Former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris released a public statement on March 31 following his release from jail, addressing his past actions, time in custody and what he described as a desire to live quietly moving forward.
Morris’ Full Statement
I am grateful to have had time to reflect carefully on what I want to say, so I will keep this brief and speak plainly.
First, to the many friends, family members, and people I have never even met who wrote letters, who prayed, and who held me in their thoughts during these months — thank you. I read all those letters, and they meant more to me than I can express.
I want to speak directly to Cindy Clemishire and her family. What I did to Cindy decades ago was wrong. There is no other word for it, and there is no excuse for it. I am deeply sorry. I have carried the weight of that wrong for a very long time, and I am grateful — genuinely grateful — that the Clemishires had the courage to bring this into the light. It is only in the light that things can truly be addressed and healed. Many years ago, I sought their forgiveness privately, and as Cindy’s father recently noted, he extended that grace to me — a grace I did not deserve and have never taken for granted. I ask again, publicly and sincerely, for the forgiveness of Cindy and her entire family. Whatever healing lies ahead for them, I pray for it with all my heart.
I also want to speak to the Body of Christ. I am sorry. I am sorry for the pain, the confusion, and the damage that has come upon so many believers because of my actions. That is a weight I carry, and it is right that I carry it.
I have thought a great deal about what it means that this was brought to a legal resolution. At first, that was a hard thing to handle. But the more time I spent in that jail cell, the more clearly I could see that what the Clemishire family set in motion was an act of integrity, and that it gave me something I needed — a moment of true reckoning in the eyes of the law, not just in my own heart or before God. It opened my eyes to things I had not fully seen.
I want to say a sincere word of thanks to the Osage County Jail staff. They treated me with professionalism, fairness, and genuine decency, as they did for all inmates. Their work is hard — harder than most people realize — and I came away with a deep respect for what they do every day. I am grateful for the protection and the dignity they extended to me.
Being inside also gave me time to think about the men and women around me who did not have what I have — a spouse like Debbie who has walked beside me faithfully, people who stepped into my life when I was young and in a troubled place and pointed me toward something better, a community that, even in its imperfection, held me accountable and helped shape the path I tried to walk from my late twenties onward. Not everyone in that facility has that. My heart goes out to the men and women who are in there without a single letter, without a single person to call. I pray they find their way.
As I look ahead, I do not have a grand announcement to make about what comes next. What I have is gratitude — for Debbie, for my family, for those who loved me when I was hardest to love, and for the mercy that I do not deserve but have been given. I intend to live quietly and with integrity, and to be the kind of husband, father, grandfather, and man who reflects that mercy in how he treats others.
Scripture has always been my anchor, and it remains so now. The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians, ‘Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.’ That verse has been with me through these months. The harvest from seeds I sowed long ago in sin was real, and it was just. But I believe equally in what follows — that when we turn, and when we sow differently, a different harvest is possible. That is not wishful thinking. That is the promise of grace. I am counting on it, and I am committed to living up to it.
Thank you.
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Cindy Clemishire Responds
In a statement to The Christian Post, Cindy Clemishire said she forgave Morris years ago but emphasized that forgiveness does not erase the lasting impact of the abuse.
“I forgave Robert Morris many years ago, and forgiveness is something I continue to walk out — sometimes daily, as needed,” Clemishire said. “Forgiveness, however, does not erase the truth of what happened or the lifelong impact it has had on me.”
She added that while Morris’ words reflect what many victims hope to hear, the timing of the statement raises concerns.
“His words today are, in many ways, what any victim would hope to hear,” she said. “But it is still deeply disheartening that those words were not spoken directly to me and my family on October 2nd, when he stood before the court and pleaded guilty. That moment mattered.”
Clemishire also questioned whether the statement reflects genuine remorse.
“While I hope his statement reflects genuine remorse, I cannot know whether those words came from his heart or were carefully prepared for him,” she said. “What I do know is this: what happened to me on December 25, 1982, when I was 12 years old, was not a relationship — it was a crime. And it changed the course of my life forever.”
She further alleged that a false narrative surrounding the abuse persisted for years.
“For decades, a false narrative was allowed to exist — one that minimized the truth and helped build a platform and following, while my life was left in pieces,” Clemishire said.
“My healing journey is ongoing and will be for the rest of my life,” she added. “But today is not just about me — it is about truth being acknowledged, and about accountability finally taking place.”
Case Background
Morris was indicted in March 2025 on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma. The charges stemmed from allegations by Clemishire, now 55, who said Morris began abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, when she was 12, and continued for more than four years while he served as a traveling evangelist.
He was also ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution. Clemishire has an ongoing defamation lawsuit against Morris and Gateway Church.
Prepared by Charisma Media Staff.
