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alt / alt.atheism / Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal set off a summer of turmoil

Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal
set off a summer of turmoil

Summer was off to a tumultuous start when allegations of child sexual
abuse surfaced on a blog dedicated to Christian survivor stories. This
time, the man involved had gone on to lead one of America�s largest
megachurches.

Robert Morris, who founded and led Gateway Church for nearly 25 years in
the affluent Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, Texas, resigned after
the scandal came to light in June. His exit sent thousands of
evangelicals into a season of struggle that has lasted months.

Last week, a pastor who oversaw all of Gateway�s campuses departed amid
an undisclosed �moral issue,� becoming the latest in a series of changes
for the church: The cancellation of its annual conference. The departure
of Morris� successor. The renaming of its Houston campus and an exodus of
worshippers.

At each weekend service, worshippers continue to face reminders of the
scandal, with interim or guest pastors kicking off their sermons saying
�I�m sorry,� talking about grief or finding hope in difficult times.
They�ve noticed people who have sat and prayed around them for years are
once again not showing up for service.

The church has seen a decrease of 17% to 19% in weekend services
attendance, a church spokesperson told CNN.

The turnover at the church could have far-reaching effects. Gateway
Church draws an estimated 100,000 people to its weekend services and has
more than 560 employees at nine locations in Texas, and two others in
Missouri and Wyoming, according to the church.

It is considered one of America�s largest megachurches, which are
congregations with an average weekly worship attendance of 2,000 people
or more. There are nearly 1,800 megachurches in the United States,
according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

Morris� standing as a public figure goes beyond the size of his former
congregation. In 2016, he was part of former President Donald Trump�s
Evangelical Executive Advisory Board, the campaign announced in a news
release at the time. Trump also held a roundtable at Gateway�s Dallas
campus in 2020 and Morris led a prayer before the event.
�I did not know the truth,� elder says of Morris� abuse

The congregation�s �difficult� and �uphill� season � as interim teaching
pastor Max Lucado called it in a sermon last weekend � began in June,
when Cindy Clemishire�s account of abuse was published in The Wartburg
Watch, a church watchdog blog.

Clemishire, 54, told CNN affiliate WFAA Morris molested her in 1982 when
she was 12 years old. It started on Christmas Day and it continued until
she told her parents in 1987, she said.

Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Morris admitted to having
�inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady� in the 1980s. In its
initial response, Gateway Church said the pastor had been �open and
forthright about a moral failure� that took place when he was in his 20s
and working at another church, and had a two-year �restoration process,�
according to statements obtained by WFAA.

It wasn�t until days later that Morris resigned from his role. In a
statement announcing the resignation, the Board of Elders of Gateway
Church said the group did not have all the facts about Morris�
extramarital relationship, the victim�s age and length of the abuse.
WFAA.jpg
video

Related video Woman shares Dallas-area pastor allegedly molested her when
she was 12 years old

The board said Morris discussed it many times as something that happened
before founding the congregation, but he did not mention that it was with
a child.

�As an elder, I did not know the truth. And frankly, like so many of you,
my wife and I are shocked, devastated and grieving,� Tra Willbanks, one
of the megachurch�s elders, told the congregation in a June service.

For about 10 minutes, he was tearful as he spoke about Morris�
resignation from behind a lectern at the center of the stage. �I can�t
imagine carrying a burden like that for so many years and I want to say
to you, Cindy. I�m so sorry,� he added.

Since then, the church said it hired a law firm to �review the report of
past abuse� so it can understand �the facts.� Clemishire alleges at least
one church leader knew about the abuse in 2005, she said in a statement
to CNN.

If there are other victims, Clemishire said she encourages them to speak
up.

�I wholeheartedly and sadly believe I am not the only victim. I encourage
anyone who has been sexually victimized by a leader at Gateway Church to
take the bold step forward and say something. Now is the time. Please
know that you will be supported and will not walk this journey alone,�
Clemishire said in her statement.
Morris� successor steps down

At least three other pastors have left Gateway Church since Morris�
resignation, unleashing more uncertainty about the future.

Morris� son James Morris, who was slated to become lead pastor next year,
and his wife Bridgette resigned a month after the scandal. They agreed to
leave their current roles and step down �from leading Gateway in the
future,� the church said in a July 27 statement. He had been asked to
take a leave of absence while the law firm conducted its review.

When the couple addressed the congregation one last time during service,
they held hands after taking the stage to a standing ovation from
worshippers. The young Morris chose to focus his message on the joy and
love he felt at the church, while his wife choked up before talking about
grief.

�The Lord is giving us vision for the future, but we do grieve, grieve
(by) not being here with you,� Bridgette Morris said.

With their departure, the couple chose to allow Gateway �to have a fresh
start,� said Willbanks, who introduced them at the service.

