When the news broke a year ago that a famous Dallas pastor had sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s, church leaders across several states swore they knew nothing about it.
Now it turns out they did.
Just-released court documents show that Bible teacher Jimmy Evans and leaders at a Colorado megachurch knew all along that Gateway Church founder Robert Morris had sexually abused Cindy Clemishire.
Despite this, Evans said in a statement last year that he was “shocked and devastated” by recent revelations of Clemishire’s abuse.
And Brady Boyd, pastor of New Life Church—a megachurch in Colorado Springs, which reportedly had been informed of Clemishire’s abuse in 2007—acted like the abuse was news to him when it became public.
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Addressing New Life’s congregation in June 2024, Boyd said it had “been a hard week” for him personally. And he urged congregants to pray for Clemishire, “who came forward with new information” that had led to Morris’s resignation.
The stunning revelations about what Evans and New Life knew—and when—are included in a motion filed last Friday in Tarrant County, Texas, as part of Morris’ lawsuit against Gateway over retirement payments.
Clemishire and her sister, Karen Black, also spoke with The Roys Report (TRR) and confirmed the events mentioned in the documents and provided additional details.
In the motion and its attached exhibits, Morris admits he molested Clemishire when she was 12. But Morris repeatedly argues that he informed Gateway elders of this fact in 2005, 2007, and 2011. Yet, he states, the elders continued to employ him and agreed to pay him millions in retirement monies.
Evans was a Gateway elder or apostolic elder during those years and Boyd was an elder both in 2005 and 2007.
Then in 2007, Boyd left Gateway to lead New Life, which had been embroiled in a sex scandal that prompted its founding pastor, former National Association of Evangelicals’ President Ted Haggard, to resign.
The court documents note that Karen Black “protested and spoke explicitly” to New Life leaders about Morris and Clemishire when she heard of Boyd’s selection.
Black told TRR that she was a New Life member at the time and was concerned that hiring Boyd would increase Morris’s influence at the church. Given the scandal New Life had already endured, she wanted to protect the church from further harm.
So, in 2007, Black said she met with New Life’s pastoral search committee and told them that Morris had molested her sister for years in the 1980s, beginning when Clemishire was just 12.
According to a 2006 article in the Summit Daily, New Life’s search team included Lance Coles, now New Life executive pastor; Brian Newberg, now New Life senior executive pastor; former youth pastor and creator of The Thorn John Bolin; former New Life pastor and President of Window International Network Beverly Pegues; former New Life Prayer Pastor Joseph Winger, now an elder at Boulder Street Church; and two New Life members: Thelma Miller and Mary Napier, whose late husband served 15 years as a New Life trustee.
After the initial publication of this article, on Sept. 27, 2025, Beverly Pegues-Tucker reached out to TRR with a statement. “As a Member of the New Life Pastoral Search Committee, I strongly opposed Brady Boyd’s candidacy and voted against hiring him,” she wrote. Pegues provided a letter from the New Life Board of Elders that confirmed her opposition at the time.
Also on the search team was Ross Parsley, now pastor of One Chapel in Austin, Texas. But Parsley told TRR he “resigned early in the process to become a candidate” for the senior pastor position. “As a result, I was not involved in the search committee’s meetings or discussions other than as a candidate,” he said.
Not only did New Life proceed with hiring Boyd after meeting with Black in 2007, but it also made Morris, whom Boyd described as “one of my closest friends,” an overseer.
When Gateway heard about Black’s meeting with New Life leaders, they convened a special elder meeting to discuss how to respond, according to Morris’ filing.
A 2007 letter attached as an exhibit describes this meeting between Evans, Morris, Pastor Olen Griffing, Attorney Shelby Sharpe, and then-Gateway elders Tom Lane, Steve Dulin, and Kevin Grove. The letter is addressed to Boyd and other Gateway elders: Gayland Lawshe, George Grubbs, and Dave Smith.
Morris recounted what happened with Clemishire in the 1980s and his “process of repentance and restoration,” the letter states. It adds that Griffing, who was Morris’s pastor in the 1980s and oversaw Morris’s restoration, “corroborated Robert’s account.”
The letter then outlines a suggested response to Black’s disclosure, stating that those at the meeting “felt strongly that (Morris’s past with Clemishire) is a closed issue and does not need to be exposed by Robert.” However, if because of Black’s discussions with New Life, “the media picks up on the story . . . we will have a prepared statement to give them,” the letter stated.
