Robert Morris sought lifetime retirement benefits after exit, Gateway Church claims

DALLAS - Gateway Church founder Robert Morris asked the church for millions of dollars shortly after resigning, the church alleges in court documents filed in Tarrant County.

Morris is accused in court documents of asking for a $1 million payout and for the church to pay between $600,000-$800,000 to retirement accounts for himself and his wife for as long as they live. 

The church said it refused the payments and said that Morris had attempted to circumvent the mediation process.

The church is asking the court to issue a stay on Morris' request for an arbitration hearing on the funds, citing that he is attempting to bypass the mediation process that is in place as part of the church's dispute resolution process.

What they're saying:

"The revelations surrounding Morris shocked Gateway and the broader DFW community, particularly given the close-in-time moral failures of other local church leaders," the church said in court documents. "Yet, amid the chaos his conduct had unleashed upon Gateway and his community, Morris was laser-focused on securing his financial future."

The church claims Morris demanded the church move quickly to pay him.

"Shortly after the troubling revelations about his past conduct came to light last year, Robert Morris reached out to Gateway Church with a series of substantial financial demands," the church said in a statement. "Gateway Church has chosen not to meet those demands. In response, Robert Morris has filed a lawsuit in arbitration seeking financial compensation. His claims are false and do not reflect accountability for the impact of his actions on the community. We are filing our own response to this lawsuit, affirming our commitment to addressing these issues thoughtfully and thoroughly. We recognize the pain that has been felt by so many, and we are dedicated to maintaining the trust of our church family as we navigate this situation."

According to the filing, Morris claimed $1 million in a lump benefit and for the church to pay an $800,000 retirement benefit yearly until he turned 70 years old and then pay $600,000 per year after that for as long as he or his wife continued to live.

Mary Nix, an attorney who is uninvolved in the case but who has followed updates on the story, said she was not surprised Morris made the alleged demands. 

"I don't think it's unexpected, particularly for someone who was in his position and is facing the result of his actions, and unlikely to be able to find another source of income. I'm not surprised that he's filing a claim and trying to enforce that contract," Nix said.

 She said that while it's common to request benefits, the effects caused to the church by the case could impact the result of the claim.

"In other words, how much damages has he caused to Gateway by his actions, and does that offset any money that he would ultimately be owed in retirement?" Nix said. 

The other side:

A filing from Morris' attorneys that is included with the church's filing claims that Morris was effectively fired from his position in June 2024 and "forced out."

Morris' attorneys claimed he accepted a deferred compensation plan that was worth just over $1 million when Morris resigned.

"While the Benefit Plan provides for mediation prior to arbitration, it is apparent from the correspondence and communications between counsel that conciliation or mediation was not possible, leaving the only remaining step for the Claimant to take was to file this Demand for Arbitration," Morris' attorneys said.

Robert Morris accused of sexual assault

The backstory:

Morris was a founder of Gateway Church in Southlake, which began operation in 2000. He served as the church's senior pastor and, at one time, served as a spiritual advisor to President Trump.

The former pastor resigned in June 2024 after Cindy Clemishire made her accusations public. Her initials, timeline of abuse and accusation details match those given in Morris' indictments, though Clemishire is not named in the court documents.

Those indictments led Morris to surrender to Osage County officials on March 17. He was charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child and released on $50,000 bond. 

The documents say Morris committed those acts while traveling in Oklahoma. Due to Morris not being an Oklahoma resident during the alleged offenses, there is no statute of limitations preventing a conviction. 

In a previous statement by Gateway Church, a quote from Morris referred to an "inappropriate relationship with a young lady." He did not name Clemishire in his previous statements.

Robert Morris appears in court

During the hearing, Morris' attorney entered a plea of not guilty on the former pastor's behalf.

The court hearing was also the first time both the accused and the accuser were seen under the same roof since the alleged crimes.

Clemishire says Morris, 63, repeatedly sexually abused her in Oklahoma, beginning when she was 12 in 1982.

What's next:

Morris is due back in court on Sept. 4 for his preliminary hearing.

SouthlakeTexasCrime and Public Safety