Gateway Church Attendance Down 50%? Tens of Thousands Leave After Robert Morris Scandal

The hits keep coming for Gateway Church after another prominent church leader announced that he was leaving the embattled megachurch, and after one of their former pastors offered some insight into how badly their attendance has suffered.

Last week, the church, which is still reeling following the revelations that Pastor and founder Robert Morries sexually molested a 12-year-old girl, resulting in him being permanently separated from Gateway amid an implosion of his personal and professional life, announced that founding elder Steve Dulin, who was on leave after the law firm investigating the abuse situation requested the sequestering, had parting ways with the church for unspecified reasons. WFAA reports

Dulin was the executive pastor leading Gateway Kingdom Business Leaders ministry, according to a church statement. Gateway elders didn’t cite a specific reason for parting ways with Dulin, but said they met with him earlier this week and decided to “go in a different direction” regarding his position as an elder and staff member.

Furthermore, in a recent interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, former Gateway Youth Pastor Kam Hunt, who presently attends Gateway church, estimated that attendance is down by 50%. Just a few months ago, the church boasted weekly 100,000 guests and visitors, but has been hemorrhaging since the news of the molestation. Hunt believes that the church will not close, but believes that significant changes need to be made.

“The testament of faith and Christianity is that we keep going; that would signal to other people on the fray that this church is going. Leadership needs a complete overhaul, of course. Let’s not repeat the sins of the past, and part of the sins of the past includes we put a person in God’s place.”

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save

About Author

Staff Writer

See author's posts