The Southlake campus of Gateway Church—the embattled Texas megachurch whose pastor, Robert Morris, resigned this week amid child sex abuse allegations—was evacuated by police Monday due to a bomb threat, Southlake Police said.
“Gateway Church received a general bomb threat that was reported to us, though it didn’t specify the Southlake location,” Southlake Public Information Officer Brad Uptmore told The Roys Report (TRR). “As a precaution, an evacuation was conducted and officers and firefighters cleared the building with nothing located.”
According to a police report obtained by TRR, the threat was called in around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The report notes that responders included a battalion, engine, and medic from the Southlake Fire Department, as well as several members of the Southlake Police Department.
The threat comes after longtime Gateway Pastor Robert Morris was accused last Friday of sexually molesting a 12-year-old girl about 40 years ago. This prompted an admission by Morris of “moral failure” years ago with a “young lady.”
Following public outcry, Morris resigned from Gateway on Tuesday. The Gateway elders said in a statement that they didn’t know the age of the person with whom Morris had a moral failing.
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However, the victim, Cindy Clemishire, said in a statement to TRR that both Morris and at least one Gateway elder knew the details of her abuse in 2005.
According to the Southlake Police Report, officers on Monday were able to clear the Gateway campus building by 8:30 p.m. Monday and determine that the bomb threat call had come from a phone in the 817 area code. This area code covers the western part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
The IT department at Gateway told police that the number is “a receiving Zoom number only and cannot make outgoing calls,” the report said.
Police discovered the number is associated with a woman at a phone number in Wichita Falls, Texas, the report stated. Police called the woman, who reportedly suffers from dementia, and spoke with both her and her grandson. Both claimed the number is “very old” and hasn’t been used by the woman “in over 20 years.”
Parents of students at conference not told of threat
Today, about 3,000-4,000 high school students are gathered at the Southlake campus for Gateway’s annual Student Conference, which began last night and ends Friday evening.
Keatin Black, who’s 14-year-old daughter is attending the conference, told TRR that Gateway didn’t notify parents about the bomb threat.
“I think that’s something parents have a right know,” Black said. “Then, we can make an informed decision about whether we want to send our kids or not.”
Black also told TRR that the conference ended an hour early last night—at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.—without notifying parents. Black noted that if an event at school ends early, the school always sends an automated email to parents or calls them.
Black said she already had “pause” about whether to send her daughter to the conference, given the scandal involving Pastor Morris. Black said she expected an email from Gateway, informing parents about what had happened and assuring them that their children’s safety is a top priority and that all the staff and volunteers at the conference had been fully vetted.
“But they didn’t address that with the parents. There was nothing,” Black said.
Black, who’s a coordinator for the children’s ministry at another church, noted that on Wednesday morning, she was co-leading a Bible study for four students, two of whom attend Gateway regularly with their families. She said when someone mentioned the scandal involving Morris, one of the students whose family attends Gateway didn’t know anything about what had happened and began searching her phone for articles on it.
“This is a lot for the parents and kids to find out on their own,” Black said, adding that she’s surprised Gateway hasn’t done more to inform the congregation.
TRR reached out to Gateway Church spokesman Lawrence Swicegood, asking why parents of students had been notified of the earlier bomb threat. Though Swicegood responded to another, unrelated request of ours, he did not respond to this one.
TRR has also been trying to confirm whether any of the conference speakers, including high profile Pastor Chad Veach, have backed out of the conference. Veach is the pastor of Zoe Church in Los Angeles, a megachurch in the scandal-ridden Association of Related Churches (ARC) network.
Texts and calls to Veach’s cell phone went unanswered. We also asked Swicegood about Veach and other guests TRR had learned may have backed out of the conference, but Swicegood did not reply.
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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22 Responses
Just because someone creates an institution and puts the word “Church” up on the sign does not mean that it is in any way part of Jesus Christ actual church. He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Exactly, Ralph.
And just because someone says they’re a “Christian” does not mean they are either.
The New Testament HAS definitions of what a Christian is eg. John 1:12-13 and Romans chapter 8 verses 9 and 14.
“You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16).
The fruit is listed in Galatians 5:22-24.
“For a good tree does not produce rotten fruit; neither does a rotten tree produce good fruit.
Every tree is known by his own fruit.
Because men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from bramble bushes” (Luke 6:43-45)
“The IT department at Gateway told police…….”
