Southlake’s Gateway Church has faced a string of scandals since the summer, including sexual abuse claims against its founding pastor and multiple unrelated lawsuits.
Now, the megachurch says it’s down to three church elders as it faces financial troubles and dwindling attendance numbers along with the ousting and departures of some high-ranking staff.
Gateway is searching for more church elders and hopes to add them by February of next year, elder Kenneth Fambro said in a video reposted by church watchdog blog WatchKeep.
“We currently only have three elders and desperately need help,” Fambro said.
The news comes weeks after the church completed a four-month probe into founding pastor Robert Morris’ alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. The law firm’s investigation found multiple church leaders and staff knew about the abuse claims for years and failed to look into them further, according to head elder Tra Willbanks.
It’s unclear how many knew about the alleged abuse, but four church elders were removed from the church’s website. A criminal investigation was opened after the law firm’s findings.
Morris resigned on June 18 following the initial allegations.
Since then, Gateway’s attendance at its Southlake campus saw a 40% decrease and dropped by nearly a quarter across its seven campuses, a spokesperson told The Dallas Morning News in October.
At least nine church leaders have left or been removed, including Morris’ son James Morris, who has since opened his own church with his wife. Former executive pastor Kemtal Glascow was fired in August after a “moral issue.” The church didn’t offer further details.
Fambro earlier this month said Gateway is making staff cuts following a 35-40% drop in church donations, or tithes. The reduction was a result of a class-action lawsuit filed in October by church members who claim their donations were mishandled.
Robert Morris in the past said 15%, or around $15 million of its $100 million annual church revenue, would go to global ministries. But a church member and public accountant for Gateway alleged only $3 million of annual revenue was given to global missions and ministries — and is demanding the church issue refunds.
Gateway was also named in an unrelated lawsuit in August in which a woman said she was groomed and sexually assaulted when she was 13 years old by an older member at youth group meetings.
The woman said the church did nothing to prevent the series of assaults over the span of three months despite multiple surveillance cameras in the area in which the abuse occurred. The suit also says there may be other girls who were assaulted by the same person.
Gateway in September filed a general denial of all claims but did not lay out its argument in court documents.
The church was named in another lawsuit in 2020, in which at least five church staff members were accused of covering up allegations of sexual assault of a minor. The suit was settled in May but resurfaced after Morris’ resignation.
Gateway declined to comment to KERA.
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