Robert Morris, the disgraced former pastor of Gateway Church, has ended his multi-million-dollar lawsuit against his former congregation, with the two sides agreeing to enter into arbitration regarding the massive retirement payments, according to CBS News.
Once the pastor of the largest church in America, Morris, 64, was recently released from prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing 12-year-old Cindy Clemishire.
Despite his ignoble exit and termination from the pastorate, Morris sued Gateway Church, claiming its elders verbally promised him a lucrative retirement package. $1M upfront, $800,000 annually until he turns 70, and then $600,000 per year thereafter until both he and his wife pass, with payments continuing to the surviving spouse.
If either lives into their early 80s, the total could approach $16 million.
Morris’s arbitration also seeks to obtain the intellectual property rights to books he authored, recorded sermons, and social media accounts tied to the pastor, including the domain address pastorrobert.com.
According to Morris family attorney Bill Mateja:”The parties have reached agreement on an appropriate arbitration forum to resolve their dispute and will now proceed in that forum and not in state court. Thus the state court proceeding was dismissed.”
Morris is still facing other lawsuits, including a civil suit by Ms. Clemishire over her abuse.