Other documents in Friday’s filing show that New Life leaders and Gateway’s elders were again told about Morris’ crimes in 2011.
Included in Friday’s filing was an anonymous 2011 email, which was addressed to Morris, New Life pastors Boyd and Coles, [email protected], Tom Lane, and various media. The email’s subject line was “NEWS RELEASE: Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas molests 12 year old girl” and included Clemishire’s name, her parents’ name, and accurate details of her abuse.
Gateway officials’ response was to confront the sender with legal threats “if he proceeds with disseminating this false and misleading information.” It’s not known if the sender ever followed up with any news media.
TRR reached out this week to Boyd, Coles, and New Life Church for comment about their actions in light of knowing about Morris’s abuse in 2007. No one responded.
However, in March, when TRR first learned about Black’s meeting with the search committee, we emailed Coles. He responded that since Morris is now being tried for child sex crimes in Oklahoma, “New Life Church respectfully declines a request for a media interview and trusts the judicial process to reach a just and appropriate conclusion.”
This week, we also reached out to Evans, who is mentioned several other times in Morris’s court documents, but he did not respond.
The documents also implicated other former Gateway elders and apostolic elders, like the late Jack Hayford and televangelist James Robison.
Included in the filing was a proposed announcement Morris reportedly wrote in 2011 and distributed to all of Gateway’s elders at the time. According to an archived version of Gateway’s website, the elders in 2011 included not only Evans but Robison, Hayford, Lane, Dulin, Grove, Smith, Lawshe, Todd Lane, and Jeremy Carrasco.
In the announcement, Morris admits “kissing and petting” Clemishire who “was about 2 weeks before her 13th birthday.”
The proposed announcement also states, “Jimmy Evans and I spoke with (Clemishire’s) pastor a few years ago and he gave us a good report.”
Clemishire told TRR that the context for the visit by Evans and Morris was her disclosure around 2007 to her Oklahoma pastor, Mark Crow, that Morris had molested her as a child. Crow pastored Victory Church in Oklahoma City at the time but now pastors Mosaic Church, also in Oklahoma City.
Clemishire confirmed with TRR that Crow met with Morris and Evans around that time.
TRR reached out to Crow for comment, but he did not respond.
Despite these multiple indications Evans knew years ago about Morris’ abuse of Clemishire as a child, Evans posted a statement in June 2024, saying he was “shocked and devastated” by revelations of Clemishire’s abuse. Evans claimed Morris told him he had “had an affair with a woman in (his) early 20s.” But Evans claimed, “I was unaware of anything like the allegations shared last week.”
Similarly, Robison claimed in a video last year he had “no idea” Morris’s past “moral failure” was “a crime against a child.”
TRR circled back with Robison this week, asking for comment in light of revelations in Morris’s filing. Robison did not respond.
Another former Gateway elder mentioned numerous times in Morris’ court documents is Executive Leadership Institute founder Tom Lane. Lane issued a statement last June, denying he knew Clemishire’s age when the abuse occurred.
However, when TRR presented Lane with the evidence contained in the recent court filing, Lane’s attorney replied: “Tom removed his original statement, after subsequently seeing some past communications from 2011. Rather than attempting to adhere to memory and mental impressions, he anticipates releasing an additional statement at some time in the future, after the benefit of reviewing everything relevant . . .”
Former Gateway elder Steve Dulin, founder of MasterPlan Business Ministries, is similarly named on numerous documents in Morris’s filing.
TRR reached out to Dulin for comment, but he did not answer.
We also reached out to Gateway Church for comment. A church spokesperson replied that Morris’s filing is “just the latest sad attempt by Robert Morris to deflect blame away from himself to others for his criminal actions. We have consistently and publicly said that there were Elders and employees at Gateway who knew about this issue before it became public, and either didn’t take action or didn’t inquire further. That was fundamentally wrong . . .”
The church noted that it has already removed the elders who knew about Morris’s abuse and failed to act. The elders removed last year are Kevin Grove, Gayland Lawshe, Thomas Miller, and Jeremy Carrasco. Lane left Gateway in 2023 and Dulin left in July 2024.
However, in one of the documents included as an exhibit in Morris’s filing, Morris’s lawyer claims that from “2000 until at least 2023, prospective Gateway elders were informed of Robert’s moral failure that occurred in his early 20s—namely, his sexual encounters with an underage girl. . .”
TRR asked Gateway specifically about this claim, which would mean that current elders Tra Willbanks, Kenneth Fambro, and Dane Minor had prior knowledge of Morris’s crimes.
