Gateway Church is currently dealing with more changes amid the outbreak of scandal after Robert Morris admitted to sexual assault of Cindy Clemishire for multiple years starting when she was just 12 years old.
Recently, a lawsuit was filed after a female alleged that she was sexually assaulted during youth group meetings that the church held at The King’s University in Southlake near the main church campus, according to WFAA Channel 8.
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The lawsuit claims that this happened back in the latter portion of 2016 and into 2017. The claim is that a then a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and groomed by a 17-year-old at the youth group meetings. The alleged offender had turned 18 during this time. The suit further stated that there typically were over 200 children from grades 6-12 there “with little or no supervision by Gateway’s youth counselors, pastors, leaders, chaperones or volunteers.”
CBS News Texas describes how Julia Long, who filed the claim, alleges that Gabriel Snyder assaulted her on the church grounds after grooming her with “biblical beliefs and teachings of…Gateway’s pastors and ministers” that she submit to him because she was a female. Long and her parents are actively seeking more than $1 million from Gateway and Snyder. Right now, Snyder is in prison for an unrelated sexual assault crime against a child and is expected to be released in October.
Gateway Church told CBS: “We take any claim of abuse very seriously. We are unable to further comment regarding ongoing litigation at this time.”
As WFAA further explained, the suit claims that “There were surveillance cameras on the building about the areas where [the victim] was sexually assaulted but nobody from Defendant Gateway ever came to [her] aid.”
The suit further states that Long’s family had a “special,” confidential relationship with Gateway, but that it inflicted emotional and mental harm.
With this latest heartbreaking update also comes at the same time the name change of the Houston branch of Gateway, which is pastored by Robert Morris’ son-in-law, Ethan Fisher. The church is now to be called Newlands Church.
“I believe that during this season, as a church, that God is once again calling us into something new,” Fisher said, according to the Christian Post. “And I simply want to follow.”
“We believe the Lord has given us a new name. This next chapter is about obedience and stepping out in faith to be who God has called us to be. In Scripture, when God changed a name He was speaking prophetically to who that person was to become,” Fisher said.
During this time of shifting sands in the Gateway community, the church is currently in a 40-day fast that is set to end on September 13.
“The Elders are inviting our entire church family to devote ourselves to 40 days of prayer and fasting beginning Monday, Aug. 5, and running through Friday, Sept. 13,” the church posted on their site.
The purpose of the fast is intercede for those who were hurt or abused, to bring the church together in unity and to seek God’s face for wisdom as the church sets out to find a new senior pastor. Currently, Max Lucado and Joakim Lundqvist have stepped in temporary roles to help the church in this dire hour.
To pre-order Joakim Lundqvist’s new book, “Shine Your Light,” visit Amazon.com.
Continue to lift up Gateway Church in prayer and all those who call this their home church.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
