Gateway Church in Southlake held its first weekend of services since Robert Morris, its founder and senior pastor, resigned after admitting to molesting a child in the 1980s, starting when the girl was 12.
The megachurch’s main Southlake campus was packed Saturday evening, with protesters standing outside; Sunday was a different story.
The Star-Telegram attended the 11 a.m. Sunday service at the church, which featured live worship and a short address at the opening and closing of the service by Jelani Lewis, pastor of Gateway’s Plano campus.
“I’m very sorry. I know many of us are coming today and we’re all in different places,” Lewis said at the start of the service. “Some of us came in today and we’re heartbroken. Some of us are today came in and we’re angry. Some of us came in today and we’re not sure what to feel, and some of us have never been so hopeful.”
Sunday’s sermon and the speech about Morris’ resignation by a church elder were recorded from the Saturday service and played to the half-full audience on Sunday, with many leaving before it ended.
A representative for Gateway Church could not be reached for comment on the decision to replay portions of Saturday’s service.
Tra Willbanks, one of Gateway’s elders, addressed the congregation about Morris’ revelations and his resignation.
Willbanks, who has six daughters, said: “As a father, what has happened is extremely disturbing. And I experience a wide range of emotions, just like you. As an elder, I did not know the truth. And honestly, my wife and I, like so many of you, are shocked, devastated and grieving.”
The sermon was delivered by Joakim Lundqvist, a pastor who leads Life Church in Uppsala, Sweden.
Lundqvist, who has spoken at Gateway in the past, said he had never spoken to the congregation with a heavy heart — but he also never wanted to be with them again.
Lundqvist’s sermon revolved around three main points; “Stay close to Jesus, stay close to your family and keep believing in the resurrection power of Jesus.”
Lundqvist also compared Morris’ departure to when Ulf Ekman — who founded Life Church and served as senior pastor — left and the Swedish megachurch converted to Catholicism, describing it as a “dramatic and painful exit of a much loved and respected founding pastor.”
The worship team returned to the stage before the service closed and Lewis addressed the congregation, telling them to sign up for the opportunity to speak with a pastor about the events that occurred at the megachurch.
“We would love to just process with you, pray with you and walk with you,” Lewis said.
Morris resigned from Gateway on June 18 after admitting to sexually assaulting a girl for four years in the 1980s. He was never charged with a crime.
Morris’ accuser Cindy Clemishire, now 54, said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News that the abuse began when she was 12 years old (Morris was in her 20s) and continued until Morris was captured in 1987, when she was 16.
In addition to founding Gateway, one of the nation’s largest megachurches — with nine campuses in North Texas and one in Wyoming — Morris also served as a spiritual advisor to former President Donald Trump.
