The son of a disgraced Texas megachurch pastor who resigned over allegations of sexual abuse with a young girl abruptly quit the church on Thursday.
James Morris stepped down from his role as associate senior pastor of Gateway Church after his father, Robert Morris, admitted last month to having “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a family friend starting when she was just 12 years old.
The younger Morris and his wife Bridgette Morris, an executive pastor inside the church, decided to leave their positions together after meeting with Gateway elders, according to WFAA.
“They collectively made the decision” that the couple would step down from their roles, the church said in a statement obtained by the outlet.
“We as Elders affirm and believe that God has placed a desire in both Pastors James and Bridgette’s hearts to serve as senior pastors of a church at some point in the future,” the elders said. “We love Pastors James and Bridgette and their children – we deeply care about them and sincerely thank them for investing their lives here at Gateway Church.
“They have faithfully and honorably served our congregation and this community through all the years that they have been part of Gateway Church.”
Robert Morris was expected to hand over the church’s leadership to his son in 2025, before the accusations were made public.
Robert Morris, a one-time spiritual advisor of former President Donald Trump, founded Gateway Church in Southlake in 2000 and its membership has grown to one of the largest in the country at 100,000 members.
In June, Cindy Clemishire publicly accused Robert Morris of grooming her beginning in 1987, when she was just 12 and he was 20.
The alleged abuse continued for four years.
“I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home,” Clemishire told the Christian Post of abuse that took her “decades to wrap my brain around as an adult.”
Clemishire, now 54-year-old grandmother, alleged Morris repeatedly abused her in Texas and Oklahoma, telling his wife at the time that he was merely providing her “counseling” during the abuse.
Cheshire eventually confided the abuse to a friend who encouraged her to tell her family.
She says when her father found out he told the lead pastor if Morris didn’t “get out of ministry” he would get the police involved. Morris stepped away for two years.
In 2007, Clemishire threatened to sue Morris, but was blamed by the pastor’s attorney who claimed the 12-year-old Clemishire was the one to be blamed.
Lawyer J. Shelby Sharpe said Clemishire was the one “who initiated inappropriate behavior by coming into my client’s bedroom and getting in bed with him, which my client should not have allowed to happen.”
The church revealed it would share more information with its congregation during weekend services.
In the first services after James Morris’ resignation, the church elders apologized to Clemishire.
“Cindy, in case you are watching, we want to again apologize to you on behalf of our entire church for the years of pain you have endured,” Gateway elder Trey Wilbanks said, according to CBS Texas.
“To be clear, we believe that this was sexual abuse of a child. Any description falling short of that does not reflect our position. I’m sorry that we got that communication wrong. We are in no way attempting to cover up or minimize this situation. In fact, I would like to say to you Cindy, ‘Thank you for coming forward.’”
The Gateway Church elders had given their support to Robert Morris when the allegations were first made last month, saying he had been “open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago” and had been “biblically restored to ministry after confessing.”
The church’s stance changed following Morris’ resignation, claiming it was unaware the “young lady” the pastor had referred to was only 12 years old.
On Friday, Max Lucado was named as the interim teaching pastor for Gateway Church, and will serve in the role until the end of 2024, he said in a Facebook post.
“Scripture states that God is near the brokenhearted – there are ample numbers of brokenhearted people in this story,” he said. “My desire is simply this—love God’s hurting people. I see this as an opportunity to do just that.”