A Gateway spokesperson reiterated prior statements that anyone who knew or should have known about Morris’s abuse has been removed from the elder board. The person added that neither Willbanks, Fambro, or Minor were told about Morris’s abuse until the news became public.
Update 9/29/25: This article has been updated to include a statement from a former member of the New Life Pastoral Search Committee.
Julie Roys is a veteran investigative reporter and founder of The Roys Report. She also previously hosted a national talk show on the Moody Radio Network, called Up for Debate, and has worked as a TV reporter for a CBS affiliate. Her articles have appeared in numerous periodicals.
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39 Responses
Jimmy Evans has allowed himself to be sucked in to people that have compromised his leadership. Stopped following the Tipping Point prophecy paid podcast w Dr. Mark Hitchcock several months back because I no longer have confidence in Evans. Hitchcock needs to disconnect IMHO.
Tim,
Let me fix that for you.
Jimmy Evans CHOSE to continue to affiliate with people who engaged in criminal behavior. Jimmy Evans compromised his own ministry through his own behavior.
Having read the filings and each of the attached Exhibits, I just want to say that these people are even nastier than I ever imagined. The law firm’s continued reference to “encounters” and “relationship” with Cindy Clemishire, as though a 12 year old were capable of consent, underscores the depth of the depravity in everyone connected with this. Each time Robert Morris repeats the phrase “a relationship with a young woman” should earn him another lash with a bull whip. No honor among anyone in the whole bunch.
Wow yes, lashes w/ bull whips
Wow. There is something in the church I call ‘Club Lead’. You hear it in Robert Morris’ and other’s defence of Mark Driscoll in ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’ podcast 12. You here it in the Willow Creek elders initial defence of Bill Hybels when four women came forward and bravely disclosed he had made advances. And you hear it here. They look out for each other even when people get hurt. Gateway needs to come clean and release all its former employees from their NDAs. Robert Leland #NDAfree
Robert, it’s called the Evangelical Crony Network and it is alive and well. We are seeing the tip of the iceberg here.
Given that Texas just passed a law that would prevent NDAs from being used to cover up illegal actions, I wonder if that is only prospective or retroactive to existing ones.
Don’t forget, Morris hosted or emceed at another dallas church that hosted a garbage trump event some years ago , maybe in 2020. I took mental note at the time. Now driscoll is big trump “advisory” foolishness dude. A circular grotesquerie. Money, sleaze, absuse, politics , Churchianity
Churches should have no need for NDAs. Period. The very fact that a church would have an employee sign an NDA makes it suspect. The house of God should be setting the example for the world by exhibiting the highest moral and ethical character.
Seems like Morris in these separate lawsuit findings is openly admitting sexual child abuse that could incriminate him in the suit against him by the state of Oklahoma.
That’s my take on it too. It seems like in his greed for money, he has openly convicted himself of pedophilia.
Since this story has a connection to a big church in Colorado Springs, did Daystar Doug Weiss also know, since he is from Colorado Springs? Interesting to find out, especially with Doug Weiss being a Licensed Psychologist and the Executive Director of Heart to Heart Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is a national expert on sex addiction and intimacy anorexia, having coined the term. He is also the President of the American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy (AASAT).
I don’t watch Daystar any more, but I have seen snippets of the nonsense that comes out of Doug Weiss’ mouth, I have a hard time seeing him as an expert on anything. He has said the Holy Spirit is like a Harley rider making a mess everywhere he goes; he doesn’t have any business as a host on a Christian TV show, but for that matter, neither does Joni.
Seriously, pray for them both. They seem to me to be really hurt themselves. You know Joni’s first husband had an affair that lasted 7 years.
Yes, I’m aware of Marcus’ affair. I feel bad for Joni that she had to go through that, but that doesn’t give her a license to flaunt sin to the public, especially on a so-called Christian Television Network. I wonder how many new, baby Christians were watching her when she prayed curses on her “enemies”? (Pray for your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you, etc) When she claimed Marcus came to her and talked with her after he had died? (Necromancy is forbidden) When she lies repeatedly? (God detests lying lips) When she’s cussing like a sailor behind the scenes? There are more than these things I listed, but this is WRONG! I’ve worried about the new Christians more than anything since all of this has come out. She claims God talks to her regularly, yet she runs to false and self-proclaimed prophets to ask THEM questions…it doesn’t make any sense. She simply should NOT be on Christian TV. People shouldn’t be exposed to her nonsense. Especially someone who has just given their lives to the Lord.
