The pastor of a megachurch in Dallas resigned Tuesday, two days after admitting to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” 35 years in the past. The “young lady” in query was 12 and the “behavior” as she described it could quantity to legal sexual abuse.
The now-former Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church was preaching to greater than 100,000 lively attendees and was as soon as a non secular adviser to former President Donald Trump. His resignation comes 4 days after 54-year-old Cindy Clemishire went public with allegations that Morris began molesting her when she was 12 and he was 21, telling USA TODAY on Tuesday that she was now not afraid.
“It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” Morris, 62, mentioned Sunday in an announcement to native Dallas information station WFAA-TV. “This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years … Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area.”
At first the church was standing behind Morris however introduced his resignation following a wave of criticism.
In an announcement issued to members of the information media, the church’s board of elders mentioned they beforehand understood that Morris had an “extramarital relationship” with a “young lady,” citing the pastor’s phrases − “not abuse of a 12-year-old child.”
“We are heartbroken and appalled by what has come to light over the past few days, and we express our deep sympathy to the victim and her family,” in accordance with the assertion, obtained by CBS Information and NBC Information.
Here is what we all know.
Cindy Clemishire says Robert Morris sexually abused her at age 12
Allegations towards Morris went public on Friday after Clemishire first shared her story with the Wartburg Watch, a weblog about sexual abuse throughout the church.
Clemishire mentioned within the weblog put up that she and her household met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was 20 and she or he was 11. Morris was a touring evangelist together with his spouse, Debbie.
Morris would preach at Clemishire’s church on Sundays, and generally he, Debbie, and their son would keep at her household’s residence. She considered him as “protected and pleasant,” she said.
Issues modified on Christmas in 1982 when Morris requested a 12-year-old Clemishire to “visit him in his room that night,” and she or he thought nothing of it, she mentioned within the put up. As soon as in his room, she mentioned he sexually abused her and warned her: “Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything.”
She mentioned the abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas till 1987.
Ultimately Clemishire informed good friend and her dad and mom in regards to the abuse, and Morris “reportedly stepped down from ministry for two years,” she informed the weblog.
Church’s preliminary assist precedes Morris’ resignation
Even because the church launched an announcement about his resignation, on Tuesday Morris was nonetheless listed because the senior pastor on Gateway Church’s web site, which says he has been married to his spouse Debbie for 44 years and has three youngsters together with her.
Morris has a tv program that airs in over 190 international locations and his radio program airs in additional than 6,800 cities, in accordance with his biography on the Gateway Church web site. Morris’ YouTube web page, which has 80,000 subscribers, consists of movies with titles like “Freedom Through Forgiveness” and “Did You Know You’re Made Perfect By God’s Grace?”
In a earlier assertion issued to WFAA-TV, the church mentioned that Morris has been “open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago” and that “there have been no other moral failures.”
In his personal assertion to the outlet on Sunday, Morris mentioned that “this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of.”
“I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father,” he mentioned. “They asked me to stop out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did.”
Within the newest assertion, the church elders mentioned that “we regret that we did not have the information that we now have.”
“For the sake of the victim, we are thankful this situation has been exposed,” they mentioned. “We know many have been affected by this, we understand that you are hurting, and we are very sorry. It is our prayer that, in time, healing for all those affected can occur.”
Morris was additionally on Trump’s non secular advisory board in the course of the 2016 marketing campaign and in the course of the presidency. Trump’s present marketing campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, mentioned in an announcement to NBC Information that the previous president hadn’t been conscious of the allegations and that Morris “does not have a role with the 2024 campaign.”
‘Any and all victims, come forward’
Before Morris’ resignation on Tuesday Clemishire told USA TODAY that she was “disillusioned that they are mainly mendacity and minimizing the crime.”
USA TODAY does not typically name victims of sexual abuse but Clemishire said it was important to her.
She said that she has been sharing her story for decades with leadership in “very giant and high-profile” churches and organizations, but no one took Morris out of ministry or the pulpit. Clemishire decided to come forward publicly to encourage others who may be victims to tell their stories, she said.
“Any and all victims, come ahead … I simply do not imagine that I am the one individual,” she said.
At 54 years old, Clemishire said she has a “completely different confidence and a unique understanding” that no longer makes her “really feel intimidated.”
“The braveness is there,” she said. “I simply could not keep silent anymore.”
Clemishire also included her name in the Wartburg Watch blog because she has “no disgrace.”
“I’ve all the time simply trusted that God’s timing would take it wherever it wanted to go,” she said about Morris. “Why cover?”
Can Robert Morris be charged criminally?
Boz Tchividjian, Clemishire’s attorney, told USA TODAY on Tuesday that Morris can’t be charged criminally or civilly for the abuse because of the statute of limitations in place in the late 1980s, which was “pretty brief.”
Since 2017, the statute of limitations in Oklahoma for sex crimes involving children has been until the accuser turns 45. Before 2017, the statute of limitations was 12 years after the accuser turned 18.
“This simply demonstrates absolutely the significance of statute of limitations reform, each in legal and civil instances,” Tchvidijian said. “When any person is traumatized as a baby, for a lot of it takes a long time to course of that trauma to even be prepared to talk out or do one thing about it.”
Tchividjian is advocating for “look-back home windows,” which allows states to reopen statutes of limitations that have previously expired so “survivors can now file their lawsuits.”
Clemishire and Tchividjian are “presently evaluating all choices” in relation to authorized motion towards Morris.
“Well bless their hearts.”
