Gateway Church revokes membership of critical congregant; armed guards boot her from property
A former Gateway Church member who had her membership revoked and was allegedly forced off church property by armed guards for publicly criticizing the Texas megachurch for its alleged lack of transparency and accountability amid child sex abuse allegations against founder Robert Morris is now speaking out.
"I will say this: in my 47 years of life, I have never had my church membership revoked, dismissed, as they wanted to call it," Valentina Hansen, Grapevine resident and former Gateway Church member and volunteer, told The Christian Post in an interview Tuesday. "I've never had my volunteer opportunities be dismissed."
Morris resigned as Gateway Church's senior pastor on June 18, after 54-year-old grandmother Cindy Clemishire reported that Morris began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, when she was just 12, and continued with the abuse for four-and-a-half years after that. Morris' alleged actions occurred when he was a young minister before he founded Gateway Church.
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Hansen revealed on Facebook on Aug. 22 that she, along with others, met with Tra Willbanks, a longtime Gateway Church elder who has been giving updates at Gateway's pulpit since Morris' resignation, and Lorena Valle, the campus pastor of Gateway Church's Southlake Campus, to discuss the handling of Clemishire's case.
She accused Willbanks of falsely claiming that Gateway Church's attorneys were in communication with Clemishire's attorney, Boz Tchividjian, about restitution for the trauma she suffered as a result of Morris' alleged abuse and her initial treatment by Gateway Church.
She also claimed that Willbanks was deceptive and evasive in the meeting when she asked questions about the church's finances. She stated that Willbanks assured her that the church's financials are in order and Gateway Church has assets totaling $500 million.
Hansen noted that registered sex offender Stephen Wilson is reportedly still working at Gateway Church, and Willbanks defended his employment. Wilson spent a year in prison for attempted sexual indecency with a child in 2002, and he is now the head of Gateway Church's prison ministry.
"During our meeting, it was confirmed that #StephenWilson remains employed by #Gateway Church despite concerns. Tra Willbanks stated, 'There's a lynch mob after Steven Wilson, and I won't allow it.' He shared a story about Steven Wilson, which contradicted archived newspaper articles," Hansen said.
"Gateway Church has no intention of making their financial records public from 2000 to 2024. They are joining ECFA and have a total asset of $500 million. Tra Willbanks, a CPA, claimed their financials are in order," she added in the Facebook post.
In a letter dated Sept. 6, a copy of which was shared with CP, Gateway Church's board of elders accused Hansen of sowing "discord and conflict," which justified revoking her membership, according to Titus 3:10. The Scripture states: "Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them."
"The past three months have been the most challenging in the history of Gateway Church, and it has been a time of entirely understandable concern and appropriate, earnest questioning of the Church's leadership by its members. While acknowledging that we must rely on the strength of Christ to guide each and every one of our actions, the Board of Elders believes it has done, and continues to do, its utmost to be responsive and empathetic to current member concerns," Gateway's board of elders wrote in their letter to Hansen.
The elders suggested they had no choice but to revoke Hansen's membership because she refused to foster "understanding and reconciliation."
"As believers, all members of the Gateway community are bound by the commandments of the Bible, even in trying times. Despite our sincere attempts to walk with you down the path towards understanding and reconciliation, the Board believes that you have violated Biblical requirements by continuing to sow discord and conflict," the board wrote.
"Bearing in mind the wisdom of Titus 3:10, and pursuant to our roles as the highest ecclesiastical authority of Gateway Church as set forth in the Church's Bylaws, it is with heavy hearts that we accordingly now inform you that we believe it is necessary to make the difficult decision to dismiss you from your church membership and volunteer services at this time."
The board further offered to continue praying and caring for Hansen's "continued spiritual growth" and wished her the best at her next church home.
In response to questions from CP about the revocation of Hansen’s membership, Gateway Church spokesman Lawrence Swicegood insisted that leadership attempted to address her concerns, and she chose instead to maintain “proactive stances” against the ministry.
“Prior to her membership being revoked, Ms. Hansen requested and was given a private meeting with a Gateway campus pastor and with one of the Gateway’s elders to listen to her concerns and address her questions," Swicegood said. "Following that multi-hour, private meeting, she chose not to believe the accurate and factual answers she was given by the campus pastor and by the elder."
"Within hours, she went on her social media account seeking to discredit the facts she was given calling out the elders as ‘providing false information’ which is unfounded and untrue," Swicegood added.
In several emails also shared with CP, Hansen disputed the decision by Gateway Church's board of elders and their claims that she was sowing discord in the church.
"I was never contacted or spoken to by any member of the eldership regarding these concerns. I received no warnings, no counseling, and no guidance on how to resolve any perceived issues. This is in direct contradiction to the principles outlined in Titus 3:10, which emphasizes the importance of addressing divisive behavior through direct conversation and warnings," Hansen wrote in one of the emails shared with CP.
A day after she received the letter from Gateway Church's board of elders revoking her membership, Hansen recorded herself trying to enter the church to engage with the elders, but she said she was asked to leave the property by armed security guards under the watch of officers from the Southlake Police Department.
"It was embarrassing because so many people at the church know me. … I felt embarrassed for them that they would act in such an egregious way. I mean, I'm 5-foot-8. I weigh like 130 pounds. It's just little old me," Hansen said. "You've got five grown men approaching me at the main entrance of a church saying, 'You can't come in here,' and three of them had guns on their hips. And then I turn around to leave, and I see the South Lake Police Department."
Before Sept. 6, Hansen said she was a member of Gateway Church for three years but had attended the church intermittently for eight years prior to that.
She said she was drawn to the church because of the community.
"What attracted me and what kept me going there was the community, the classes, the groups, the self-help classes as well. There's so many great resources that are available, but there were also things that made me question," Hansen told CP.
She said she is speaking out because of the many people who simply walked away from Gateway Church "without a fight" after Morris' scandal came to light.
"You know, the squeaky wheel, they get attention, but sometimes, you know, …. for the longest time, I have been a voice for so many people that have been afraid to speak out against Gateway Church. I feel honored to be given that trust in people's stories, but I knew it would come with a price, and I was OK with that," Hansen said.
Swicegood stressed in his statement to CP that Hansen told a Gateway staff member that she was previously removed from another church due to her “disruptive behavior.”
“We are saddened that Ms. Hansen has chosen not to believe the truth and we wish her all the best in her search for a new church,” he said.
In announcing Morris' resignation in June, Gateway Church elders said they hired the law firm of Haynes & Boone, LLP, "to conduct an independent, thorough, and professional review of the report of past abuse to ensure we have a complete understanding of the events from 1982-1987."
It is unclear when the results of this investigation will be ready or if it will be released to the public.
Despite getting booted from the church, Hansen says she still believes Gateway Church can be great, but Morris' negative influence must be completely removed from the leadership team.
"I will say this: there is still a possibility for Gateway to be a great church. However, the people that are still there, that were implemented by Robert Morris, there is a trickle-down effect, or ripple effect that is still affecting that church in a very negative way," Hansen said. "And it's a culture that has perpetuated itself because of Robert Morris."
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