Robert Morris Indicted in Oklahoma on Five Counts of Lewd or Indecent Acts to a Child
Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. The allegations come from Cindy Clemishire, who accused Morris of sexually abusing her from the ages of 12 to 17, starting in 1982. The abuse reportedly began during a Christmas visit in Hominy, Oklahoma, and continued for over four years.
Morris resigned as senior pastor in June 2024 after Clemishire publicly accused him. He admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior” but claimed it involved a “young lady” and not a child. Clemishire, however, emphasized that she was only 12 years old at the time.
The Oklahoma Attorney General, Gentner Drummond (who briefly represented Clemishire in 2007 in a planned lawsuit against Morris), highlighted the gravity of the case, stating that there can be no tolerance for those who exploit children. The statute of limitations does not apply to this case because Morris was not a resident of Oklahoma.
Gateway Church has faced significant scrutiny since Morris’s resignation, with several staff members leaving and internal investigations leading to changes in leadership. Morris is also facing a lawsuit over his “money back guarantee” on his congregation’s tithes, and a recently leaked video from Gateway elders indicates that the church has lost as much as 35-40% of its income in the wake of the scandal.
It remains to be seen if legal action will be taken against any of the Gateway church elders who were found via a Gateway-commissioned internal investigation to have been aware of the accusations against Morris yet failed to report the information to authorities. Additionally, it remains to be seen if the Oklahoma AG’s office will need to recuse itself based on Drummond’s prior personal representation of Clemishire.
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