A bomb threat, you say? One doth think-eth the plot doth thicken-eth. More allegations coming forth? Hmm.
Yeh…..and you remember that one time apostle Peter asked about the IT dept? Yeh…me neither. So secular. For a NY second, I thought I was reading a message from work.
But on a relevant tangent, how about the wives of these men in such scandalous affairs? How come no one hears from the wives/women? Put a hot mic or spot light on them. What did (do) they know? They are as much culpable if they knew and kept quiet. At most, aiding and abetting a crime is as just a serious crime. A form of ‘folieux a deux’- a shared delusion? Truly a most curious phenomenon.
On a personal note, there’s no way my husband can hide/keep any secret from me, let alone one of such magnitude especially after that many years. And there is no way I could keep such secret. How does such marriage thrive (happily) given such weighty secret?
For how can 2 walk (live, sleep etc.) together unless they agree? HaShem certainly slew both Ananias and Sapphira for conspiring together to lie to the infant church. And great fear gripped the church. Oh that such fear of the LORD would return once again the Kehillah (congregation) and HIS Ekklesia. Amen.
I tend towards compassion towards the wives of these men. They probably know a lot about the sins of these men and there seems to be a decent likelihood that they live in fear of them. Robert Morris’s wife is married to a pedophile. What is that like for her? Think about James MacDonald and his public behaviors. If he’s willing to behave that way in public, how does he treat his wife when no one is watching? The behaviors we see of these men are reflections of their character, and that character goes home with them.
These wives also benefit from their proximity to power. I get that they feel trapped in these systems, but they also benefit greatly by being next to “the man of god”. And now, more than any time in history, they have the ability to leave. I know there are many psycological factors involved, but they do prop these men up, and make it possible for them to continue in their abuse with by being complicit.
Debbie knew her husband had abused a 12 year old, and kept abusing her for years, and she sided with him. She blamed it on the 12 year old. I get that there are reasons for that, but there is NO valid excuse for that.
“These wives also benefit from their proximity to power. I get that they feel trapped in these systems, but they also benefit greatly by being next to “the man of god”.”
And these “men of god” are CELEBRITIES within their church franchise and the Christianese bubble, so the rules of CELEBRITY (and the CELEBRITIES’ Wives) are in effect. Including the one where the Wife’s Prestige and Position depends entirely on the CELEBRITY husband’s Prestige and Position.
Remember Camille Cosby, AKA Mrs Bill Cosby?
Wife of one of the most famous and richest Celebs in the Industry?
(And one who until that point had substance and actual achievments beyond Celebrity.)
“Think about James MacDonald and his public behaviors.”
And his private behaviors as leaked by Mancow.
how about the wives of these men in such scandalous affairs? How come no one hears from the wives/women? Put a hot mic or spot light on them. What did (do) they know? They are as much culpable if they knew and kept quiet.
Robert Morris’ wife knew. Debbie Morris blamed the child victim and even called her to say, “I forgive you.”
She was in on it from the beginning.
She knew. He gaslighted his wife. She called the girl and accused her of entrapping Robert.
It seems the church is now (or always has been) complicit in the crimes committed by their dear leader, at least to the extent they want to run cover for him and themselves. I can just hear it now “We’re dealing with this scandal and now a bomb threat with thousands of teens being in possible harms way?! No way we’re being forthright and proactive about this either.” What kind of unprofessional, grifters don’t alert thousands of parents that their children are in a building where a bomb threat has occurred? The corrupt kind. They don’t care about the safety, nor we’ll-being of anyone but themselves and their image. How disgusting to see just how far “churches” have taken themselves down. And ALL of the congregants in them (well-meaning or not) just can’t believe why so many people don’t put their souls on the line to attend them anymore. NEWSFLASH: the church WILL be judged.
Bomb threat, really ? Sounds like a stunt to solicit sympathy from the ever so gullible segment of the Christian community. The whole we be so persecuted message is wearing thin in the Christian industry complex. Didn’t CJ and company wear that out at Sovereign Grace ? Does the Christian community still fall for that ?
Perhaps someone within Gateway has figured out that Mr. molester could be prosecuted despite all the talk about the statutory limitations. Texas has specific exemptions for certain crimes. The statute of limitations doesn’t include: Murder and manslaughter. Continuous sexual abuse of young children under section 21.02 of the Penal Code. Sexual assault under section 22.011(a)(2) of the Penal Code.
