Trump’s Spiritual Adviser Robert Morris Half-Confesses to Molesting 12-Year-Old Girl

The pastor of one of many nation’s largest church buildings—and who Donald Trump as soon as named as a non secular adviser—has admitted to “inappropriate sexual habits” with a girl who says he sexually abused her when she was simply 12 years outdated.

On Friday, Cindy Clemishire informed The Wartburg Watch, a non secular watchdog weblog, that Robert Morris, the pastor of Texas’ Gateway Church, requested her to come back into his room when he stayed together with her household for Christmas in 1982. She was 12 and he was 20 on the time. She stated Morris molested her after which ordered her to not say something about his habits “as a result of it would smash all the pieces.” The abuse continued for years earlier than Clemishire confided in a detailed good friend, prompting Morris’ spouse to seek out out and Morris to step down from the ministry, based on the report.

He finally returned to the church and based Gateway Church in 2000, turning it into one of many nation’s largest megachurches with an estimated weekly attendance of 100,000, based on the church. He serves as its senior pastor, prompting Trump to call him to a non secular advisory board in 2016.

After Clemishire got here ahead, Morris acknowledged the claims in an announcement to The Christian Submit, admitting he engaged in “inappropriate sexual habits” with a “younger girl,” refusing to acknowledge Clemishire’s age on the time.

“It was kissing and petting and never intercourse, nevertheless it was unsuitable,” he stated.

He claimed that, with the blessing of the lady’s father and church elders, he returned to ministry two years after the abuse was reported. “I requested their forgiveness, and so they graciously forgave me,” Morris stated.

Elders at Gateway Church additionally informed The Christian Submit that Morris disclosed a “ethical failure” and had since been absolved. He has not been criminally charged, however Texas’ statute of limitations doesn’t cowl sexual offenses dedicated in opposition to a toddler.

“Pastor Robert has been open and forthright a few ethical failure he had over 35 years in the past when he was in his twenties and previous to him beginning Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the right biblical steps he took in his prolonged restoration course of,” they stated, based on the Submit.

Nonetheless, the church has labored to protect Morris from public view. He didn’t lead the church’s Saturday providers, based on the Dallas Morning Information, and the church has declined to grant any additional interviews or launch extra statements.

Clemishire informed the Dallas Morning Information that her household by no means condoned Morris’ return to the ministry, regardless of Morris’ declare on the contrary.

“We don’t consider anybody that’s accomplished something like this must be an overseer to anybody in any business, however particularly within the church,” Clemishire stated.

As for whether or not she discovered Morris’ public apology to be earnest, Clemishire struck it down.

“I don’t assume that it’s repentant when somebody calls a 12-year-old a younger girl and tries to simply dismiss what occurred as just a few heavy petting,” Clemishire stated. “I don’t consider that’s repentance. There’s no baby on earth that any individual ought to ever try this to. It’s simply unacceptable. There’s zero excuse.”