Supporters of Robert Morris, founder of one of the largest church congregations in the country, appear unshaken in their devotion to the former Texas pastor — despite the fact that he pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges that he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
Morris, 64, built Gateway Church near Dallas in 2000, a business that has since ballooned to tens of thousands of weekly attendees, sermons broadcast around the world, and evangelical bestselling books. Morris, who served as a faith adviser to President Donald Trump, admitted last week to five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child.
Morris was given a negotiated plea agreement and will serve six months in jail as part of a 10-year suspended sentence. As part of his plea deal, Morris must register as a sex offender for life and pay for the cost of his incarceration, as well as restitution for the victim.
All the same, his supporters online have kept the faith: A Facebook post on Morris’ sentencing by the 700 club, a Christian news outlet, has garnered over 1,300 comments — many of which make excuses for his conduct or absolve him of sin.
“He was also young himself. God has forgiven him,” Rirhandzu Manganyi wrote.
“AND HIS MINISTRY WILL BE BIGGER THAN EVER,” user Shannon Liddle wrote.
“I still will listen to him! He’s still a man of God,” Pam Ullo wrote.
In 2024, Cindy Clemishire publicly claimed that Morris had sexually abused her in the 1980s, when she was 12 and he was 21. Clemishire said the abuse lasted for over four years and only ended when she told her parents. Following her allegations, Morris stepped down as a senior pastor at Gateway and acknowledged his “moral failure.” Morris’ public-facing role in the church has given rise to a devoted congregation and community, many who wish to support him even after his guilty plea. Despite his admission to the crimes, doubt and criticism of Clemishire’s accusations also proliferated in the comments of social media posts on the story.
A reel of Morris being escorted in cuffs out of the courthouse, posted by the Dallas Morning News, received 12 thousand comments and nearly 50 thousand likes.
“Why would anyone wait so long before coming forth with this? Smells like Money, money, money,” user Kimberly Ott wrote on the post.
Notably, community support of Morris in the face of the sexual abuse scandal isn’t just confined to comment sections. A secret recording, obtained by NBC News, of the church’s board after Morris stepped down in 2024 revealed one leader in tears while discussing their acceptance of his resignation.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions in my life,” he said.
Under a Fox 4 News Facebook post on the sentencing, user Keith West, whose profile describes him as a founder and lead pastor of a Christian ministry, also expressed a mixed reaction of sympathy and support for the sentence.
“We all have our sinful past. Obviously he repented and changed his life,” West wrote. “Still not immune to the consequences.”
Other commenters defended Clemishire, and expressed disagreement with Morris’ six-month jail sentence.
“It took me until I was 18 to tell anyone about my abuse. Don’t judge the timing of someone coming forward,” user Toni Hansen wrote.
“People get longer sentences for weed possession…” user Cory Allen Singer wrote.
Clemishire told the Dallas Morning News that it took years for her to come to terms with the sexual abuse and to be ready to speak publicly about it.
“Allowing yourself to feel that kind of pain and anger can be difficult, I think,” Clemishire said.
