Dallas, TX — The senior pastor “Robert Morris” of one of the nation’s largest mega churches, who once served as spiritual adviser to the former US President Donald Trump, has been accused of sexual abuse with a woman who filed the complaint saying that the senior pastor inappropriately touched her sexually when she was twelve years old.
Robert Morris Acknowledges Past Misconduct but Faces Criticism for Downplaying Severity
During an interview with The Christian Post, Robert Morris, the Senior pastor of Gateway Church based in Texas declined to comment much on the matters that are in the public domain but confirmed that the allegations were brought by Cindy Clemishire. She said that the abuse next occurred during a family Christmas reunion in December, 1982 when Robert Morris at 20 years of age beckoned her into his bedroom and fondled her. Clemishire’s testimony said that “Robert Morris admonished her not to tell anyone, reminding that ‘It will spoil everything”. ’ The abuses continued for years, until Clemishire finally told a friend, when Morris’ wife got to know the story, and Morris resigned from ministry services.
Pamela Ollemier, popularly known as Clemishire, disclosed her encounter to The Wartburg Watch, a religious blog. She was reporting how Robert Morris, who established the Gateway Church in 2000 and developed it into a church with an estimated number of 100,000 members attending weekly service, used his authority to abuse her. Good times turned into kissing and petting, Morris testified, and though he could not state how old Clemishire was at the time of the molestation, he agreed with the defence that it was wrong.
As for the incidents of sexual abuse, Robert Morris stated that he went back to ministry two years after the report asserting that he had asked the father of one of the abused boys, Clemishire, and the elders of the church to forgive him since they had “gracefully forgiven” him. However, this is an issue that Clemishire has taken with the account as she explained that her family never approved Morris’ decisions to return to ministry.
Leaders of Gateway Church stood up for Morris the same claiming they he has always been honest and candid about the immoral misconduct that happened over 35 years ago and has successfully been through the restoration process Leaders at Gateway Church did not want to discuss the situation any further and added that Morris did not conduct the Saturday services at the church after the allegations went viral.
It is also important to note that there is no statute of limitation when it comes to the sexual offences against children under Texas law, meaning Robert Morris could still be charged with those crimes. Nevertheless, the individuals have not been charged to any degree of the law up to this time with regards to this theory or any other theory of the crime.
This is evident when Clemishire was utterly amazed at how Morris painted the events given his attempt at showing remorse. Indeed, one can agree with her sentiment in this statement to the Dallas Morning News: ‘I don’t think that it’s repentant when someone calls a 12-year-old a young lady and tries to dismiss what happened as just some heavy petting,’. “This is in reference to child abuse and an individual should never hurt a child like that regardless of any circumstances on earth”.
Still, as the situation unfolds, the authorities of the church have ensured that Robert Morris’ ap- pearances remain limited, and Gateway Church has not issued any further statements or interviews. Despite being silenced early in the film, Clemishire does not back down from Morris’ stance as a supportive figure and believes it is unfathomable that someone like him should head any community, especially a church.
