A Texas evangelical pastor and former religious adviser to Donald Trump has confessed to sexually assaulting a younger lady in his previous.
Robert Morris, a founding pastor of Dallas-based Gateway megachurch, was accused by an Oklahoma lady of sexual abuse within the Eighties, starting when she was 12 and persevering with till the age of 16.
Morris confirmed the allegations to a non secular publication, the Christian Submit.
In a assertion to the Christian Submit, Morris stated: “Once I was in my early 20s, I used to be concerned in inappropriate sexual habits with a younger girl in a house the place I used to be staying.”
In her personal assertion to the Christian Submit, the sufferer of the assault stated she was “appalled” on the description of her as a “younger girl” and stated the repeated abuse had taken a long time for her to course of. She stated her household had threatened Morris with the police and later thought of submitting a lawsuit.
Different church buildings the place Morris has ministered, reminiscent of Shady Grove church in Grand Prairie, had been allegedly conscious of his abusive historical past, however Morris instructed the Christian Submit he obtained counseling and had since “walked in purity and accountability on this space”.
Shady Grove church turned the Gateway church’s Grand Prairie campus in 2013.
Morris instructed the Christian Submit: “In March of 1987, this example was dropped at gentle, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the younger girl’s father. They requested me to step out of ministry and obtain counseling and freedom ministry, which I did.”
Regardless of his admission, Morris will proceed to be a major speaker on the church on weekends and his son, James Morris, will assume his father’s senior pastor duties subsequent 12 months.
Morris was by no means criminally charged and by the point his accuser determined to discover authorized motion, she was suggested the statute of limitations for felony or civil motion had in all probability expired.
In a press release to the native Dallas information outlet WFAA, Gateway church stated the “35-year-old matter” had been resolved: “Pastor Robert has been open and forthright a few ethical failure he had over 35 years in the past when he was in his 20s and previous to him beginning Gateway church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the correct Biblical steps he took in his prolonged restoration course of.
“The 2-year restoration course of was intently administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry throughout that interval whereas receiving skilled counseling and freedom ministry counseling. Because the decision of the 35-year-old matter, there have been no different ethical failures.”
Morris’s accuser stated whereas she had forgiven him for the sexual abuse, she didn’t consider he ought to have returned to ministry.
Morris was appointed to Trump’s evangelical advisory board for his 2016 presidential marketing campaign.
And in a 2020 roundtable dialogue with religion leaders in Texas, then-president Trump thanked two pastors, considered one of whom was Morris, for attending the occasion.
“They’re nice folks. Nice folks with an ideal status. I’ve to say that,” Trump stated. “Nice status. And Gateway church – the workforce has been unbelievable in internet hosting us.”
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