Gateway Church, a prominent megachurch in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has removed four elders from its leadership following an internal investigation into sexual abuse allegations against its founder, Robert Morris.
The announcement came during a service on Saturday, November 2, from elder Tra Willbanks.
The church initiated the investigation after accusations surfaced earlier this year regarding Morris’s inappropriate conduct with a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
Morris admitted to having “inappropriate sexual behavior” but did not specifically acknowledge abusing the alleged victim, Cindy Clemishire, who claims the abuse occurred from 1982 to 1987.
Morris has since resigned from his position.
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Willbanks addressed the congregation, revealing that three of the removed elders were aware of Morris’s actions but failed to act appropriately.
“We now know that there were elders and employees at Gateway who knew… that Cindy was 12 at the time of the abuse,” he stated, emphasizing that such negligence is unacceptable.
The church’s response included a commitment to uphold “Biblical and moral values.” Willbanks noted that the removed individuals would no longer hold any positions at the church.
The announcement was met with applause from the congregation.
While the specific names of the removed elders were not disclosed during the service, reports indicate that Kevin Grove, Thomas Miller, Jeremy Carrasco, and Gayland Lawshe have been listed as removed from the church’s website.
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In light of these developments, the church is cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation and has publicly expressed its commitment to transparency and accountability.
Morris founded Gateway Church in 2000, which has since grown to several locations across the country.
