Gateway Church boasted an attendance of 100k, making it the largest megachurch in the United States. However, it became known that its pastor, Robert Morris, was a confessed child molester who jumped right back into ministry after a brief hiatus, only to found Gateway Church and never tell anyone. Max Lucado has since been brought on to preach and stem the bleeding. Likely no longer having 100k in attendance, the problems with Gateway Church have not subsided as members have filed a class action lawsuit against Gateway Church, Robert Morris, Thomas Lane, Kevin Grove, and Steve Dulin.
The lawsuit alleges that Gateway Church and its leadership misrepresented where the 15% of funds dedicated to missions has gone and further alleges that fraud has taken place.
Then-Senior Pastor Robert Morris and Gateway leaders represented that 15% of all tithe dollars would be distributed to global missions and Jewish ministry partners, encouraging church members to generously give toward these ends. On the account of the facts set forth herein, Plaintiffs allege that Gateway Church and its leaders engaged in misrepresentation, fraud and breach to contract in their efforts to induce Plaintiffs and other church members to donate money to Gateway. On information and belief, Defendants did not use 15% of all money donated for the intended purpose as represented by Robert Morris and Gateway leaders. Attempts to seek transparency and proof that money did in fact go to global missions and Jewish ministry partners have been rebuffed by Gateway elders. This lawsuit is a means of last resort and being pursued with a heavy heart.
The lawsuit alleges that as years went by, there was an unspent balance in that 15% which exceeded $10 million, yet the church asserted that the money was spent. A CPA went through the books and found irregularities and was rebuffed upon asking questions. In our recent verdict on Robert Morris, we noted that Robert Morris was a tithing salesman rather than a Prosperity Gospel preacher. The lawsuit uses Morris’s money-back guarantee against them.
In addition to promising to give 15% to global missions, Robert Morris and Tom Lane promised on multiple occasions that if the congregation is not happy with the use of its money, it can get the money back.
The lawsuit concludes by making to claims for relief of misrepresentation and fraud and breach of contract, in that Gateway Church entered into a contract with its promises.
The lawsuit was filed federally in the Eastern District of Texas. This is a developing story.
2 Responses
This makes so much sense. I knew of several missions organizations looking for support from Gateway. They would act interested in the organization but, to my knowledge none of them received any funding except a very small amount. The exception would be a ministry in Israel but, even then, it was not a large yearly donation. They would say their process to support an organization took at least 5 years.
2Peter warns these wolves in sheep’s clothing they will make merchandise of you and they are adulterous souls
They bring in damnable doctrines of devils clouds without rain wells without water the filth of the sea washed up to the shoreline .
Jude warns of these as also ! They were born and ordained from long ago to be damned to hell