Former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris walked out of the Osage County jail early Monday after six months behind bars.
An automated court notice showed Morris left the facility in Pawhuska just after midnight. The release caps his jail time from a sentence on child sex abuse charges, CBS News Texas reported.
Morris, who grew the Southlake church into one of the nation’s largest congregations, pleaded guilty last October to molesting Cindy Clemishire. The abuse began in 1982 when she was 12 years old. He faces 9.5 years of probation and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
The plea agreement came through the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and Clemishire.
“The most important thing for me was that he pled guilty to all five counts, and that he’d served some amount of time,” Clemishire told CBS News Texas following the verdict. “And, while most people think it’s not enough, for me, it ensured that he would spend time behind bars.”
Court records show Morris will complete probation at his $1.5 million lakefront home in Palo Pinto County. Conditions bar him from alcohol, guns, and contact with convicted felons. He must report to a probation officer.
Clemishire’s 2024 account on the Wartburg Watch blog, which tracks church abuse cases, sparked the probe and prompted Morris’ resignation from Gateway. Morris then ran global radio and TV programs, authored books, and advised President Donald Trump.
His son, positioned to lead Gateway in 2025, departed along with elders aware of Morris’ past with Clemishire.
Several lawsuits persist. Clemishire and her father accuse Morris and Gateway of covering up the abuse and defaming her by implying fault. The church rejects the claims.
Morris has sued Gateway over an alleged retirement package worth $600,000 to $800,000 annually for him or his wife. The church denies the promise.
Morris’ family stays active in Texas ministry. James and Bridgette Morris lead Passage Church in Southlake, two miles from Gateway. Son-in-law Ethan Fisher directs Newlands Church in Katy, where daughter Elaine Morris also pastors.
Another son, Josh Morris, quit Gateway to run a life and leadership coaching firm for churches and nonprofits. Robert Morris has not discussed his plans.