Doug Weiss was a member of NLC at one time. He even preached a time or two there.
This is why God warned us about the love of money. We really need to avoid these mega churches and tv ministries and stay in God’s word. The bible is all we need and gather together with a small group of Christians. I am so sorry to see so many well-known names who don’t have enough compassion for children to protect them and punish their abusers but would rather protect their money stream.
Totally agree with all you have said. As God slowly removes his hand we will continue to see those things done in the dark brought to the light. This is just the tip of the iceberg. It is a testimony to the sad state of the church today. I know people are not prepared to accept that as truth but the cost is too too high not to. You do not put on your armor unless you know you are preparing for battle. Christians place their leadership higher than the God of the bible. According to The Word Of GOD….every person who was aware of this crime and sad repulsive cover up IS DISQUALIFIED for ministry, much less leadership. They may be brought to true repentance and have membership in a church and possibly serve in some way but that is up to the individual church. There are consequences for our choices and The Lord will bring that to fruition now or later. He will not overlook sin or wash it away. GOD is long suffering but he will not be MOCKED by anyone especially men standing in a pulpit under the banner of his HOLY name.
Wow! Julie Roys, your reporting is second to none. You carefully research and corroborate every account that was reported on. I’m an older Christian and have recently had my eyes opened wide to the systematic abuses of women and children by leaders in the “church.” This is a widespread epidemic and I applaud your efforts and pray for you and the team at TRR. God bless you!
I meant to say…GOD, and the bible…
It is so sad that so called spirit filed leaders would protect a child predator to save face for a leader or church . I use a little s for spirit bc real Spirit filled leaders wouldn’t lie to cover up for pedaphiles. God forgives those who confess and forsake their sin not those who deceive and cover it up. Morris will have a cell ministry soon with other inmates who have committed similar horrendous crimes against children and be treated as a sex offender in treatment.
We tithed to that church for awhile since they did not use the tithe properly csn we get our tithe back
These men are misogynistic and part of the “good old boy” crowd and they all make me sick. I will NEVER trust a pastor again, and I will NEVER attend church again. I look back at all my husband and I have gone through in churches for the past 50 years, and see how we were controlled, and only now through these articles do I understand how we were spiritually abused, lied about, used without pay, and downright taken advantage of in our time, talents, gifts, MONEY, and love for God. It wore me out! I still love God and my Lord Jesus Christ, but I am totally done with church and the disgusting, narcissistic men who run them. I hope Cindy reaps millions upon millions from Morris and his fake church. I personally know a pastor who attends Driscoll’s church who lost the church we attended due to his sex sins. I attended there when it happened!! The man did not even have the guts to get up in front of the congregation and repent! He just quietly slipped away, but is involved with Driscoll now. Sick, sick, sick bunch of misogynistic men. The Ted Haggard scandal really blew me away. Now Michael Tate, Morris, Rod Parsley, Art Lucier and the rest. Why do people let them get away with it? Deception is heavy on these men! AND Paula White. Trump doesn’t care about the ministers praying for him. He is using them for the Christian people’s favor. He stands there with his eyes open and lets the false prophets and fake ministers “pray” for him whose prayers go no where.
Barbara,
I completely understand where you’re coming from.
I was also a victim, with my experiences being very akin to what you experienced; “spiritually abused, (lied to), lied about, used without pay, and downright taken advantage of in time, talents, gifts, MONEY, and love for God.”
I’m willing to go on the record and name names, but the “ministries” involved are not “mega-big, name brand” along the lines of the people mentioned in this article. But the “minister” was / is close friends with C. Peter Wagner and is still very active peddling his cult abuse in the New Apostolic Reformation movement.
Anyway, the main gist of my reply is to point you towards a book that might help you in understanding and recovering from the abuse:
The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson & Jeff Van Vonderan
Coincidentally, these gentlemen ministered at a church literally 2-3 miles from where my spiritual abuse occurred. Alas, had I only known, I would’ve immediately “jumped ship” and attended their church, instead.
I can honestly understand what you’re going through, and why you feel the way you do about church.
I genuinely hope that you can find understanding and spiritual healing in the wake of what you’ve suffered.
I derived a great deal of knowledge and understanding, and a great measure of healing just knowing that I wasn’t crazy by finding myself and my experiences being laid out by other victims of other ministries in this book (although my heart agonized and grieved over the fact that there were others that had experienced things very similar to what I had).
I pray it may do the same for you and your husband.
