James Morris, the son of former Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris, has stepped down from his position more than a month after his father admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” 35 years ago. James and his wife Bridgette are no longer pastors at Gateway Church. The church’s elders state that they believe the couple has a desire to serve as senior pastors at another church in the future. James had been expected to take over leadership of Gateway Church from his father, who resigned on June 18 following allegations of sexual abuse by a woman named Cindy Clemishire. The church appointed an independent law firm to investigate the allegations against Robert Morris.
James Morris took a temporary leave of absence from the church’s Board of Elders following advice from the church’s attorneys due to his relation to Robert Morris. The church has stated that James had no knowledge of the situation and has volunteered to step back to demonstrate his commitment to an unbiased inquiry. The investigation is ongoing, and the church is expected to provide updates during services.
Cindy Clemishire alleges that Robert Morris began sexually abusing her in 1982 when she was 12 years old, and the abuse continued until 1987. She decided to come forward publicly to encourage other possible victims to share their stories. She stated that she had previously shared her story with church leadership but no action had been taken. The church has expressed its commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the allegations.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com