Robert Morris’ son, James Morris, preparing to plant his own church after Gateway Church exit
Just over a month after stepping down as leader of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, in the wake of his father Robert Morris’ scandalous resignation, James Morris is preparing to pursue his long-held dream of leading his own church.
On a newly launched website, jamesandbridgettemorris.com, James Morris and his wife, Bridgette, revealed they are just waiting on God to tell them “when, where, and how to plant a church” as they recover from the Gateway Church debacle.
“We are excited to announce the beginning of an extraordinary journey that started as a dream in our hearts to be pastors of a vibrant church passionate about the presence of God and filled with people who love God and love people. We believe God gave us this dream and many prophetic words, beginning when we were young, for such a time as this,” the couple said on their website. “We are taking time to rest, pray, and hear from the Lord after this last season. We are filled with anticipation, expectation, and hope as we hear from God about when, where, and how to plant a church.”
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James Morris and his wife experienced being at the helm of Gateway Church for several weeks after his father resigned on June 18 amid allegations of child sex abuse.
Cindy Clemishire, 54, reported that Robert Morris began sexually abusing her on Christmas Day in 1982 when she was just 12 years old. She says the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years before others found out. But Morris was later allowed to return to ministry.
When questioned about the allegations by The Christian Post, Morris only confessed to being involved in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" more than 35 years ago. He said he repented and was restored to ministry.
Clemishire insisted to CP, however, that she was no young lady when Morris abused her.
"I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult," she said.
Gateway Church has commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations against Morris.
Weeks after James Morris stepped into his father’s role in June, Gateway Church elders announced in late July that the church would be better served by severing ties with the Morris family based on the "advice of many well-respected pastors and ministry leaders."
"We as elders affirm and believe that God has placed a desire in both Pastors James and Bridgette's hearts to serve as senior pastors of a church at some point in the future," the elders said in their statement. "We love Pastors James and Bridgette and their children. We deeply care about them and sincerely thank them for investing their lives here at Gateway Church. They have faithfully and honorably served our congregation and this community through all the years that they have been part of Gateway Church."
James Morris and his wife are now collecting contact details from those interested in joining them on their new adventure to plant a church.
“This journey is not just about reaching a destination but about embracing the profound experiences and growth along the way. We are confident that God is good and in control,” the couple said.
“We invite you to join us in this adventure by walking alongside us or supporting us from afar. Together, we can experience the remarkable impact God's goodness has on the world around us.”
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