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The pastor of a Dallas megachurch resigned on Tuesday, two days after admitting to “inappropriate sexual conduct with a young woman” 35 years ago. The “young woman” in question was 12 years old, and the “conduct” he described amounted to sexual abuse charges.
Robert Morris, the former pastor of Gateway Church, preached to more than 100,000 devoted congregants and was once a spiritual adviser to former President Donald Trump. Morris’ resignation came four days after Cindy Cremischer, 54, publicly alleged that Morris, 21, began sexually abusing her when she was 12, and told USA Today on Tuesday that she was no longer afraid.
“While it was kissing and petting, not sexual intercourse, it was wrong,” Morris, 62, said in a statement to Dallas news station WFAA-TV on Sunday. “This behavior occurred several times over the next few years. Since then, I have acted with chastity and responsibility in this area.”
The church initially supported Morris, but after a wave of criticism he announced his resignation.
In a statement to reporters, the church’s elders said they had long been aware that Pastor Morris had had an “extramarital relationship” with a “younger woman,” and quoted him as saying it was “not an act of abuse of a 12-year-old child.”
“We are saddened and appalled by the facts that have emerged over the past few days, and our deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their families,” according to a statement obtained by CBS News and NBC News.
Here’s what we know:
Cindy Cremischer claims Robert Morris sexually abused her when she was 12
The allegations against Morris were made public on Friday after Klemischer first described his experience in Wartburg Watch, a blog about sexual abuse in the church.
In a blog post, Klemisher said he and his family met Morris at a youth revival meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was 20 and Klemisher was 11. Morris was a traveling preacher with his wife, Debbie.
Morris preached at Ms Cremishire’s church on Sundays and Debbie and her son sometimes stayed over at her parents’ house. She said she considered him a “safe and approachable” person.
That all changed on Christmas Day in 1982, when Morris asked the 12-year-old Cremisher to “come to his room that night.” She didn’t think anything of it, she wrote in the post. Once inside, he sexually abused her and warned her not to tell anyone about it, saying it would ruin everything.
She said the abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas until 1987.
Rev. Cremischer eventually told close friends and his parents about the abuse, and Rev. Morris “reportedly stepped down from his pastoral duties for two years,” she said in the blog.
Church’s initial endorsement preceded Morris’ resignation.
The church released a statement about Morris’ resignation, but Gateway Church’s website still listed Morris as lead pastor on Tuesday and said he is married to his wife, Debbie, for 44 years and has three children.
According to his biography on the Gateway Church website, Morris’ television program airs in more than 190 countries and his radio show reaches more than 6,800 cities. His YouTube page, which has 80,000 subscribers, features videos with titles such as “Freedom Through Forgiveness” and “Did You Know That God’s Grace Made You Perfect?”
In an earlier statement to WFAA-TV, the church said Morris “has spoken openly and frankly about the moral failings he committed more than 35 years ago” and that he “has committed no other moral failings.”
“The situation has been brought to light, confessed and repented of,” Morris said in a statement to the outlet on Sunday.
“I submitted to the elders of Shady Grove Church and the father of the young woman,” he said, “and they encouraged me to leave the pastorate and seek counseling and freedom ministry, which I did.”
In their latest statement, church elders said they “regret not having had the information we currently have.”
“We are grateful for this situation to be brought to light for the victims,” they said. “We know many have been affected by this and we understand you are hurting. We are deeply sorry and pray that time will help heal all those affected.”
Morris also served on Trump’s spiritual advisory board during his 2016 campaign and his presidency. In a statement to NBC News, Trump’s current campaign spokesman, Steven Chang, said the former president was unaware of the allegations and that Morris was “not involved in the 2024 campaign.”
“Any victims are asked to come forward.”
“I’m disappointed that they’re basically lying and downplaying the crimes,” Klemischer told USA Today before Morris’ resignation on Tuesday.
USA Today doesn’t typically publish the names of sexual abuse victims, but Klemischer said it was important to her.
Klemisher said she had shared her story with leaders of “very large, high-profile” churches and organizations for decades, but no one had ever talked Morris out of the priesthood or the pulpit. Klemisher said she decided to come forward publicly to encourage other people who may be victims to share their stories.
“I urge any victim to come forward. I can’t believe I’m the only victim,” she said.
Now 54, Ms Cremischer said she has a “different confidence and understanding” and no longer “feels intimidated”.
“It was brave,” she said, “but I just couldn’t stay silent any longer.”
Klemischer also put his name on the Wartburg Watch blog because he was “unashamed.”
“I’ve always believed that God’s timing will lead it to where it needs to be,” she said of Morris. “Why hide?”
Could Robert Morris face criminal charges?
Kremisher’s attorney, Boz Tchividjian, told USA Today on Tuesday that Morris cannot sue criminally or civilly for the abuse because the statute of limitations, which was in place in the late 1980s, was “fairly short.”
As of 2017, the statute of limitations for sex crimes involving children in Oklahoma is until the accuser turns 45. Prior to 2017, the statute of limitations was 12 years after the accuser turned 18.
“This shows that statutes of limitations reform is absolutely critical in both criminal and civil cases,” Chubidigian said. “For many people who have been traumatized as children, it takes decades before they’ve overcome that trauma and are ready to speak up or take action.”
Tchividjian advocates for a “lookback window,” which would allow states to reopen statutes of limitations that have already expired, “allowing survivors to sue.”
Klemischer and Tchividjian said they were “currently considering all options” regarding legal action against Morris.
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