spirit-empowered, transformational leaders for the global church.”
The school was started by Jack Hayford in 1997 in Van Nuys, California, according to the university’s website. In 2009, Robert Morris and Gateway Church partnered with Hayford to build a branch campus in Southlake, which became the main campus in 2014.
Today, The King’s University offers 15 undergraduate and graduate vocational ministry degree plans, according to the school’s website.
At the time of the publication of the recent sexual abuse allegations, Morris had already announced plans to turn over leadership of Gateway Church to his son, James Morris, in spring 2025, according to Gateway's website. However, Robert Morris would continue preaching some sermons, it said.
Politics
Robert Morris has served in advisory roles to former President Donald Trump. In 2016, Morris served on then-candidate Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board which was formed to advise Trump on issues “important to Evangelicals and other people of faith in America,” according to a press release from the Trump campaign.
In 2020, Trump visited Gateway Church and several other senior administration officials for a roundtable discussion on issues of race and policing. Then in 2021, Trump announced he would reconvene a faith advisory board and Morris was again among those chosen to participate, Christianity Today reported.
Morris also attended a Rose Garden ceremony in 2020 for now-Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett after Trump announced her nomination, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Texas Tribune, Morris is among a group of North Texas pastors who have displayed the names of candidates running for nonpartisan school board and city council elections during sermons.
On the international stage, Morris has been a vocal supporter of Israel, interviewing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2022.