Grace and peace.
Thank you, I’ll check it out!
Well done Julie. Keep on raking the muck out of that which claims to be God’s church!
“The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round…” bet it’s a bumpy ride with all those people under it!
I am deeply saddened that Jimmy Evans was involved in a sexual scandal and never repented for his sins. Evans is not your shepherd, but a wolf wears a sheep’s clothing to devour innocent children in the church. There are lost sheep at the Gateway Church and other Christian Churches who were led astray by the hirelings of the church. I choose the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Good and Compassionate Shepherd for the lost sheep, because He is the real bridge builder to return and unite lost sheep to His own flock. I am still reflecting Christian pastors and leaders are still accountable by the Lord Jesus Christ in the final judgment on devouring the sheep.
So now in light of JEvans connection …. Let’s just consider exactly where he stood, what he knows to be true and possibly lied about concerning The Lambs report of the sexual sin against their daughter……. Speaks to ones character does it not!
Ban all of them from any connection with any Christian-connected work forever and lock them up.
Like I said Jimmy Evan’s is and has always been a dirt bag, that is why it is natural for him to join the adultress Joni Lamb in condoning marriage with her sex crazed husband and pedafile family member. I will not fund wickedness.
It appears quite clearly that jimmy evans has double talked his way around these sexual abuse scandals that he knew about. How could he not if he was an elder or whatever little title he had at Gateway. He liked to spread himself thin among churches for notoriety. How could he act so shocked and surprised in learning about Morris’ abuse of clemishire, a 12 year old at the time, when it seems clear he had to have known about it years prior. Lord, I pray You expose the truth among these mega church names as to what other sinful acts they have committed recently and make it public to all true believers so they will not stumble and steer clear of so many wolves like those mentioned in this Roys Report. Thank you for exposing all of these elders, pastors, and such so we all steer clear of following and giving to their profiting schemes.
John
It seems like many men think it’s a light thing for women to be sexually abused, even a very underaged girl. Yes, it does seem alot like a good old boys club, watching out for each other. Interesting how they think someone can get free from their demons by having an overseer “restore” them. They will never get free if they don’t want it bad enough. They had their chance and now it should be over. If they can truly repent and get right with God then good, but they still can’t be trusted because people don’t know one way or the other. All these leaders that knew, and let him off, are disgusting.
Yes and church “restoration” should never take the place of criminal justice for the victim. It should happen in addition to it.
Makes sense Brady Boyd would be in on this. He replatformed a local pastor who was misusing his power and church finances. When people, including elders and associate pastors at the previous pastors church, raised issues about this pastor, he refused to talk to them. No discernment whatsoever. He didn’t want to hear truth. Figures he would apply this lack of wisdom to all other spiritual leaders.
Bob, what is the story about the local pastor and Boyd you referenced? I’m not familiar and want to learn more about
The revelations surrounding Jimmy Evans, Brady Boyd, and the New Life Church elders demonstrate a disturbing pattern of secrecy and complicity. The fact that church leaders were aware of Robert Morris’s abuse of Cindy Clemishire as early as 2007, yet continued to support him, raises serious ethical concerns. Institutions that claim to uphold moral integrity cannot continue to prioritize reputation over justice.
Religious communities must demand transparency and accountability. It’s unacceptable that leaders who had full knowledge of the abuse still feigned shock when the truth came to light. Their failure to act enabled harm and perpetuated a toxic culture that values silence over protecting victims.
This situation underscores a broader issue within megachurch leadership—one where power structures protect one another rather than holding each other accountable. What safeguards should be in place to ensure that abuses like these are not ignored? What independent oversight can prevent leaders from burying such truths?
Those who continue to support Evans and the elders should ask themselves—why? Given the evidence, why do they still trust these individuals to lead? Accountability should not be selective or convenient; it must be unwavering. It’s time for these leaders to answer hard questions, not hide behind public relations statements. Silence is complicity.
We must demand better.
Lance Coles is also Ted Haggard’s brother-in-law.
I attend a church in St. Louis, Missouri, or a former pastor of Gateway now resides and preaches. I am now wondering if he had involvement and or knowledge of the sexual scandal going on at the church where he preached for so many years. If anyone has any knowledge of this, please let us know on here! we have a right to know about these monsters. Not saying this man Had any knowledge or involvement….. please respond if anyone knows about this pastor in Wentzville Missouri. Why did he leave? I am praying. He had no involvement. my heart sank after reading the reports in the column.