Dallas-based Gateway Church announced to staff this week that donations have dropped 35%-40% and staff reductions are imminent. The announcement comes five months after the resignation of founding pastor Robert Morris due to an allegation of child sex abuse.
Morris, who founded the multi-site megachurch in 2000, resigned in June, after Cindy Clemishire accused him of sexually abusing her for years, beginning when she was 12 years old.
On Wednesday, church leaders sent an all-staff video update via the social platform Slack, which The Roys Report (TRR) obtained. Gateway elder Kenneth Fambro spoke in the video and referred vaguely to recent church “difficulty,” saying he wanted to give “an update on where we are, from a financial standpoint.”
“We have, in fact, seen our tithes reduce between 35% and 40%,” said Fambro. “As a result, we really need to go and start looking at the ministry itself and looking into some staff reductions.”
TRR reached out to Gateway for further clarification, but a representative declined to comment.
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Fambro added that Gateway employees who are fired will be given one month of severance pay for every year served on church staff, up to four months.
“I know that this is a very difficult thing,” said Fambro. “We want to come alongside you and really help you through this transition and through this process.”
Investigation finds former Gateway elders complicit
At the beginning of the video, Fambro identifies himself as “one of three remaining elders.”
On Nov. 3, Gateway elder Tra Willbanks announced that the church had removed four elders as part of an investigation into allegations against Morris, which was conducted by law firm Haynes & Boone.
The church found these elders had full or partial knowledge of the allegations against Morris but failed to act or investigate. Three of the four men removed from the elder board had also been employed as pastors.
Weeks ago, Willbanks also stated that the church board will no longer include staff members, except the church’s future senior pastor and “potentially an executive pastor. But both of them would serve in a non-voting capacity,” he said.
This change to ensure the board’s independence corresponds with Gateway’s previously announced plans to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
The ECFA requires that its members have boards comprised of a majority of independent members, who are not on staff or related to other board members or staff.
Lawsuit claims church misspent tithe money
The elder’s announcement comes as several current and former church members are suing the church for alleged financial fraud, as previously reported by TRR.
Morris and other church leaders told members that Gateway gave 15% of its revenues to global missions but gave no more than 3% some years, the lawsuit claims.
Gateway has denied the allegations and provided only partial responses to detailed questions from TRR about the church’s finances.
Concluding his recent video remarks, elder Fambro told staff, “My heart goes out to everyone who’s processing this right now.”
“But know that we want what God wants. We want you to be exactly where God wants you, whether that’s in your career or whether you attend the church. Like, we want the best for you.”
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in central Florida.
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13 Responses
Meanwhile, James Morris and his wife have started a new church in — surprise, surprise — Southlake, named Passage Church. Looks like the buzzards are circling, either to get a large building for pennies on the dollar, or to be welcomed back as the (original) heirs apparent in an effort to avoid collapse.
Perhaps Mark this is more of a personal “franchise” he has kicked off, rather than a christain church – Body of Christ?
It now also seems that Repentance and Contrition have been redefined as, “reinventing oneself”. After all, who wants to be typecast.
What lends itself to suspicion is that they decide to start their own church — in the same location as the one they left. They are clearly trying to pull members away from Gateway, so that either 1) Gateway folds (and they get a building for pennies on the dollar — church buildings aren’t as saleable as houses) or 2) the congregation pressures the elders to bring them back as pastors (then they fold their operation into Gateway).
I call number 1. Then they would be able to obtain the property while being able to choose their own board members and not have to join the ECFA. Then after the dust settles, restore dad back to his place.
Christians aren’t commanded to tithe. It’s a legalistic guilt trip that’s worked well for hundreds of years.
Why isn’t Robert Morris in jail?!! One way the church can get money is to sue Robert Morris for deliberate destruction of their “business”, their church ministry, as he knew his past could be exposed at any time yet chose to take the position as pastor anyway. They could also call for a sale of his home as technically it was church funds gotten through fraud that bought it. Again, why isn’t Robert Morris in jail??!!
As to why Morris is not in jail awaiting criminal trial, I believe the statute of limitations has run out
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/north-texas-victims-rights-attorney-fighting-to-change-statute-of-limitations-for-exploited-women/
It has on both the criminal and civil side. Whatever “justice” Morris will receive, will be in the afterlife.
It is sad but when there is no accountability people stop tithing and send it somewhere else.
This is why a member should know, if s/he decides to leave a church, how to turn OFF any automatic donations (if they use that method of giving).
What a smear on Christianity but Christ can overcome! There are always “fake” sheep among us! All glory be to God! May all truth be revealed in this matter & the imposters exposed for what & who they are! Satan is always working!
Whatever you want to call the dumpster fire that is Gateway, it ain’t in any way Jesus’ church. Child molesters are not His servants. I am disappointed more have not left. Still drinking the flavor-aid I see.
Definitely the law needs to change. I was a Licensed Professional Counselor with a focus on children who were sexually abused. I also saw adult women. I am a victim of child sexual abuse as well and aware of the difficulty that keeps a child or young person from coming forward for decades. The current 30 years is not enough.