Three current elders who served on the board from 2005 to 2007 were
placed on leave while the law firm�s review is conducted, the church
said. The men are following a recommendation made by the law firm and
have said �they had no knowledge of the true facts of this situation,�
according to a June 28 statement by the church.
Congregants at Southlake, Texas, megachurch Gateway sing during worship
at Sunday service on July 28.
Congregants at Southlake, Texas, megachurch Gateway sing during worship
at Sunday service on July 28.
James Hartley/Fort Worth-Star-Telegram/TNS/Getty Images
Another pastor leaves, Houston church cuts ties

Another pastor, Kemtal Glasgow, was dismissed over an unspecified �moral
issue,� the church announced last week. Glasgow�s role was overseeing all
of Gateway�s campuses.

�We were informed last week of a moral issue, which we believe, as
elders, disqualifies him from serving in the role that he had at
Gateway,� Willbanks said in a video statement. �We love his family, we
love his wife and his kids, and we want to come alongside them during
this difficult time and help them find restoration and healing that they
need as a family.�

Gateway Church spokesperson Lawrence Swicegood acknowledged the church
asked Glasgow to step down because of his �moral failure,� he told CNN
Wednesday. �To be clear, this decision regarding Kemtal had nothing to
with the departure of Robert Morris nor related to those circumstances.�

Morris� son-in-law said his church cut ties with Morris earlier this
summer, and he recently announced the rebranding of his congregation from
Gateway Church Houston to Newlands Church.

Senior Pastor Ethan Fisher, who is married to Morris� daughter Elaine,
has said his church was supported by Gateway since it launched in 2020,
but operates as an �autonomous church, both financially and legally.�

�I believe that during this season, as a church, that God is once again
calling us into something new, and I simply want to follow,� Fisher told
the congregation.
What�s next?

Church members have been torn over whether to continue attending. Lou
Comunale, a longtime church member, told CNN affiliate KTVT he attended a
June? service and has seen that leaders are not �hiding behind the
shame.�

�I think it was on target. I think he did not hide behind the shame �
that it brought to the church but we went beyond that and we�re not just
looking to one man, we�re looking to Jesus Christ and this church is
going to thrive because they fessed up,� Comunale said about Willbanks
addressing the congregation.

The week the allegations surfaced, several people held a protest outside
the church while Sunday service was underway. They held signs in support
of Clemishire, carrying messages that read �Justice 4 Cindy,� �She was
12� and �They Knew.�

For Emily High, the 17 years she spent as a church member came to a halt
because she felt betrayed, she said.

�It�s anger, it�s all the range of emotions,� High told WFAA. �Being a
pedophile, a molester, that�s not OK.�

As the search for a new pastor is underway, the two interim pastors have
been splitting weekend duties. Pastor Joakim Lundqvist, a leader of a
megachurch in Sweden, has shared how his own congregation faced and
overcame several crises. Lucado, an author and church leader in San
Antonio, Texas, encouraged the Gateway community to think about what�s
next.

Click here to read the complete article

"God Strikes Again!" <X@Y.com> wrote in message
news:vasn4t$hpji$1@dont-email.me...
> Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal
> set off a summer of turmoil

It is disingenuous to link the sin(s) of one person with the political career of
another. After all, do people blame Hillary Clinton for the sins of her
assistant's husband, Anthony Weiner? (Well, sure, all democrats puddle together
like raindrops in a mud puddle, that inevitably becomes a mudslide, but still,
Anthony's crimes are his own, and Killary's are her own. Meanwhile, Killary's
assistant, Huma Abedin, is from the *same* families that funded the terrorists
who attacked the U.S.A. on 9-11.)

Richard Carl Silk wrote:
> It is disingenuous to link the sin(s) of one perso

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Rudy Canoza wrote:

I might go to some swing state that is very close in the polls, and try
to become a mole saboteur in the Trump campaign. That sound like fun!

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...adding in electoral fraud to your public death threats...

YOUR DEATH THREATS AGAINST TRUMP ARE WELL-DOCUMENTED:

Governor Swill /Rudy Canoza/Lou Bricano/J Carlson/Michael A Terrell/Al
Feldhauser/Malte Runz and a dozen other socks wrote:

Multiple death threats against Trump:
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From: Governor Swill <governor.swill@gmail.com>
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Subject: Re: Triumphant Trump Photo After Assassination Attempt
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Oh poor me I got shot at ...

Swill
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From: Governor Swill <governor.swill@gmail.com>
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Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:37:51 -0400

Cheer up, maybe someone else will try.

Swill

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From: J Carlson <j_carlson@gmx.com>
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> No. I am a patriotic American who wants the country and its people to
thrive. Getting rid of Trump permanently
> is an important step to getting there.

