Pastor Robert Morris admitted sexual misconduct with a 12-year-old girl earlier this week after his now-adult victim disclosed years of historical abuse by him. Though Morris first he planned to continue weekend performances at Gateway Church in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth, he has now decided to resign.
On Tuesday, the Board of Elders at Gateway Church, a multi-site megachurch based in Southlake, released a statement saying they accepted Morris' resignation and plan to conduct a thorough "review of the report of past abuse to ensure we have a complete understanding of the events." Morris allegedly had a sexual relationship with a minor between 1982 and 1987, when he was a traveling Evangelist in his early 20s. On June 14, Cindy Clemishire, whose parents had befriended Morris, publicly accused the pastor of repeatedly molesting her during that period.
That they let him leave rather than firing him is a fresh warning about the organization and those still in charge of it.
Clemishire said she has mixed thoughts and feelings regarding Morris' resignation and believes she is not the only victim. "Though I am grateful that he is no longer a pastor at Gateway, I am disappointed that the Board of Elders allowed him to resign," Clemishire wrote in a statement Tuesday. "He should have been terminated."
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Previously: Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris admits "inappropriate sexual behavior" with 12-year-old "young lady"
