Following allegations that got here to gentle final month that Gateway Church founder Robert Morris sexually abused Cindy Clemishire over a number of years within the Eighties starting when she was 12, Pastor Robert Morris Ministries has now canceled “all future radio and television broadcasts.”
“The elders of Gateway Church learned that Pastor Robert’s moral failure from more than forty years ago involved a minor. We are heartbroken and grief-stricken for this woman who has carried this burden of abuse for decades,” the Board of Elders of Gateway Church and the Overseers of Pastor Robert Morris Ministries mentioned in a joint assertion posted on the Robert Morris Ministries homepage Wednesday.
“Pastor Robert’s sin and his lack of transparency to the church’s elders and leadership has disqualified him from continuing in his role as senior pastor at Gateway Church and as leader of Pastor Robert Morris Ministries. As a result, all future radio and television broadcast ministry from Pastor Robert Morris Ministries has been canceled,” the ministry leaders continued.
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The response from Pastor Robert Morris Ministries comes some two weeks after Texas-based Daystar Tv Community, one of many largest Christian tv networks on the earth, additionally eliminated all programming that includes Morris following his June 18 resignation from Gateway Church over the allegations from Clemishire.
Clemishire, a 54-year-old grandmother, reported final month that the megachurch founder started sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, when she was simply 12 years previous. She says the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years earlier than he was discovered. However he was later allowed to return to ministry.
When questioned in regards to the allegations by The Christian Submit, Morris solely confessed to being concerned in “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” greater than 35 years in the past and mentioned he repented and was restored to ministry.
“In March of 1987, 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. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area,” Morris mentioned.
Clemishire insisted to CP, nonetheless, that she was no younger girl when Morris abused her.
“I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult,” she mentioned.
“It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation. I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior.”
Of their announcement of Morris’ resignation on June 18, Gateway Church elders mentioned they retained the legislation agency of Haynes & Boone, LLP, to “conduct an independent, thorough, and professional review of the report of past abuse to ensure we have a complete understanding of the events from 1982-1987.”
Regardless of the removing of video and audio content material from Morris for the web site of Pastor Robert Morris Ministries, the workers mentioned the broadcasts helped many individuals world wide for many years.
“We are grateful for how God has used Gateway Church and Pastor Robert Morris Ministries to minister to so many people around the world for decades. Countless people have come to Christ, grown in their faith, and been ministered to in their time of need. We are truly humbled by what God has done through these ministries,” they mentioned of their assertion.
“Our prayer for you who have watched our television programs, listened to Worship & the Word on radio, and supported this ministry with your prayers and gifts can be found in Scripture. Numbers 6:24–26: ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’”
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“Well bless their hearts.”