A “my David experience” or I was under great pressure running the ministry isn’t going to cut it this time. I predict Robert Morris has a future in active prison ministry. He is probably already working on the outline for his first message : should you tithe on you commissary account and will God bless you with early release if you do ?
Hoping the bomb threat will teach him what it feels like to be the one that is being hunted by the predator. His whole adult family has been complicit, ever since the 2005 lawsuit.
My father was a pedaphile, and I know that society looks away. It is too painful for any human being to be anywhere near these monsters, so they pretend otherwise, to spare themselves discomfort. Church people are no better, they just tell themselves that they are.
The accusers remind me of the mobs,back in the day, to rush to judgment and hang’em without due process. A 40 year old incident that was confessed to the Father of the girl and the church he was involved with at the time, and received counseling for two years makes me wonder if the accuser wants a
Medal or wants money.
You’re not serious? This man should be in prison. He’s lucky people are just saying some words.
Have you read the whole story?
It appears not.
He has NOT told the whole truth.
That’s the point.
In fact, the most recent public statement made by his “church” contained a quote from him referring to her as a “young lady” and downplaying the nature of the abuse and his responsibility.
To wilfully omit crucial details (eg that she was a CHILD) is called lying.
And Cindy Clemishire, the victim, TURNED DOWN a lot of money in 2005 because she was asked to sign an NDA.
It’s almost as if some people dismiss abuse victims offhand, don’t bother to carefully read facts and never consider that they might be noble people simply seeking accountability and for the truth to be exposed (come to LIGHT rather than be hidden in darkness).
It’s a strange attitude to have and I daresay UNChrist-like.
When are any of u going to wake up? Christianity as it is known today has failed miserably in every aspect. There have been leaders falling like rocks for decades, mostly due to sexual sins. If u have simply read a bible, let alone studied one, u would know that the wage of sin is death. Always has been Gen. 2:17, to Rev. 21:6-8, 22:14-15. The ONLY way to get to know God, which is essential for salvation, Jn. 17:3, 2 Thes. 1:8-9 is to search for Him with ALL your hearts, Jer. 29:11-14 in His autobiography. When u really know Him, after many hours of studying His autobiography, u WILL learn to fear Him, which is also essential for salvation. Ex. 20:20, Prov. 14:26-27, 16:6, Acts 10:34-35. So, there are three essential aspects to salvation, Know God. Fear God. Do what’s right. Sin negates any possibility of ‘doing what’s right.’ Doing what’s right, is simply ‘righteousness,’ Gen. 4:7, Rom. 2:13, 6:16, 1 Jn. 3:7, Rom. 6:15-18. Repentance is also essential for salvation, but that is the same as ‘doing what is right.’ Repent means to turn from all sin & never return to any of it. It can only be done once in anyone’s life-time. Heb. 6:4-6. So, it must be done B4 God gives u the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of your sins. Acts 2:38. At that time you will become a new creation IN Christ 2 Cor. 5:17 where there is NO SIN. 1 Jn. 3:4-10KJV The modern versions have words added by the men who compiled them. Don’t let your preacher con u with those added words.
I agree with you, Mr. Stitt, but most people don’t want to be woken up. They don’t want to believe in evil and be depressed by the fact that the world is broken and marked for destruction by God and no amount of good deeds or positive thoughts is going to change that.
The better question to ask is why do so many people allow themselves to be deluded and lead astray by false teachers?
Why do so many people make the choice to stay asleep rather than wake up and struggle with the truth of reality?
How many other megachurches are there that have the Rev. Morris on their “Board of Overseers”???
Elders just took him at his word with no investigation. Elders did not do their job as Elders.
Southlake did not tell their members before the news release.
Southlake did not inform the parents that had their children at the Student Conference about the Bomb. Instead the children had to call their parents & asking to pls pick them up now without any reason for early release.
This is typical of saving face of the churches reputation before the god loving church members. What a terrible group of Elders that this church has making these decisions. God help these members & help them see this church’s faults which was done deliberately.
That threat seems to offer a metaphor to the people in that church. There is something that’s exploded and they need to get the heck out of there while they can and let the pieces fall where they will.
I can forgive an indiscretion, however it seemed to go on and on.
Four years seems a long time.
Even one time with a 12 year old is criminal.