Robert Morris’ son exits Gateway Church; Max Lucado to serve as interim teaching pastor

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, July 26, 2024

Bestselling Christian author Max Lucado will join Gateway Church as an interim teaching pastor while James Morris, the son of the church's embattled founder Robert Morris, stepped down Thursday, only weeks after he succeeded his father at the helm of the church in June amid a child sex abuse scandal.

Staff at the Southlake, Texas, church were told that James Morris and his wife, Bridgette, stepped down, CBS News reported Thursday evening.

"Earlier this week, the (church) elders met with Pastors James and Bridgette and they collectively made the decision that Pastors James and Bridgette would both step down from their current positions and from leading Gateway Church in the future," the church said in a statement Thursday.

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Gateway elders said they sought the "advice of many well-respected pastors and ministry leaders" about the decision to cut ties with the Morrises while noting they are confident they will serve as senior leaders of a church in the future.

"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."

In addition to Lucado, who has served as teaching pastor at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, joining the staff at Gateway Church, the elders said Pastor Joakim Lundqvist from Sweden, will assume a more pastoral role with staff. Lundqvist has spoken frequently at the church.

The elders promised to share more updates with the church this weekend in a statement on the church's Facebook page. 

On social media Friday, Lucado responded to reports suggesting that he was departing from Oak Hills. He clarified that he will serve as the teaching pastor at Gateway through the end of 2024 and plans to preach at both locations in the fall. 

"My desire is simply this — love God's hurting people. I see this as an opportunity to do just that," he stated. 

Lucado's temporary role at Gateway Church comes as he disclosed in his recent book God Never Gives Up on Youhis past struggles with alcohol to manage stress as his ministry grew and cope with a “world gone crazy.” He said he confessed to church elders who he said designed a plan to help him cope with demands.

Last month, 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.

"It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation. I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior."

Gateway Church is conducting an independent review of the allegations years after Clemishire said she had first contacted Morris via his Gateway email seeking restitution.