Robert Morris, the Texas megachurch pastor who built Gateway Church into one of the largest congregations in the United States, pleaded guilty Thursday in Osage County District Court to sexually abusing a child in the 1980s.
Morris, 64, admitted to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Under a plea deal, he was sentenced to 10 years but will serve six months in jail, pay $250,000 in restitution, and register as a sex offender. He was taken into custody immediately after the hearing.
The victim, Cindy Clemishire, accused Morris of molesting her when she was 12. She testified that the abuse began in 1982 and continued for years, while Morris was a young traveling evangelist. Clemishire confronted him in later years but said efforts at restitution collapsed when she refused to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Morris founded Gateway Church in 2000, drawing tens of thousands of weekly attendees and publishing bestselling books. He also served as a faith adviser to President Donald Trump, frequently appearing alongside national evangelical leaders. His career collapsed in 2024 after Clemishire went public with her allegations, prompting Gateway to announce his resignation.
Survivors’ advocates say the case underscores how decades-old abuse allegations can still be prosecuted under Oklahoma law. For Clemishire, Morris’ plea ended what she described as “40 years in the making.”
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