Gateway Church Faces New Child Abuse Lawsuit

TARRANT COUNTY — Gateway Church, a prominent megachurch in North Texas, is confronting a new lawsuit that alleges sexual abuse involving a member of its youth group. The lawsuit claims that the abuse began in 2016, when the accused, identified as Snyder, was 18 years old. It further asserts that a "special" relationship existed between the church and the victim's family, suggesting that the church's environment may have contributed to the alleged abuse. The lawsuit also hints at the possibility of multiple victims within the youth group. This latest legal challenge follows a previous lawsuit settled in April 2023, which accused several church pastors of covering up sexual abuse involving a child in 2018. The lawsuit, filed by the child's mother, alleged that church leaders encouraged the congregation to ostracize her. Gateway Church has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the incident did not occur on church property or during church events, but rather at a private sleepover. The controversy surrounding Gateway Church intensified in June when Cindy Clemishire publicly accused the church's founder, Robert Morris, of sexually assaulting her when she was 12 years old. These allegations were initially reported by The Wartburg Watch and later covered by The Christian Post. Church elders acknowledged that Morris had admitted to an extramarital affair but claimed he did not disclose any allegations of abuse. Clemishire expressed disappointment over the board's decision to allow Morris to resign without further accountability.