Gateway Church, one of Texas's largest megachurches, announced the removal of four elders following an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against its founder, Robert Morris. The announcement was made on Saturday by elder Tra Willbanks, who addressed the congregation at the church's Southlake location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The elders' removal follows a months-long inquiry by Texas law firm Haynes and Boone, which was hired by Gateway Church to investigate the claims after allegations surfaced earlier this year.
Morris, a prominent evangelical leader, resigned from his pastoral position earlier this year after a woman, Cindy Clemishire, publicly accused him of abusing her in the 1980s when she was a minor. According to Clemishire, the abuse began when she was 12 and continued until she was 17. Morris admitted to what he described as "inappropriate sexual behavior" with a young woman in the 1980s but did not acknowledge Clemishire's claims directly.
Willbanks informed the congregation that the elders removed had either known about Morris's alleged abuse or "failed to inquire further" when they became aware of the situation. "We now know that there were elders and employees at Gateway who knew before June 14, 2024, that Cindy was 12 at the time of the abuse," Willbanks stated. "Both groups are fundamentally wrong and simply cannot and will not be tolerated at Gateway Church."
While Willbanks did not explicitly name the dismissed elders, reports from NBCDFW and WFAA revealed that the names of Kevin Grove, Thomas Miller, Jeremy Carrasco, and Gayland Lawshe had been removed from Gateway's website by Saturday afternoon. The church's elder page now lists only three remaining elders: Willbanks, Kenneth W. Fambro II, and Dane Minor.
In his address, Willbanks emphasized that Gateway Church was taking a strong stance rooted in "Biblical and moral values." He continued, "We have decided to draw a very bright line here based on Biblical and moral values and the values of our church family, and we can report to you that as of today, no individual in either group serves as an elder, is employed by, or works at Gateway Church. They have been removed."
According to Willbanks, the church is cooperating fully with a criminal investigation. He clarified, however, that "neither the church nor its current leadership are subjects of this criminal investigation." While the church has maintained that it is unaware of any other victims beyond Clemishire, the situation has led to a reevaluation of its leadership structure and accountability measures.
The abuse allegations first emerged publicly in June when Clemishire shared her story on the website Wartburg Watch, recounting the years of abuse she allegedly endured under Morris's guidance. Her attorney, Boz Tchividjian, stated that Clemishire had previously sought a civil settlement with Morris in 2007, but discussions were derailed when Morris insisted on a non-disclosure agreement, which she ultimately declined to sign.
The case has stirred significant controversy within the Gateway Church community. Founded by Morris in 2000, Gateway has grown into one of the nation's largest megachurches, with a congregation of over 100,000 members and several campuses across the United States. In a June statement, Gateway's board affirmed that certain elders, who served between 2005 and 2007, had taken temporary leaves of absence during the investigation. "These three Elders...are men of integrity who have served Gateway Church with distinction, and each of these three Elders has clearly stated that they had no knowledge of the true facts of this situation," the statement read.
During Saturday's address, Willbanks revealed that Morris allegedly directed church staff to release a statement minimizing Clemishire's claims when her allegations became public. "Robert Morris directed Gateway employees to release a statement that intended to minimize the severity of Cindy's claims in one final attempt to hide the truth," Willbanks said. "Cindy was not a consenting adult, but rather a child of 12 and a victim of sexual abuse."
The revelations have prompted a reckoning within Gateway Church, leading to a deeper examination of its leadership culture and response to abuse allegations. As part of the reforms, Gateway is reviewing its protocols for dealing with similar cases in the future to prevent such oversights and lapses in judgment.
In the meantime, Willbanks assured churchgoers that Gateway is committed to transparency and accountability moving forward, thanking members for their patience during the investigation. The church has expressed its full support for Clemishire and its intent to uphold the values it was founded upon.
