Church approves senior pastor's departure following accusations of prior inappropriate involvement with a minor.
In a report acquired by CNN affiliate WFAA, Gateway Church's Board of Elders acknowledged that before June 14, they lacked comprehensive details about instances of past abuse.
The board has enlisted a legal team to carry out an unbiased investigation into the report of past abuse, spanning from 1982-1987, to acquire a thorough understanding of the sequences of events.
The elder's previous understanding was that Morris's extramarital relations, which he frequently discussed during his ministry, were with an adult woman, not the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old child.
"Even though it transpired years before Gateway Church was established, as leaders of the church, we are filled with sorrow that we were not privy to the information we now possess," the statement declares.
The elders were "distraught and revolted" and extended their sympathy to the victim and her family.
The victim, Cindy Clemishire, disclosed to WFAA that the abuse began on Christmas Day in 1982 and persisted until 1987, when she informed her parents. The tale was initially published by The Wartburg Watch, a church watchdog blog, last Friday.
Pastor Morris admitted to WFAA that he was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with an adult woman in a residence where he was residing. The misconduct comprised of kissing and touching, but did not involve intercourse, and occurred on numerous occasions over the next few years.
Morris's behavior was exposed in 1987 while he served as a pastor at Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie, which later developed into one of Gateway Church's 11 locations, according to WFAA.
"In March of 1987, this situation was disclosed, and it was acknowledged and repented. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father. They instructed me to step away from my ministry and undergo counseling and freedom ministry, which I did," Morris stated in his declaration, further adding that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in 1989.
"I sought their forgiveness, and they mercifully granted it," he stated.
Clemishire informed WFAA that though her family forgave him, they didn't endorse Morris returning to the ministry.
"I believe leaders can become engrossed and think it's our task to safeguard God, but it isn't. Our responsibility is to protect the people," she added. "God is superior to all of that."
CNN’s Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.
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Despite the church's involvement with the matter since 1987, US authorities have yet to be informed about the pastor's inappropriate actions with a minor.
Regardless of the pastor's admission and repentance, it is crucial for US law enforcement to investigate such allegations to ensure justice and protection for the affected individuals.
