Christian blogger helps bring Gateway Church founder to justice in child sex abuse case
A blog post on The Wartburg Watch helped expose decades-old abuse by Gateway Church founder Robert Preston Morris, who pleaded guilty Thursday to five counts of lewd acts with a child. He was sentenced to a 10-year suspended sentence, including six months in jail.
The post featured Cindy Clemishire, whom Morris admits to abusing as a child. Clemishire calls herself a "victim turned survivor," but says it took time, support, and the Christian conservative blog to help her find her voice — and realize she wasn't alone.
Editor Dee Parsons says the post quickly became the site's most viewed, sparking national media attention, Morris' resignation, and ultimately criminal charges.
"I think we are uncovering centuries of shame," Parsons said. "Cindy, in her courage of coming forward, and the great people in Oklahoma enforcing their laws have just put their foot down and said, 'no more, this stops, and it stops here.'"
Evangelical reckoning echoes Catholic crisis
Although Clemishire was abused and betrayed in her own home, Parsons compares the pace of abuse scandals unfolding in evangelical communities to the reckoning the Catholic Church began confronting three decades ago.
"I pray that the press and lawmakers, that we will all join together in fighting this… this shrouded evil in our midst," she said.
After nearly 16 years of sharing victims' stories on The Wartburg Watch, Parsons says she's no longer surprised that people victimize children — and in places — where they should be safest.
"That is exactly where a predator is going to go," she said. "A predator will go into the schools, into youth sports, and even better, into a church where the people in the church are told to respect the pastor, and this gives them access to the children."
The silence of survivors
Local experts agree, noting that only three in five abused children will ever tell.
"That means there's a whole lot of adults taking this to their grave, that secret. And never get the help that they need," said Dan Powers, CEO of the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center.
Powers said that for children at risk of abuse, "every adult holds a high-profile job, and that's one of the ways that sex offenders utilize that power to victimize children — whether their job is a plumber or a pastor — they hold a powerful position with a child, and sex offenders will use that to meet their own needs."
A call to protect and educate
Powers also applauded Clemishire's courage and said the guilty plea in Morris' case should serve as a community call to action.
"And it's our obligation, I believe, as a community to support kids who've experienced abuse," Powers said, "and to provide everything we can for them to heal."
He and Parsons both emphasized the need for parents to educate themselves about grooming tactics and remain vigilant.
"Don't just drop your kids off," Parsons urged. "Keep an eye on things. If somebody is getting too close to your 12-year-old son, don't think that he's just being a wonderful youth pastor! Be cautious. Learn to spot grooming when it happens. I am grateful that nothing happened to my children. But I would act very differently now, if I was to do it again."
Robbie grew up in northeast Texas, in a tiny town where her family's history spans six generations.
