Robert Morris, the founder and former pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is demanding millions of dollars in retirement benefits from the congregation he once led, sparking a legal dispute as he faces criminal charges for child sex abuse.

According to the Christian Post, the church has rejected Morris’s alleged financial claims, while both parties are now entangled in multiple legal proceedings stemming from his resignation, retirement demands, and wider financial and misconduct allegations.

Morris stepped down from his role in June 2024, shortly after facing accusations of sexually abusing a child. The allegations originated from Cindy Clemishire, who reported that Morris began abusing her in 1982 when she was 12 years old, with the abuse continuing for more than four years.

Church pushes back on multimillion-dollar pay demand

Following his resignation, Morris requested a large financial package from Gateway Church, including a $1 million upfront payment and an annual retirement salary totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. His legal team claims he was promised $800,000 annually until age 70, and $600,000 yearly for the remainder of his life.

Morris also asserts that these payments were to be extended to his wife, Debbie Morris, for the duration of her life after his death. Additionally, he argues the church owes him more than $1 million in unpaid accrued retirement compensation.

According to court documents filed by Gateway Church in Tarrant County District Court, the church rebuffed these demands. The church alleges Morris’ claims “do not reflect accountability for the impact of his actions on the community.”

Dispute shifts into legal and arbitration arenas

Morris brought his demand for compensation before an arbitrator, prompting the church to seek court enforcement of a prior dispute-resolution agreement that he had signed. The church moved to compel arbitration and formalize the process under previously agreed terms.

In the church’s court filings, representatives stated that Morris had approached them with financial demands shortly after “troubling revelations about his past conduct” emerged in 2024. Church leaders claim they warned him he would be terminated if he did not voluntarily resign over the abuse allegations.

Morris contends that his departure was not voluntary and that he was pressured into resigning despite the nature of the allegations and the publicly unfolding scandal.

Pending criminal charges and civil lawsuits compound tension

In addition to the retirement compensation dispute, Morris now faces serious criminal charges. A multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma indicted him on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, all connected to Clemishire’s claims.

While coping with the criminal case, Morris is also a central figure in a separate civil lawsuit filed by four Gateway Church members. The class action, brought in October 2024, accuses church leaders of misusing funds and failing to fulfill a money-back promise on tithes.

Co-defendants in the civil complaint include former executive pastor Tom Lane, founding elder Steve Dulin, and former global pastor Kevin Grove. The plaintiffs—Katherine and Garry Leach, and Mark and Terri Browder—claim the church concealed financial dealings despite reporting over $100 million in annual revenue.

Gateway Church pushes for dismissal of class action

In March 2025, Morris and other Gateway leaders joined First Liberty Institute’s legal team in filing a motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit. The motion argues that federal courts lack jurisdiction and that the matter falls under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, barring courts from interfering in religious organization governance.

Later that month, U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant issued an emergency stay on discovery in the case, halting further evidence gathering while the dismissal motion is considered. Gateway Church cited concern over the release of sensitive internal data.

On May 10, 2025, Judge Mazzant approved a protective order, limiting public and legal access to portions of the case material. The order defines protected material under two designations: “Confidential Information” and “Highly Confidential – Attorney Eyes Only.”

Controversial legacy casts a long shadow

The protective order governs not only the initial discovery process but also covers trial testimony and materials submitted into evidence, as Judge Mazzant outlined in the ruling. Both sides had supported the measure.

The overlapping legal battles—one dealing with Morris' claims for retirement money and the other centered on alleged financial mismanagement—highlight the growing internal and external scrutiny facing Gateway Church and its leadership structure.

While Morris seeks to enforce what he calls oral compensation promises, the church maintains that he is not entitled to the requested sums, arguing that his resignation followed serious allegations and constitutes termination for cause.