Robert Morris was once the pastor of America’s largest megachurch but he was exposed as a pedophile when his actions from the 1980s were exposed. As a result, Gateway Church has gone through a tumultuous time with its leaders facing lawsuits and a search for a new face who can stem the bleeding. After serving a six month sentence, Robert Morris is back on the streets.
His lawyer issued a statement to Christian Post:
In a statement shared with The Christian Post by his attorney, William B. Mateja, the Southlake, Texas, megachurch founder revealed that his time spent in jail helped him realize even more how wrong he was for abusing Clemishire.
“I want to speak directly to Cindy Clemishire and her family. What I did to Cindy decades ago was wrong. There is no other word for it, and there is no excuse for it. I am deeply sorry. I have carried the weight of that wrong for a very long time, and I am grateful — genuinely grateful — that the Clemishires had the courage to bring this into the light,” Morris said in his statement.
“It is only in the light that things can truly be addressed and healed. Many years ago, I sought their forgiveness privately, and as Cindy’s father recently noted, he extended that grace to me — a grace I did not deserve and have never taken for granted. I ask again, publicly, and sincerely, for the forgiveness of Cindy and her entire family. Whatever healing lies ahead for them, I pray for it with all my heart.”
In Oklahoma, the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children is when the victim turns 45. Cindy Clemishire, born in 1970, turned 45 in 2015. However, Robert Morris was a traveling preacher staying at her parent’s house because he was not a resident in Oklahoma. Therefore, the statute of limitations does not apply, and he’s treated like an old-time outlaw.
Robert Morris would soon resign in disgrace following the public disclosure of his 35-year-old reproach. Gateway Church would even part ways with James Morris, the son of Robert Morris, over the scandal. And Robert Morris’s son-in-law would secede from Gateway Church and rebrand his respective multicampus megachurch franchise.