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That constitutes a DEATH THREAT against a former President, Rudey:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/871
18 U.S. Code § 871 - Threats against President and successors to the
Presidency
U.S. Code
Notes
prev | next
(a)Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail
or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any
letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any
threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon
the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice
President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office
of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or
knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the
President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the
order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years,
or both.
(b)The terms “President-elect” and “Vice President-elect” as used in
this section shall mean such persons as are the apparent successful
candidates for the offices of President and Vice President,
respectively, as ascertained from the results of the general elections
held to determine the electors of President and Vice President in
accordance with title 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2. The
phrase “other officer next in the order of succession to the office of
President” as used in this section shall mean the person next in the
order of succession to act as President in accordance with title 3,
United States Code, sections 19 and 20.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 740; June 1, 1955, ch. 115, § 1, 69
Stat. 80; Pub. L. 87–829, § 1, Oct. 15, 1962, 76 Stat. 956; Pub. L.
97–297, § 2, Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1318; Pub. L. 103–322, title
XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

9-65.200 - Threats Against the President and Successors to the
Presidency; Threats Against Former Presidents; and Certain Other Secret
Service Protectees
The Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division has
supervisory authority over 18 U.S.C. §§ 871 and 879 cases. As great
caution must be taken in matters relating to the security of the persons
protected by 18 U.S.C. § 871, United States Attorneys are encouraged to
consult with the Counterterrorism Section (CTS) of the National Security
Division when they have doubts on the prosecutive merit of a case. For
the same reason, dismissal of complaints under 18 U.S.C. § 871, when the
defendant is in custody under the Mental Incompetency Statutes (18
U.S.C. §§ 4244, 4246), requires approval from CTS. In other cases,
United States Attorneys must consult prior to dismissing a count
involving, or entering into any sentence commitment or other case
settlement involving a § 871 charge.

https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2024/01/phoenix-man-arrested-making-online-death-threats-against-president-and

PHOENIX –David Michael Hanson, 41, of Phoenix, was arrested on Wednesday
for making online threats against the President and Vice-President.
Hanson was charged by Federal criminal complaint on Tuesday with five
counts of Threats Against the President and Successors to the Presidency
and five counts of Interstate Communication of Threats.

Click here to read the complete article

"Lil dwarf Rudey" <dumbasastump@invalid.org> wrote in message
news:vasoom$i2hh$1@dont-email.me...
> Richard Carl Silk wrote: (including the entirety of the original message):
>> It is disingenuous to link the sin(s) of one person with the political career
>> of
another. After all, do people blame Hillary Clinton for the sins of her
assistant's husband, Anthony Weiner? (Well, sure, all democrats puddle together
like raindrops in a mud puddle, that inevitably becomes a mudslide, but still,
Anthony's crimes are his own, and Killary's are her own. Meanwhile, Killary's
assistant, Huma Abedin, is from the *same* families that funded the terrorists
who attacked the U.S.A. on 9-11.)
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Rudy Canoza wrote:
>
> I might go to some swing state that is very close in the polls, and try
> to become a mole saboteur in the Trump campaign. That sound like fun!

So you have no kids, no family, no career, no life, eh? Ever stopped to ask
yourself what *good* are you to anyone?

Richard Carl Silk wrote:
> So you have no kids,

Governor Swill /Rudy Canoza/Lou Bricano/J Carlson/Michael A
Terrell/Chris Ahlstrom/Intelligent Party and a few dozen other socks wrote:

Multiple death threats against Trump:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh poor me I got shot at ...

Swill
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheer up, maybe someone else will try.

Swill

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> No. I am a patriotic American who wants the country and its people to
thrive. Getting rid of Trump permanently
> is an important step to getting there.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That constitutes a DEATH THREAT against a former President, Rudey:

https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2024/01/phoenix-man-arrested-making-online-death-threats-against-president-and

The complaint alleges that in November and December of 2023, while
living in Arizona, Hanson used a social media platform to post threats
to murder the President and Vice President of the United States. On
November 19, 2023, Hanson posted online a series of threatening
statements including one that stated, “#joeAndKamala I’m asking you to
resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murdered.” After the
U.S. Secret Service spoke to Hanson and warned him that it was a Federal
crime to post such threats, on December 23, 2023, Hanson posted another
series of similar threats aimed at the President and Vice-President.

Each count of Threats Against the President and Successors to the
Presidency carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of
up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count
of Interstate Communication of Threats carries a maximum sentence of
five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of
supervised release.

A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with
criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is
presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes
guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Click here to read the complete article

Richard Carl Silk wrote:
> what*good* are you to anyone?
>

Governor Swill /Rudy Canoza/Lou Bricano/J Carlson/Michael A
Terrell/Chris Ahlstrom/Intelligent Party and a few dozen other socks wrote:

Multiple death threats against Trump:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh poor me I got shot at ...

Swill
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheer up, maybe someone else will try.

Swill

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> No. I am a patriotic American who wants the country and its people to
thrive. Getting rid of Trump permanently
> is an important step to getting there.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That constitutes a DEATH THREAT against a former President, Rudey:

https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2024/01/phoenix-man-arrested-making-online-death-threats-against-president-and

Click here to read the complete article

Subject	Author
Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal	God Strikes Again!
Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scan	Richard Carl Silk
Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scan	Lil dwarf Rudey
Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scan	Richard Carl Silk
Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scan	Lil dwarf Rudey
Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scan	Lil dwarf Rudey
Re: Trumpist Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scan	Ryan