Texas Megachurch Pastor Resigns Over Sexual Misconduct

Facts

• Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris has resigned from his job after a woman accused him of molesting her for years when she was a child.¹
• Morris, a senior pastor at Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, resigned Tuesday after admitting to 'inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady' 35 years ago.²
• Cindy Clemishire, now 54, has stated that Morris, then in his twenties, molested her in the 1980s, starting when she was 12 and continuing for over four-and-a-half years.³
• While Morris acknowledged the interactions, he said they amounted to nothing more than 'kissing and petting' and claimed that he confessed to church elders in 1987 and has 'walked in purity and accountability' since. Morris has not been charged with a crime.⁴
• In a statement, the church's board of elders said that they previously understood that Morris had engaged in an 'extramarital relationship' with a 'young lady' but were unaware that the incident amounted to abuse or involved a child. The statement went on to express sympathy for the victim and her family.²
• Morris was the spiritual advisor to Donald Trump during his first presidential campaign. A spokesperson for the former president has clarified that Trump didn't know about the allegations.⁵

Sources: ¹ABC News, ²USA Today, ³FOX News, ⁴CNN and ⁵NBC.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Crisis Magazine. The worst part of the allegations against Morris is that they are not an isolated incident. Sexual abuse, especially of minors, is a pervasive issue across denominations in Christian churches, where hierarchical power dynamics, and inadequate training and screening of clergy has put pastors and priests in ample situations to abuse their authority. Additionally, cultures of secrecy and insularism, where churches have preferred to deal with the issue internally instead of involving law enforcement, have protected predators and prevented victims from getting the justice they deserve.
• Narrative B, as provided by Brandon Vogt. Morris must be held to account not only for his horrific actions but also for giving the media ammunition to fuel its anti-religion program. The Christian churches stand with the victims of sexual violence — regardless of where it's perpetrated — and have devoted substantial efforts to stamp out this type of abuse, which isn't indicative of the institution as a whole. In this case, Morris must not be allowed to whitewash his crimes but should instead face the legal consequences of his crimes.